Commander Islands (Commander Reserve)

Commander Islands – the land of winds and fogs. Here they do not joke with nature! The area of the Commander Reserve is 3,648,679 hectares! However, only 185,379 hectares of them are on land, the rest of the space belongs to the waters of the Berengov Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The reserve includes four large islands: Medny, Bering, Arii and Bobrovy Stones, as well as about 60 small islands. Beringa Island stretches for 75 km from northwest to southeast, its width varies between 15 and 20 km.

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Highlights

‘ Navy SEALs

One of the bays in the southern part of Bering Island is named Bobrovaya. The fact is that in former times sea beavers – calans – were abundant here. Like sea cows, they were practically exterminated. Fortunately, a small population of sea otters survived near Medny Island, from where they were returned to Beaver Bay.

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These amazing animals are also called Kamchatka beavers, or sea otters. Kalans are one of the few animals, with the exception of primates, that use tools. How does this happen? Because the diet of calans consists mainly of clams, crabs, and sea urchins, which have fairly hard shells, the animals often use sharp stones as a can opener to cut them open.

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%’ The beauty of the Commander Islands is harsh and will not be to everyone’s liking. However, there were even more people willing to visit this land than one could assume. Medny Island

General information

‘ Commander Islands

Plant World

‘ Meadows

Other shrubs are also found here: Siberian juniper (Juniperus sibirica), edible honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea) and blunt-ear rosehip (Rosa amblyotis).

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The meadows are home to longleaf sedge (Carex macrochaeta), fingerbrush (Dactylorhiza aristata), field horsetail (Equisetum arvense), and downy-flowered geranium (Geranium erianthum), bristly iris (Iris setosa), twisted meadowgrass (Lerchenfeldia flexuosa), false strawberry (Parageum calthifolium), soft-flowered bluegrass (Poa malacantha).

As you have already noticed, there are several species of horsetails growing in the Commander Reserve. In translation from Latin “horsetail” means “horse tail”. Indeed, the shoot of an adult plant looks like a horse’s fluffed tail.

Animal World

‘ Komandorskie blue fox
‘ Blue whale

The rare endemic population of the Komandorskie (Mednovsky) blue fox (Alopex lagopus semenovi), or polar fox, is also protected on the Commander. The life of these animals is not easy, full of dangers and desperate struggle. About 40 % of blue fox pups die. Some fall off cliffs, others fall victim to larger predators.

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There are about one million birds that nest permanently on the Commander Islands, which belong to 19 species. The most numerous here are grouse (Fulmarus glacialis), thin-billed kites (Uria aalge), common guillemots (Cepphus grylle), ipatcocks (Fratercula corniculata) and hatchets (Lunda cirrhata). The grylls got their name for their gullibility: they are practically not afraid of humans. But hatchets, or dullards, are named so because of the peculiar shape of the beak, resembling an axe. They are also called marine parrots. The fact is that in the mating season and the already unusual coloration of these birds becomes even more outlandish. In search of food tupiks can dive to a depth of up to 10 meters and stay underwater for up to two minutes. These birds catch fish without releasing the already caught fish, and can simultaneously hold up to 10-12 fish in their beaks.

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‘ Commander Islands

Reserve regime

The Commander Islands are very popular among tourists. Due to the harsh specific nature of local places, the most favorable months for visiting the Commander Reserve are July, August and September. Today the reserve has developed two ecological routes: “Familiarization with the flora and fauna of Bering Island” and “Aleutian trail of Medny Island”. You can get a separate pass to visit the rookeries of marine mammals.”

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How to get there

There are three ways to get to the Commander Islands: by airplane, helicopter or by sea. The distance from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Bering Island is 735 kilometers. Sea tours to the Commander Islands are organized on a regular basis. More detailed information can be obtained from the reserve’s management.

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Where to stay

You can stay overnight in the village of Nikolskoye. Often the organizers of water tours on the Commander offer tourists overnight accommodation in the cabins of ships.

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