Bering Island (Nikolskoye, Russia)

Bering Island is located in the Bering Sea (North Pacific Ocean), off the Kamchatka Peninsula. The island has a length of 90 km (56 mi) and a width of 24 km (15 mi). It is Commander Islands' biggest and westernmost, with land area approx 1660 km2 (640 mi2).

Bering Island has no trees. The weather is harsh, with persistent fog, high winds, even earthquakes. The island has a total population of around 800, all living in the village Nikolskoye. Roughly half of them are Aleuts (aka Unangan) - indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands. Approx 4 km (2,5 mi) to the northwest is located Toporkov Island - a small, round-shaped isle (diameter 800 m / 2625 ft).

Most of Bering Island plus 14 smaller neighboring isles (and sea rocks) are part of the Komandorsky Nature Reserve. The marine park has a total area approx 36648 km2 (14150 mi2), of which 21774 km2 (8407 mi2) is water area. Reserve's land territory includes most of Bering Island, Medny Island, plus 13 smaller islands. This protected wilderness was created in 1993 to protect the marine ecosystems of the islands and the surrounding waters of the Bering Sea.

The park features a great diversity of birds and animals - over 1 million seabirds, hundreds of thousands of fur seals, thousands of Steller's sea lions, common and spotted seals, a large population of sea otters, around 20 whale species, 2 Arctic fox subspecies, many endangered migratory seabirds (including whooper swan, Steller's eiders and sea eagles). In the Komandorsky Nature Reserve fishing is prohibited within the marine buffer zone of 50 km (31 mi) surrounding it.

Bering Island cruise terminal