Home / Russia / Commander Islands

Bering Sea wildlife · Russia

Commander Islands

Remote, fog-bound islands at the edge of the Bering Sea — vast seabird cities, sea otters, fur seals and whales, explored by expedition vessel.

Getting there

By expedition vessel into the Bering Sea, off eastern Kamchatka

Best for

Sea otters, northern fur seals, Steller's sea lions, puffins, seabird colonies, whales

The land

Remote, treeless, fog-bound islands at the edge of the Bering Sea

Good to know

The Commander Islands are where Bering was wrecked, and the sea cow was discovered and lost

What it is

The Commander Islands are remote, fog-bound islands at the edge of the Bering Sea — vast seabird cities, sea otters, fur seals and whales, by expedition vessel.

Far out in the Bering Sea off Kamchatka, the treeless, fog-bound Commander Islands are a wildlife frontier. Explored by expedition vessel and zodiac, they hold huge northern fur seal and Steller's sea lion rookeries, rafts of sea otters, cliffs packed with puffins and seabirds, and seas rich in whales and orcas — in one of the remotest corners of Russia.

PhotoCommander Islands — bering sea wildlife.

The reason to come

The Bering frontier

The Commander Islands offer Bering Sea wildlife in pure remoteness.

Seals & sea lions

Vast fur seal and Steller's sea lion rookeries.

Sea otters

Rafts of sea otters in the kelp.

Seabirds & whales

Cliffs of puffins and seabirds, and whales offshore.

Worth knowing

The Bering Sea frontier

The Commander Islands, where Bering was wrecked, are a remote wildlife frontier of seabird cities and marine mammals.

PhotoA seabird colony on the Commander Islands.

When to come — honestly

A summer expedition.

June – September

Best

The brief summer — seabird colonies, otters and whales.

July – August

Best

Peak seabird breeding and marine-mammal activity.

June & September

Good

Shoulder weeks of the short northern season.

Extremely remote and fog-bound, reached only by expedition vessel; landings depend wholly on weather and sea conditions.

Context

The Bering frontier

The Commander Islands offer remote Bering Sea wildlife by expedition vessel.

We model the voyage as indicative; the vessel and route are matched on enquiry.

We reach the Commander Islands by expedition vessel; the exact ship and route are matched to your dates on enquiry.

Beyond the obvious

More to Commander Islands.

PhotoSeal rookeries

Seal rookeries

Fur seals and sea lions.

PhotoSea otters

Sea otters

In the kelp.

PhotoSeabird cliffs

Seabird cliffs

Puffins and whales.

Why Wild Voyager

We open up the Russian Far East.

Russia's wildlife — Amur tigers, Kamchatka's bears, the Bering Sea, Baikal — is remote and logistically complex. We plan the permits, flights, helicopters and specialist camps and trackers needed to reach it.