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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Europe and Mediterranean

Europe and Mediterranean

Russia

Cold northern and Pacific seas with belugas in the White Sea and orcas, sea otters and gray whales in the Far East, for learning only for now.

Forested islands in Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea at dusk, Russia
Kandalaksha Bay (Kandalaksha Gulf), White Sea, Russia · Photo: Dmitry A. Mottl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
On pause, travel not recommended

On pause, travel not recommended. A government travel advisory says not to travel here, so we do not offer trips. Sources: Russia travel advice, UK FCDO, 2026; Last of the belugas from Russia's whale jail released, Mongabay, Nov 2019; Orcas and belugas held in appalling whale jail, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Feb 2019.

Why: The UK advises against all travel to Russia, and other governments give similar advice, so our ethics check for trips is paused. What we know: in 2018 almost one hundred young orcas and belugas were held in sea pens for export, and they were only released in 2019. If trips ever become possible, we would only watch marine mammals from a respectful distance.

We share this country as a story and do not offer trips. This is not a judgement of the people or the ocean here. It only means that today we could not find a visit that meets our animal-welfare and safety standards. Places change, so we look again every year.

⚠️ Official travel advice is a separate question, and it differs by passport. EU citizens or US citizens may be advised against travelling there, so please check your own government’s website before you plan.

WhalesWildlife watching

Why Russia

Russia touches very different seas. In the White Sea, belugas come into the shallows off Cape Beluzhy on the Solovetsky Islands from about mid June to mid August, and near the Arctic Circle a university biological station has studied this sea since 1938, where divers also go under the winter ice. In the Far East, the Commander Islands nature reserve protects sea otters, Steller sea lions, northern fur seals and many whales, orcas feed along Kamchatka, and off northeast Sakhalin near Piltun the endangered western gray whales feed in summer and autumn. The Kuril Islands, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan coast of Primorye add more cold-water life. In 2018 almost one hundred young orcas and belugas were held in sea pens in Srednyaya Bay for export, and they were released in 2019, a strong reminder why we only watch these animals from a respectful distance. EU, UK and US citizens may be advised against travel to Russia, so please check your own government's website. Ocean Calling is only researching it for now.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

KazakhstanUzbekistanSudanChadRussiaNorwayFranceNigerNigeriaIsraelLebanonPalestineTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanCambodiaThailandLaosMyanmarVietnamNorth KoreaSouth KoreaMongoliaIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandChinaTaiwanItalyDenmarkAzerbaijanGeorgiaPhilippinesSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaEritreaJapanYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusEgyptLibyaEthiopiaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoSolovetsky Islands, White Sea, RussiaKandalaksha Gulf, White Sea, RussiaCommander Islands, RussiaPiltun, northeast Sakhalin, Russia

When to go

Jun-Sep. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

Official travel advice or our ethics check means we do not send guests here.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

On pause, travel not recommended

We follow government travel advice. We will look again when it changes.

This is not a judgement of the people or the ocean here. It only means that today we could not find a visit that meets our animal-welfare and safety standards. Places change, so we look again every year. Checked 26 Sep 2026.

⚠️ Official travel advice is a separate question, and it differs by passport. EU citizens or US citizens may be advised against travelling there, so please check your own government’s website before you plan.

Sources for this check
The story

Where in Russia

We share these places as stories and research notes. We do not offer or sell trips here.

Solovetsky Islands, White Sea

On pause, travel not recommended

At Cape Beluzhy, belugas gather in shallow summer water and can be watched from the shore.

Also seen: Belugas (from the shore at Cape Beluzhy)

When: Jun-Aug. Belugas come closest from about mid June to mid August. The path to the cape depends on the tide. Sightings are never certain.

Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea

On pause, travel not recommended

A cold northern gulf near the Arctic Circle, home to a university biological station and known for diving under the winter ice.

When: Feb-Apr. Ice diving happens in late winter when the sea is frozen. In summer there is long daylight and field research. Only for learning for now.

Commander Islands

On pause, travel not recommended

Remote islands and a large marine reserve with sea otters, Steller sea lions, fur seals, orcas and big whales.

Also seen: Sea otters, Steller sea lions, Northern fur seals, Harbour seals, Orcas, Humpback, fin and sperm whales

When: Jun-Sep. Summer is the only practical season for boats around the islands. Weather and fog change plans often.

Piltun, northeast Sakhalin

On pause, travel not recommended

A shallow coast in the Sea of Okhotsk where the endangered western gray whales come to feed.

Also seen: Western gray whales (feeding ground)

When: Jun-Nov. The whales feed here in summer and early autumn. This is a research and protection area, not a whale watching place.

Animals

Animals recorded in Russia

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals
Wild beluga lifting its head from the brown water near Churchill, ManitobaBeluga whaleDelphinapterus leucasSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernOrcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian watersOrca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 55 countries in the AtlasData DeficientSea otter floating on its back among kelp off Vancouver IslandSea otterEnhydra lutrisSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGray whale spouting at the surface, mottled back and barnacles visibleGray whaleEschrichtius robustusSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHumpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableFin whale surfacing, showing its white right lower jawFin whaleBalaenoptera physalusSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSpotted harbor seal lifting its head out of calm waterHarbor sealPhoca vitulinaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGrey seal resting on a seaweed rock in Northumberland, UKGrey sealHalichoerus grypusSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHarbour porpoise rolling at the surface off Berry Head, DevonHarbour porpoisePhocoena phocoenaSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBowhead whale head with twin blowholes breaking the surfaceBowhead whaleBalaena mysticetusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernNarwhal surfacing with its spiral tusk showing, Nunavut, CanadaNarwhalMonodon monocerosSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAtlantic walrus with long tusks resting on sea ice, SvalbardAtlantic walrusOdobenus rosmarus rosmarusSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedNorthern fur seal with its mouth open, head and shoulders in profile against a brown backgroundNorthern fur sealCallorhinus ursinusSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMinke whale surfacing and exhaling, seen from aboveCommon minke whale (North Atlantic)Balaenoptera acutorostrataSeen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf minke whaleBalaenoptera acutorostrata (dwarf form)Seen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCuvier's beaked whale surfacing, pale scarred head and small dorsal finCuvier's beaked whaleZiphius cavirostrisSeen in 42 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBasking shark swimming underwater in green water off Argyll, ScotlandBasking sharkCetorhinus maximusSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasEndangeredLion's mane jellyfish with long hair-like tentacles, Highland, ScotlandLion's mane jellyfishCyanea capillataSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedMoon jellyfish in a harbour in Zeeland, NetherlandsMoon jellyfishAurelia aurita and other Aurelia speciesSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedA Black Sea seahorse in the shallow water at Eforie-SudLong-snouted seahorseHippocampus guttulatusSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedWhite-beaked dolphin surfacing, head and beak at the water lineWhite-beaked dolphinLagenorhynchus albirostrisSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSpotted seal with its dark-spotted coat, photographed by NOAA Fisheries staffSpotted sealPhoca larghaSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAtlantic puffin spreading its wings on a cliff in IcelandAtlantic puffinFratercula arcticaSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSteller sea lion in Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA, iNaturalist research-grade observationSteller sea lionEumetopias jubatusSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBlack-faced spoonbill in Taiwan, TW, iNaturalist research-grade observationBlack-faced spoonbillPlatalea minorSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerableDall's porpoise seen from above in dark blue water, with its white flank patch showingDall's porpoisePhocoenoides dalliSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGiant Pacific octopus on the seabed at 65 m depth off Point Pinos, California, filmed by a research submersibleGiant Pacific octopusEnteroctopus dofleiniSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernA single silvery herring angled through deep blue water off Skjervoy, northern NorwayAtlantic herringClupea harengusSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-tailed eagle in flight low over calm water with a fish in its talons, near Raftsund, Lofoten, NorwayWhite-tailed eagleHaliaeetus albicillaSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernRinged seal lying on snow and ice, dark with pale ring markings on its backRinged sealPusa hispidaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHarp seal raising its head and chest out of green water with spray around itHarp sealPagophilus groenlandicusSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedPolar bear looking up at the camera on sea ice, close view of the face and earsPolar bearUrsus maritimusSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerableGreenland shark swimming just above the seabed in deep water, filmed by a research vehicleGreenland sharkSomniosus microcephalusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLarge bearded seal resting on snow and ice with its head raisedBearded sealErignathus barbatusSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedGreat cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black backGreat cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge flock of sooty shearwaters flying low over the sea beside a rocky coastSooty shearwaterArdenna griseaSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedClose view of a northern gannet face, with pale blue eyes and a golden headNorthern gannetMorus bassanusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeach's storm-petrel in flight over water, wings spread, with a pale patch at the base of the tailLeach's storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasVulnerableEuropean shag sitting on its nest of dry grass, dark green-tinged plumage and yellow gapeEuropean shagGulosus aristotelisSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo pygmy cormorants perched on a bare branchPygmy cormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeusSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernShort-tailed shearwater resting on the open seaShort-tailed shearwaterArdenna tenuirostrisSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernNorthern fulmar sitting on a cliff ledge, facing the cameraNorthern fulmarFulmarus glacialisSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernYelkouan shearwater lifting off the sea surface with wings raisedYelkouan shearwaterPuffinus yelkouanSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasVulnerableStarry ray resting on a sandy seabed, with a spotted back and thorns along the tailStarry ray (thorny skate)Amblyraja radiataSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePelagic cormorant standing on a rock with wings held open to dryPelagic cormorantUrile pelagicusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernJapanese cormorant perched on a rock against blue sky with its bill open, white throat and cheeks showingJapanese cormorantPhalacrocorax capillatusSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernNorth Pacific right whale rolling at the surface in the Bering Sea, rough head callosities visibleNorth Pacific right whaleEubalaena japonicaSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasEndangeredPod of Baird's beaked whales at the surface of grey water, with scarred backs and rounded foreheads visibleBaird's beaked whaleBerardius bairdiiSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGroup of Baikal seals resting together on a rock at the water's edge, seen from aboveBaikal sealPusa sibiricaSeen in 1 country in the AtlasLeast ConcernCaspian seal with its head above the water in the shallow northern Caspian SeaCaspian sealPusa caspicaSeen in 1 country in the AtlasEndangered
Curious?

Why this is a story, not a trip

Read our ethics check above. If you would like to talk about it, Rocío is happy to explain.

Ask RocíoBack to the Ocean Atlas

Also in Europe and Mediterranean
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