Okhotsk

Okhotsk commonly refers to the Sea of Okhotsk, a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It lies between the Russian Far East and the Japanese island of Hokkaido, with the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Siberian coast to the east and north, Sakhalin Island to the west, and the Kuril Islands to the southeast. The sea connects to the open Pacific through several straits, including the Soya (La Pérouse) Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhalin and the channels around the Kuril Islands.

The Sea of Okhotsk is relatively shallow and experiences long winters with extensive sea ice, which limits navigation for much of the year. In summer its waters support productive marine ecosystems and significant commercial fisheries. The region’s coastal areas host ice-related communities and biodiversity, with several habitat types dependent on seasonal ice.

Economically, the sea supports major commercial fisheries for species such as pollock, cod, salmon, and crabs, contributing to regional economies and livelihoods. Key ports and towns along its shores include Magadan in the north and various settlements on Sakhalin Island, including Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Korsakov, which serve fishing and resource industries.

Historically, the area has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples, including the Nivkh and Evenki, and became a focus of Russian exploration and expansion from the 17th century onward. The Okhotsk culture, a prehistoric hunter-fisher society named after the region, flourished around the Sea of Okhotsk roughly from the 5th century BCE to the 5th century CE, leaving distinctive pottery and coastal settlements in Sakhalin, the Russian Far East, and northern Japan.