14 interesting facts about the Chukchi Sea

The harsh and cold Chukchi Sea is hardly the place you want to go on vacation. However, who knows? Chukotka is a land of unprecedented beauty, even if it is difficult to conquer for unprepared travelers. Of course, cruise ships do not sail in the Chukchi Sea, but who said that only the tropics can be beautiful? The north also has its own beauty, this cannot be taken away.

Interesting facts about the Chukchi Sea

1. More than half of its area is rather shallow, no deeper than 50 meters.
2. Among other famous navigators and explorers, Bering and Cook visited the Chukchi Sea.
3. Once it was part of the East Siberian Sea, but it was decided to single it out as a separate one, since it is very different from the neighboring seas.
4. The Chukchi Sea got its name thanks to the Chukchi people, after whom the Chukotka peninsula itself was named (interesting facts about Chukotka).
5. In summer, the water temperature in the Chukchi Sea usually fluctuates around the mark of 6-8 degrees Celsius. It never warms up warmer than +12.
6. It washes the shores of only two countries. These are Russia and the USA.
7. On Wrangel Island, which is located here, mammoths died out only about 3.5-4 thousand years ago (interesting facts about Wrangel Island).
8. The Chukchi Sea is covered with ice on average 9-10 months a year.
9. The date line passes exactly through the Chukchi Sea.
10. In early autumn, even before the sea begins to freeze, due to strong winds, waves up to 6-7 meters high can often be observed here.
11. During high and low tides, the level of the Chukchi Sea almost does not change, the difference does not exceed 15-20 centimeters. But a strong wind can drive water to the shore, raising its level by 2-3 meters.
12. In the northern part of the Chukchi Sea, ice has not melted for years, and their thickness exceeds several meters.
13. Polar bears live on its shores, and whales and walruses frolic in the waters.
14. Oil deposits at the bottom of the Chukchi Sea, according to experts, contain about 30 billion barrels of «black gold». They belong to the US, not Russia.