Little is known about the polar bears, walrus and whales of Russia’s Kara Sea. As sea ice melts and industry heats up in Russia’s Arctic, there’s a small window of opportunity to plan for conservation in the Kara Sea. This spring, WWF sponsored an expedition to this remote Arctic sea for a preliminary survey of the region’s wildlife.
Dmitry Ryabov of WWF-Russia reports:
Meet the team
The Kara Sea expedition team. © Dmitry Ryabov / WWF-Russia The expedition members are WWF polar bear experts, researchers from the Association of Maritime Heritage, Russian Arctic National Park, Moscow State University, and the author of this story – the Press Secretary for WWF’s Murmansk office, Dmitri Ryabov (far left).
One reason the area is poorly researched is logistical. Simply getting to the Kara Sea is a challenge. The expedition members travelled first to Krasnoyarsk, then on to Khatanga, near Russia’s Arctic coast.
Khatanga at -15C
In the local language of Evenki, “Katanga” means “many waters”. Apparently, frozen water. Frosts can occur all year round, and -50C is not uncommon in the winter. In this village of 2,500 people, skis and snowmobiles are the easiest ways to get around.
Skiing in Khatanga. © Dmitry Ryabov / WWF-Russia The sun will stay above the horizon for nearly 3 months starting in May. Even now, the sun doesn’t set until nearly 23:00. But we have a long day tomorrow, so it’s time to head to sleep at the best (and only) hotel in the village.
Hotel in Khatanga. © Dmitry Ryabov / WWF-Russia Tomorrow, we head out to the Kara Sea.