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Bering Sea Facts

Bering Sea Facts
The Bering Sea is located in the Pacific Ocean, bordered by the Kamchatka Peninsula and Russia Far East to its west, Alaska to its east and northeast, the Bering Strait to its far north, and the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula to its south. The Bering Sea was named after a Danish navigator named Vitus Bering, who was the first European to explore its waters, in 1728. There are resources in the Bering Sea within both Russia and the United States' jurisdiction. The middle of the Bering Sea is known as the 'Donut Hole' as it is considered to be international waters.
Interesting Bering Sea Facts:
The Bering Sea covers an area of 770,000 square miles.
It is believed that at one time the Bering Sea was so shallow that humans were able to migrate on foot from Asia to North America. This is believed to have occurred during the last ice age. Animals are believed to have migrated in both directions during this time from one continent to the other.
There are many islands in the Bering Sea including Hagemeister Island, Sledge Island, Nunivak Island, Karaginsky Island, King Island, Matthew Island, St. Lawrence Island, Bering Island (part of the Komandorski Islands), and St. Paul Island (part of the Pribilof Islands).
There are 16 submarine canyons in the Bering Sea. One of these, Zhemchug Canyon, is the world's largest canyon.
There are several regions of the Bering Sea including Norton Sound, the Gulf of Anadyr, Bristol Bay, and Bering Strait.
Whales that can be found in the Bering Sea include the sperm whale, fin whale, sei whale, beluga whale, blue whale, gray whale, bowhead whale, and humpback whale.
The rarest whale in the world, the North Pacific right whale, can be found in the Bering Sea.
Marine mammals found in the Bering Sea also include the polar bear, the orca, the walrus, the Steller sea lion, and the northern fur seal.
More than 30 different seabird species breed in the Bering Seas regions. This amounts to over 20 million seabirds breeding each year along its shores.
Some of the seabirds that breed along the Bering Sea regions include tufted puffins, short-tailed albatross (endangered), red-legged kittiwakes, and the spectacled eider.
Commercial fish species that can be found in the Bering Sea include sablefish, Pacific Ocean perch, yellowfin sole, Pacific halibut, Pacific cod, Alaska Pollock, and Pacific salmon.
There have been over 419 different fish species reported to be found in the Bering Sea.
Shellfish found in the Bering Sea includes red king crab, opilio crab, tanner crab, and king crab.
The Bering Sea is an important commercial fishing location. The United States alone catches roughly $1 billion worth of seafood from the Bering Sea each year.
The Discovery Channel has created a TV show called Deadliest Catch which captures the king crab and opilio crab seasons aboard large fishing vessels.
Steller's Sea Cow and the spectacles cormorant were Bering Sea species that became extinct due to man's exploitation. The Bering Canada Goose is also now extinct due to man's activities.


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