The climate is characterized by a moderate amount. Temperate climate zone
Judging by the finds of archaeologists, the first people appeared here in 1750 BC. e., Wrangel Island was put on maps in the middle of the 19th century. In 1921, the colonization of the island began: first, settlers from the USA and Canada arrived here, and in 1924, the Soviet flag was raised over the island. The first polar station, under the leadership of the Russian Arctic explorer Georgy Ushakov, was created already in 1926.
The geographical position of this territory is surprising: Wrangel Island is divided by the 180th meridian into two almost equal parts, which means it is located simultaneously in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Today the island administratively belongs to the Iultinsky district of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The reserve, washed by the Arctic Ocean, is the northernmost in the Far East, and in terms of the number of endemic plants and animals (that is, living in only one climate zone), it has no analogues in the world and surpasses even Greenland.
The territory of the protected zone on Wrangel and Herald islands is almost 800 thousand hectares. Mountains, occupying two-thirds of the territory, are the main type of landscape. The rest is Arctic tundra with small lakes and streams, of which there are about 900. Despite the proximity of the Arctic Circle, there are no glaciers on the island.
Flora and fauna of the island
The Chukchi name of Wrangel Island, Umkilir, translates as “island of polar bears.” Indeed, the number of dens of this northern predator here is the largest in the world. Every year, 400–500 bears hibernate on the island. And the history of creating a full-fledged reserve began with another mammal - the musk ox. They were brought in in 1975 in the amount of 20 individuals and after many years of adaptation they took root. There are currently about 900 individuals on the island. Another ungulate, reindeer, was introduced here in the early 1950s, and today it is the only large population of reindeer on the islands (9-10 thousand individuals). The coast is home to walruses that migrate to the Bering Sea for the winter. And in the waters of the reserve, scientists study cetaceans; The most common species are beluga whales and gray whales, and sometimes the bowhead whale. The island is home to Asia's largest colony of white geese. And in general, the fauna is unique in terms of population size. Also inhabited here are the arctic fox, wolverine, wolf, red fox, Siberian lemming and Vinogradov's lemming - the aborigines of this territory.
The harsh climate does not contribute to the diversity of flora: there are no frosts only 20 days a year; The polar night, when the air temperature drops to -30°C and the wind reaches 40 m/s, lasts over three months. However, the island has 417 plant species: more than anywhere else in the Arctic climate zone. These are mainly lichens, mosses and dwarf trees.
Tourist routes
Due to climatic conditions, the only settlement on this territory was officially declared non-residential in 1997: only groups of research scientists and reserve staff are on the island. Visits to the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve are limited, but there are about 10 tourist routes in summer and autumn. They include traveling along rivers and ravines on all-terrain vehicles or, very rarely, on foot, but most importantly, watching animals: deer, polar bears... and whales, if you're lucky, of course. You cannot move more than 20 m away from the guide, so as not to meet one-on-one with the ferocious northern predators.
In 2004, the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The island of polar bears - "Umkilir" - is what the locals call Wrangel Island. It is located in the waters of the Arctic Ocean between the East Siberian and.
The island received its name in honor of the Russian navigator and statesman Ferdinand Wrangel. Currently, Wrangel Island is part of the reserve of the same name and is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Story
Since the mid-17th century, Russian explorers heard from the inhabitants of Chukotka about a certain island in the Arctic Ocean, but it appeared on maps only 200 years later. In 1911, the island was declared Russian territory, although even after that there were several attempts by Britain to annex it to its lands. But the great remoteness, ice hummocks and nature itself protected this region from the encroachment of foreigners on this primordially Russian northern land.
In 1976, a nature reserve was created on Wrangel Island, which included, in addition to the island itself, the territory of nearby Herald Island and the adjacent 12-mile sea area. The main task of this reserve is to preserve and study the fauna of the island part of the Arctic.
The climate of the Wrangel Island reserve is quite harsh. From February to March, temperatures rarely rise above -30 degrees, and the wind accompanying snowstorms reaches speeds of 40 meters per hour and above. Even in summer there are frosts and snowfalls. Ice masses on the islands remain almost all year round.
The topography of Wrangel Island is mountainous; mountains occupy more than half of the island's territory. Near the sea they end in cliffs. In places where the banks are flatter, there are sand and pebble spits. In addition, there are streams on the island - more than one and a half thousand, and about 900 lakes.
Herald Island is a high outlier that falls into the sea on all sides with rocky, steep ledges.
Most of the flora and fauna protected by the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve are unique. The reason for this is the exceptional combination of historical and landscape-climatic conditions, as well as the inaccessibility of the island. Even relict species of animals can be found here. On the islands, which are part of the ancient landmass that united the Eurasian and North American continents in ancient times, American and Euro-Asian species of flora and fauna are still preserved. Most of the flora of Wrangel Island belongs to the arctic tundra subzone. In some places of the island there is a real polar desert. Flowering plants grow quite happily in the southwest and center of the island. Here you can see real relict steppes.
There are absolutely no amphibians or reptiles on the territory of the reserve, but 169 species of different birds nest here, for example, the common eider and combed eider, the Icelandic sandpiper, the peregrine falcon and the gyrfalcon. By the way, on Wrangel Island there is the largest colony of white goose in Eurasia.
Siberian and ungulate lemmings, common to this region, as well as arctic foxes make up the bulk of terrestrial mammals. Occasionally a fox or wolf appears. Walruses often appear on the island - the largest rookery of these animals is located here. The island serves as a kind of “maternity hospital” for them. There are frequent visitors to such rookeries.
The island is home to quite a large number of musk oxen. These huge animals, covered with thick fur, don’t mind the local frosts. This is their home and they feel great on the island.
Domesticated reindeer were brought here specifically. They took root well, over time they became somewhat wild and now make up some of the fauna of the island.
Gray whales, fin whales, and beluga whales are not uncommon in these waters. Sometimes whales swim in.
The island is also of geological value - sites of ancient humans were found here, as well as traces of a population of small mammoths that outlived their mainland relatives by almost 6 thousand years. By the way, mammoths lived on Wrangel Island relatively recently - only 3.6 thousand years ago.
Tourism on the island has only begun to develop in recent years. This is prevented significantly by its removal. But it has become a tradition there that several tourist groups annually come to the cordon called “Doubtful Bay”. Most travel around the island is done by all-terrain vehicles.
Some people prefer to ride ATVs or walk. Here you can visit Mount Perkantun, located in the central part of the island, as well as the Paleo-Eskimo site on Devil’s Ravine. Many excursions include the landing site of Canadian settlers at the mouth of the Khishniki River, and the Davydov, Predatelskaya and Popov lagoons, where the hunting lodge is located. In cases where there is not much ice on the sea, water routes along Somnitelnaya Bay and Krasina Bay are also possible.
The most interesting thing to do while traveling around the island is to contemplate the pure northern nature, watching polar wolves, polar bears, arctic foxes, and seabirds in their natural environment.
Having visited Wrangel Island, you have a great opportunity to capture memorable moments and add to your photo collection. Every day and hour spent on this wonderful island will be remembered for the rest of your life. This northern region of real, untouched nature, remote from civilization, will always attract you, despite the difficulties overcome.
March 19th, 2010
Wrangel Island is on the border of the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas, part of the Russian Federation. Area approx. 7.3 thousand km2. Height up to 1096 m. It is located at the junction of the western and eastern hemispheres and is divided by the 180th meridian into two almost equal parts. It is separated from the mainland (northern coast of Chukotka) by the Long Strait, which is about 140 km wide at its narrowest part. Administratively it belongs to the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. It is part of the reserve of the same name. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It received its name in honor of the Russian navigator and polar explorer Ferdinand Wrangel.
The territory of Wrangel and Herald Islands, with the exception of the low-lying plains of Wrangel Island, remained dry throughout the Cretaceous period and the entire Cenozoic era. During powerful Pleistocene transgressions, the territories of the islands were repeatedly separated from the mainland, and during periods of regression of the seas, coinciding with ice ages, they were part of the vast Beringian landmass, which united the shelves of the East Siberian, Chukchi and Bering seas and connected Asia and North America. At the same time, the territory of the modern islands was located almost in the center of the Arctic part of Beringia, located north of the modern Bering Strait. It is especially important that throughout the Pleistocene the islands never experienced cover glaciation (there are only traces of mountain-valley glaciation in the central part of Wrangel Island), nor were they ever completely flooded (transgressions covered only the plains of Wrangel Island, and even then no more than half their length). That is, the organic world of the islands has developed continuously since the end of the Mesozoic era.
During the periods of the existence of the Beringian landmass, the territory of the modern islands found itself at the crossroads of migratory flows of plants and animals leading from Asia to America, from America to Asia and from Central Asia to the Arctic region (thanks to the existence during this period of a single “tundra-steppe” hyperzone throughout central arid to the highest latitude regions of Eurasia and North America) and, as is generally accepted, in the center of the largest area of evolution of modern Arctic biota. During periods of transgressions, when most of the shelf land was under water, the islands served as a refugium for many species and communities common on drained shelves. In addition, periodic isolation contributed to the activation of speciation processes on the islands themselves. All this was the reason for the initially high biological diversity of the territory.
The last separation of the islands from the mainland occurred about 10 thousand years ago, which coincided with the global restructuring of Arctic landscapes - the collapse of a single tundra-steppe zone and the massive expansion to the north of hypoarctic flora and fauna.
The latter, due to island isolation, appeared in a very weakened form on the islands, which, together with the peculiarities of the physical-geographical situation (landscape diversity, while maintaining the “refugia” of continental conditions), ensured the survival of many relict elements here, as populations of individual species, and entire communities.
At the same time, thanks to the same diversity of natural conditions, relatively heat-loving hypoarctic elements survived here, having managed to penetrate the island and other similar territories at the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary, but in most cases disappeared as a result of the late Holocene cooling. Until the mid-Holocene, large mammals remained on the island, including the local subspecies of mammoth, which became extinct over the last 5-2 thousand years.
It is known that about 3.5 thousand years ago the island was inhabited by sea hunters, whose culture is classified as Paleo-Eskimo. The results of studies of the only known Neolithic site on the southern coast of Wrangel Island indicate that this ancient population of the island used exclusively marine resources (no remains of terrestrial animals were found in the cultural layer of the site). By the time the Wrangel and Herald Islands were discovered by Europeans, there was no indigenous population on them. There were no traces of large land mammals.
The existence of a large island in this sector of the Arctic Ocean was predicted by M.V. Lomonosov. In 1763, Mikhailo Vasilyevich showed on a map of the polar regions north of Chukotka the large island “Doubtful”. The location of this supposed land turned out to be close to the real Wrangel Island.
In 1820, the Russian government sent two expeditions to the northern coast of Siberia. One, under the command of Anzhu, to search for the “land of Sannikov” and the other, under the command of Ferdinand Wrangel, to find the mythical “land of Andreev”
With amazing persistence, energy and courage during 1820-1824. Wrangel undertakes a number of trips across the ice on dogs. On some of these trips, he travels across sea ice 250 km north of the coast of Siberia. But all these trips were to no avail. Finally, when meeting with the Chukchi foreman (in Chukchi “kamakai”), he learned from him that “between Cape Erri (Shelagsky) and Cape Ir-Kaipio (Northern), near the mouth of one river, from low coastal cliffs on clear summer days High, snow-covered mountains can be seen in the north across the sea, but in winter they are not visible.
In previous years, large herds of deer came from the sea, probably from there, but, pursued and exterminated by the Chukchi and wolves, now they do not appear. He himself once, in April, chased a herd of reindeer for a whole day on his sleigh drawn by two reindeer, but at some distance from the shore the sea ice became so uneven that he was forced to return.” Other Chukchi confirmed to Wrangel and his companions that “they themselves saw the land on clear summer days from a place called Yakan.”
According to Chukchi legend, the elder of the Onkilons, a people who used to live along the northern shores of Siberia, Krekhai, retired with his people to this overseas land.
Convincing stories from the Chukchi forced Wrangel to attempt to reach an unknown land across the ice on dogs. Having reached Cape Yakan, Wrangel and his assistant midshipman Matyushkin did not see any signs of land in the north. However, Matyushkin decided to make an attempt to reach the island. April 9, 1723 He set out across the ice on three sledges, having provisions for 15 days. The huge ice holes he encountered along the way did not allow him to move further than 16 km from the coast. Thus, this attempt ended in failure. Nevertheless, Wrangel put this land on his map, noting: “The mountains are visible from Cape Yacana in the summer.”
Thus, based on the stories of the Chukchi, with great accuracy, the island was first mapped, which later received the name “Wrangel Land”, or “Wrangel Islands”.
For the first time I saw Wrangel Island Collet, who passed by the ship "Herald" and discovered the island called "Herald". From the top of o. He saw the Herald about. Wrangel (August 17, 1849). He failed to land on the island. He quite reasonably notes that the island he saw is a continuation of the land indicated by Wrangel.
The island has been seen by many whalers. It was put on the map by Long, who was passing (August 14, 1867) on the schooner “Nile” in sight of the island. Long first called the land he saw “Wrangel Island.” After much debate, this name was accepted by all outstanding geographers of that time. In 1879, north of Wrangel Island, De Long drifted in the ice on the ship “Zhannetta”. "Zhannetta" died in the ice.
Ships were sent to search for “Jeannette.” Two of the braves managed to land on Wrangel Island for the first time. The first to arrive was the Thomas Corwin. On August 12, 1881, the captain of this ship, Hooper, landed at the mouth of the Clark River and declared the island to belong to the United States under the name "New Caledonia." On Skeleton Island at the mouth of the Clerk River he planted an American flag, at the foot of which the New York Herald newspaper and two notes with the following content were left in a bottle
1. “United States Customs Fleet steamship “Corwin”, Wrangel Land, August 12, 1881 (n.s.).
United States Customs Fleet steamship "Corwin" Captain C.L. Hooper landed here to search for traces of the Jeannette. The box with provisions is placed in the second cliff, from here to the north. All is well on the ship."
We arrived here today, having previously landed on Herald Island. On the north-eastern hill of this island, a stone mound was erected in which the report was deposited. The finder is asked to send the contents of the bottle to the editors of the New York Herald.
12 days after the ship “Corwin” to the south-eastern part of the shores of Wrangel Island, having also previously visited the island. Herald, the Rogers has arrived, under the command of Captain Berry. On August 27, three parties were sent from Rogers to search for traces of the death of the Jeannette, to describe the island and its position on the map. The main party under the command of Berry went deep into the island, climbed to its highest point, called “Berry Peak,” and mapped the internal contours of the island. The other two, under the command of Waring and Hunt, almost completely described its coast. The ship stayed off Wrangel Island on September 12, 1881.
From 1881 to 1911, not a single ship was able to approach Wrangel Island. September 2, 1911 (old style) Russian hydrographic vessel “Vaigach” under the command of K.V. Loman dropped anchor off Cape Thomas, the southwestern tip of Wrangel Island. The ship remained off the coast of the island until September 4, 1911 (old style). During this time (within 24 hours), a short excursion to the shore was made, during which geologist I.P. Kirichenko collected geological collections. Dr. Arngold (the ship's doctor on the Vaigach) describes this excursion as follows: “The greatest interest was geological exploration; I call it that because in one day, apart from a cursory examination, nothing could be done. However, we managed to find many fossils, shells of different types, and plant imprints. Everything indicated that there had once been, if not a completely tropical, then at least a warmer climate here, and in the exposed layers of a mountain in the interior of the island, about 20 kilometers from our site, we discovered large deposits of coal.
Dr. Arngold's testimony is the first and only indication of the presence of minerals on the island. Wrangel. In a note by Academician Tolmachev, who processed the geological collections and diaries of I.P. Kirichenko, there is no indication of the presence of coals, nor is there any mention of prints of fossil flora, which Dr. Arngold so definitely speaks of in his diary.
After a short stop at Cape Thomas, "Vaigach" with a sea inventory was the first to go around the island from the north. Enemy and at the top of its northernmost tip he placed an iron sign with a copper plate, on which the year, month and date of Vaigach’s visit to Fr. Wrangel. To the north, no ice was visible anywhere to the horizon.
On January 10, 1914, the Stefanson expedition ship Karluk was crushed by ice. It sank 80 miles from the island. Wrangel and 200 miles from the coast of Siberia. The team under the command of Captain Bartlett, R. Peary's companion during his discovery of the North Pole, safely descended onto the ice, managed to unload food, clothing, dogs, sledges, etc., and headed across the ice on dogs to the nearest land - about. Wrangel. Of the 25 people who were on the Karluk, 8 people died for various reasons, the remaining 17 (including two children, girls 3 and 11 years old) reached the island. Wrangel. On March 18, Captain Bartlett, accompanied by one Eskimo, with seven dogs, having provisions for 60 days, set off across the ice from Fr. Wrangel to the Siberian coast for help for his comrades. Having safely reached the mainland and from there crossed to Alaska, he organized help for the people remaining on Wrangel.
On September 7, 1914, the schooner King and Wing, under the command of Olaf Swenson, approached the island and picked off the people. Among the Karluk team, who lived on the island for six months. Wrangel, there was a geologist Malloch, a Canadian by birth, but since he soon arrived on the island. Wrangel died (May 17, 1914), and before that he was ill, he probably did not do any geological survey.
In 1921, Stefanson sent a party consisting of Gell, Maurer and Knight to the island, under the command of Allan Crauford, the 22-year-old son of a famous Canadian professor; An Eskimo woman went with them as a cook and to sew clothes. The party arrived on the island on September 1, 1921; She only had food supplies for six months and missed the hunting season. The auxiliary vessel was able to arrive only in 1923. The head of the rescue party, Noyce, found only the Eskimo alive. Knight died June 23, 1923; Crawford, Gell and Maurer died trying to cross the ice to the shores of Siberia. Having removed the Eskimo, Noyce left a colony of 13 Eskimos on the island, under the command of prospector exploration geologist Wells. Landing a colony for the purpose of alienating the island was contrary to international laws on polar countries. To restore their rights, remove the colony and plant the Soviet flag on the island. Wrangel in 1924, the Soviet government sent the gunboat "Red October", under the command of hydrograph Davydov. August 12, 1924 at 2:50 a.m. "Red October" dropped anchor in Rogers Bay.
A mast and a hut were discovered on the shore. They immediately began building a new mast; the next day, August 20, 1924, at 12 o'clock. day, the Soviet flag was raised on the island for the first time, and the island was solemnly annexed to the USSR. After raising the flag, Red October went to Doubtful Bay, where it photographed the American colony together with Wells, who had a large geological collection. In 1926, the first Soviet colony was landed on the island, consisting of the head of the island G.A. Ushakova with his wife, Doctor N.P. Savenko and his wife, manager trading post of Pavlov, industrialist Skurikhin with his wife and eight-year-old daughter, industrialist Startsov and about 60 Eskimos.
Head of the island G.A. Ushakov, during his three-year stay on the island, put its coast on the map, and made very important changes to the previous maps of the island, collected a large botanical collection, processed by Academician Komarov, and a geological collection, subsequently processed by P.V. Wittenburg. .
Since during 1927 and 1928 not a single ship was able to approach Wrangel Island due to heavy ice, in 1929 an expedition was sent to the island under the command of Captain K.A. Dublitsky on a powerful ice cutter "F. Litke" with the task of reaching the island and changing the colony. Despite heavy ice, broken propeller blades, a hole through which water rose in the forepeak at three feet per hour, the ice cutter “F. Litke" reached the island, bypassing the island from the north. Herald and passing to Rogers Bay by Long Strait. A scientific unit headed by geophysicist Prof. was sent on the ship for scientific work. V.A. Berezkin, consisting of: hydrologist G.E. Ratmanov, zoologist P.V. Ushakov and geomorphologist V.A. Kalyanova [Dublitsky, 1931; Nazarov, 1932; Kalyanov, 1934]. The ship stayed off the island for six days, during which all the scientists did a lot of work for such a short period of time. Kalyanov walked to the upper reaches of the Klerk River, compiled an altitude profile (barometric), collected a collection of geological samples, and found fauna in the inner parts of the island - on the banks of the river. Clerk, took about 300 photographs. He also described the tundra of the interior of the island and the coast from Rogers Bay to Somnitelnaya Bay, collected a botanical collection (45 species), processed by M.I. Nazarov, took three soil monoliths and two fragments of hummocks. The work was greatly hampered by a two-day 8-point snow storm. Due to a strong storm, unloading of the ice cutter was even stopped.
The expedition of the ice cutter Litke removed the chief G.A. from the island. Ushakov and Doctor Savenko with their wives, the wife of the industrialist Skurikhin and their daughter, unloaded a three-year supply of food and left the head of the island, Comrade Mineev, his wife Comrade Vlasova, Doctor E.N. Sinadsky, radio operators Bogaiov and Shatinsky, meteorologist Comrade Zvantsev. From that moment on, regular weather reports began to be received from the island.
In 1932, geologist V.A. flew to the island. Obruchev and topographer K.A. Salishchev, who carried out an aerial topographic survey of the island. Wrangel, significantly correcting the map of the island compiled by sea captain E.D. Bessmertny based on materials from G.A. Ushakova.
As can be seen from the review of the discovery and exploration of the island, the most scanty information is available about its geology. There is no information in the press about mineral resources, with the exception of indications of Dr. Arngold's coal.
Wrangel Island lies within the Siberian shallow continental platform. The depths of the sea separating it from the mainland do not exceed 50-60 m. From the north towards the polar basin, the depths abruptly end. Thus, the Wrangel and Herald islands lie on the edge of the Siberian continental platform and represent a horst on the edge of a fault depression.
In 1948, a small group of domesticated reindeer was brought to the island and a branch of the reindeer-breeding state farm was organized. In addition to the main settlement in Rogers Bay (Ushakovskoye village), in the 60s the village of Zvezdny was built in the bay. Doubtful, where an unpaved reserve airfield for military aviation was built (liquidated in the 70s). In addition, a military radar station was established at Cape Hawaii. In the center of the island, near the mouth of the stream. Khrustalny, rock crystal mining was carried out for several years, for which a small village was also built, which was later completely destroyed.
In 1953, administrative authorities adopted a resolution on the protection of walrus rookeries on Wrangel Island, and in 1968, a reserve for the protection of walruses was organized on the island,
polar bears,
nesting grounds of the white goose, brant goose and colonial settlements of seabirds.
For a long time, the island was rarely visited by border guards, until hundreds of butchered walrus carcasses were discovered on its northeastern coast in 1967. Experts, having studied them, agreed that poaching was carried out by foreign fishing vessels. The very next year, an outpost on Wrangel, with a base in the village of Ushakovsky, was set up.
It existed until the end of the 90s of the last century, briefly outliving the once very populous “capital” of Wrangel. Then, due to a lack of funding, Moscow decided to remove the outpost from the island, but as soon as the border guards left Wrangel, scientists of the biosphere reserve created here began to report about mysterious ships passing near the island.
In the absence of sufficient material support, the command of the North-Eastern Border Department decided to set up a post in the summer consisting of several people led by an officer. And then it turned out that the island was indeed visited by foreign guests...
In 1975, an experiment on the acclimatization of musk oxen began. Two groups of animals were brought from North America from Nunivak Island. The first - consisting of 30 individuals - was released into the wild in Taimyr. The second, in the amount of 20 animals, will go to Wrangel Island.
The animals did not immediately adapt to local conditions, and in the first few years the population was halved. However, from the beginning of the 80s, the number of musk ox on the island began to grow steadily, and by 2003 the population reached 600 animals. Moreover, they turned out to be even more adapted to local conditions than reindeer. The reason, according to experts, is simple: in winter, the musk ox mainly feeds on accumulated fat reserves. He needs pasture in minimal quantities.
The well-known advantages of the musk ox over the deer were clearly demonstrated in the winter of 2003-2004, when due to ice on Wrangel Island the deer could not reach the moss moss. From the total herd of eight and a half thousand heads, about 6 thousand deer died. The sight was terrible. The deer lay in herds. And among musk oxen, due to the peculiarities of their winter nutrition, losses were relatively small.
Currently, the musk oxen herd on the island reaches 900 heads and there are plans to relocate part of the herd to the mainland.
On March 23, 1976, Resolution N°189 of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR was signed on the organization of the Wrangel Island state reserve, including Wrangel and Herald islands, to protect the unique natural complexes of the islands. 12/26/83. A resolution was signed by the Magazhan Regional Executive Committee on organizing a 5 km wide protective zone around the islands. By the 80s, the state farm branch on the island was liquidated and the village of Zvezdny was practically closed, and hunting was also stopped, with the exception of a small quota of marine mammals for the needs of the local population. In 1992, the radar station was closed and the only settlement left on the island was the village of Ushakovskoye.
In 1997, at the proposal of the Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and the State Committee for Ecology of Russia, the area of the reserve was expanded to include the water area surrounding the island with a width of 12 nautical miles, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1623-r dated November 15, 1997, and in 1999, around the already protected water area, by decree of the governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug No. 91 of May 25, 1999, a protective zone 24 nautical miles wide was organized.
On the border of two seas: the Chukchi and East Siberian, there is an unusual reserve “Wrangel Island”. It is part of Russia and its area reaches 7,000 square meters. km. Today this natural piece of land, almost untouched by man, is under the protection of UNESCO. The name of the island and the reserve, respectively, is given by the name of one of the most famous Russian navigators in the world - Ferdinand Wrangel.
The main purpose of creating this protected natural area is to try to preserve natural phenomena and an entire population of animals. They also protect the amazing flora from the destructive actions of humans. The territory of “Wrangel Island” is open to tourists only in autumn and winter. In summer, you can only observe the vibrant life of local animals from aboard a ship on which nature lovers take cruises.
Wrangel Island is the largest concentration of beautiful polar bear dens on the planet. The amazing Pacific walruses live here. In the entire Arctic and Asia, you cannot find a larger colony of rare birds: snow geese, brent geese and fork-tailed gulls. The reserve was created not only to protect the population of rare animals, but also to conduct scientific research of nature.
Island attractions
There is one archaeological site on the territory of the reserve - this is the site of ancient sea hunters. Scientists have determined that it dates back to about 2-3 millennium BC.
Other historical monuments are just rickety houses (all that remains from the sites of scientists and pioneers). Once upon a time there was also a military base on Wrangel Island. However, everything faded into oblivion, and natural local attractions came first:
The Thomas Creek valley is home to a large number of polar bears;
Cape Blossom is a walrus rookery; blue whales can often be observed in the water area; white and pink gulls fly here in the fall;
Doubtful Bay is a concentration of a wide variety of rare plant species. It is also a favorite nesting site for the yellowjacket;
The Mamontovaya River is a place of autumn activity for polar bears, the habitat of brant geese, halophytes, and white owls. In these places you can often find lemmings and arctic foxes;
Lake basins and lower reaches of rivers are a concentration of amazing white geese along with their chicks.
The Wrangel Island Nature Reserve is located in a harsh climatic zone. However, despite this, more than 417 plant species grow here, each of which is included in the Red Book of Russia. Moreover, most of them are far from representatives of mosses.
Tourists visiting the reserve
Once upon a time, the Chukchi lived on the territory of the reserve. To this day, remains of the dwellings of the indigenous peoples of the North have been preserved on the island. At that time, land use was even allowed. Now, apart from scientists, not a single person is allowed onto Wrangel Island.
Only as an exception, small tourist groups will be able to walk exclusively along the coastline. You can admire the wild animals and beautiful views of the reserve from a boat or ship that makes its sea routes. But you can’t look at the territory of Wrangel Island from a bird’s eye view. Only scientists who observe animals are allowed to fly over the reserve at a low altitude (2 km).
Wrangel Island is located in the Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean. Named after the Russian navigator of the 19th century. Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This is a very harsh region. The average temperature in the short summer here is about 0 degrees, and in winter there are truly unbearable weather conditions - a strong wind from the north is so dry that it’s hard to even breathe. The polar night, which lasts from November to the end of January, is unbearably cold. Temperatures drop on average below -20, and sometimes down to -60! The snowstorms that hit the island reach speeds of 140 km/h. On the coast it is very difficult to hide from such an onslaught from the north, and only in the central part of the island, surrounded by mountain ranges, can one count on more favorable conditions.
Summer, although not long, allows a few species of plants and animals to continue their race and gain strength for a new winter. The tundra of Wrangel Island is home to polar bears, arctic foxes, walruses, and wolves. Reindeer and musk oxen were brought to the island for keeping as livestock, and both animals were found here before.
The island is very interesting for archaeological scientists who discovered here the remains of mammoths that lived about 3-7 thousand years ago. As you know, it was believed that by this time all mammoths had already become extinct, but the find confirms that these prehistoric animals existed side by side with practically intelligent people.
The freshwater rivers in the center of the island are empty - no fish live in them. Very little is known about the fauna of cold coastal waters. In winter, the Chukchi Sea is filled with drifting ice, where belugas spend the winter.
In general, drifting ice in this area is extremely dangerous for sea vessels. It was in the Chukchi Sea that Chelyuskin was severely damaged by drifting ice and eventually sank. Many sailors who suffered disasters near it found forced refuge on Wrangel Island. In 1914, Canadian explorers were trapped on the island for 9 months after their ship, the Karluk, became trapped in ice. In 1926, a group of Soviet researchers were prisoners on the island for 4 years. People could not sail away from the island due to a large accumulation of ice that drifted around the island for 3 winters. And only the icebreaker was able to rescue the prisoners.
The interest of scientists in the island is understandable - the reserve of the same name is located here. On its territory there is the largest walrus rookery in Russia. White geese, the most numerous birds on the island, nest in the center of the island. Many species of rare or endangered birds fly here, including the sandhill crane.
At the same time, one cannot help but notice that the island is of great strategic importance for countries bordering the Arctic Circle. Both the United States and Canada have made claims to the right to own the island. Moreover, there are politicians in the United States who are still confident that Russia’s right to manage the northern islands is not supported by anything.
In the eyes of Americans, Wrangel Island is shrouded in veils of mystery. The United States is deeply convinced that one of the concentration camps for political criminals in the USSR was located on this island. It is believed that German prisoners of war of the Second World War served their sentences in this harsh place.
In 1926 A permanent polar station was created on Wrangel Island and the village of Ushakovskoye was founded, which existed until 1994. Since that time, Wrangel Island has had no permanent population. It was a difficult time - the consequences of Perestroika and the collapse of the USSR, lack of funding and the state’s complete loss of interest in the development of northern villages, which became deserted one after another. In relation to Wrangel Island, all this was probably for the better. Now there is a unique reserve, one of the northernmost in the world, listed in 2004. on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Winter on Wrangel Island lasts 8 months, and the polar night is from November to January. At this time there is scorching frost, darkness and silence (except for the howling of the Arctic wind), but in the short spring and summer the island literally comes to life. The tundra is covered with a carpet of bright flowers (there are 7 species of poppies alone), tens of thousands of birds appear above the coastal cliffs, and polar bears and their babies emerge from their dens. By the way, Wrangel Island is the largest “maternity hospital” for polar bears in the Arctic. In addition, here is the only nesting territory of the last Asian white geese on the planet and the largest population of the Pacific walrus - up to 100 thousand individuals.
There is also a sad page in the history of Wrangel Island. It became a cemetery for the last mammoths on Earth: it is established that they died somewhere in 1300. BC, while throughout the rest of the planet their death dates back to 6-8 thousand years BC. It is likely that people had a hand in the death of the last herd of shaggy giants - a Paleo-Eskimo site dating back to 1750 was discovered on the island. BC.
In July-August, from Anadyr you can take a 15-day cruise to Wrangel Island (with disembarkation and 3-day accommodation on the island itself). The cruise is carried out by a small comfortable cruise icebreaker (there are such, it turns out). The main contingent of tourists are Canadians and Americans, but there are almost no of us. Indeed, what have we not seen in these ices... UNESCO, by the way, since 2004. asks to remove the landfills on the island left over from Soviet times and the empty diesel fuel barrels scattered here and there. Ours ask us to leave the barrels, since they are part of the landscape and their location on the island corresponds to historical realities. It would be funny if it weren't so sad...