Spafaryev Islands

The Spafaryev Islands, or Spafaryev Island (Остров Спарафьева; Ostrov Spafar’yeva), a relatively large double island, are located in the Sea of Okhotsk. It was formerly known as Korovi Island.[1] It lies 7 km east of the Antamlan Peninsula (also known as Khmitevsky), the southernmost peninsula enclosing the Taui Bay (Тауйская губа; Tauyskaya Guba) from its western side.

Spafaryev Islands

Остров Спарафьева
Island group
Spafaryev and Talan Islands
Location of the Spafaryev Islands in the Sea of Okhotsk.
CountryRussian Federation
Federal subjectFar Eastern Federal District
OblastMagadan Oblast

Administratively these islands belong to the Magadan Oblast of the Russian Federation.

Etymology

The Spafaryev Islands were named after Major General knight Leontiy Spafaryev (1765–1847) of the Imperial Russian Navy. Spafaryev was Director of the Russian Lighthouse Administration and cartographer of the Russian Admiralty.[2]

History

The islands were frequented by American and French whaleships hunting bowhead and gray whales between 1849 and 1885.[3][4][5][6] Talan was called Green Island, while Spafaryev was called Fog Island.[7] Boats were sent ashore to shoot seabirds[8] and collect eggs[9] and berries[10] as well as to search for whales.[11]

Geography

The Spafaryev Islands are composed of two islands joined by a narrow landspit, less than 750 m wide.

  • The northern "island", Ryabokon Island (Ostrov Ryabokon’), is roughly triangular in shape. It is the larger of the two, being 9 km (5.6 mi) long and having a maximum width of 5 km (3.1 mi).
  • Spafaryev Island proper is located at the southern end. It is roughly shovel-shaped and is 7 km (4.3 mi) long and has a maximum width of 4.5 km (2.8 mi).[12]
  • Talan Island (Остров Талан) 59°18′N 149°05′E, is a small roundish island, which lies 11 km (6.8 mi) to the north of Spafaryev's northern tip. It is 2 km (1.2 mi) across.[13][14][15] Large colonies of seabirds nest on the island in the spring and summer, including over a million crested auklet, a few hundred thousand tufted and horned puffin, tens of thousands of black-legged kittiwake, and thousands of parakeet auklet and ancient murrelet. Common murre also nest here and in the summer dovekie congregate on the island.[16] Steller's sea eagle prey on these seabirds.[17]

References
  1. United States. (1918). Asiatic Pilot, Volume 1: East coast of Siberia, Sakhalin Island and Chosen. Washington: Hydrographic Office.
  2. L. Spafarieff or Spafaryev Archived 2007-11-26 at the Wayback Machine
  3. India, of New Bedford, July 13, July 29-September 17, 1849, June 27-August 27, 1850, Old Dartmouth Historical Society (ODHS).
  4. Betsey Williams, of Stonington, August 13, August 20-21, 1853, Nicholson Whaling Collection (NWC).
  5. Florida, of Fairhaven, September 8, 1861, in Williams, H. (1964). One whaling family. Boston, Houghton Mifflin.
  6. Mary and Helen II, of San Francisco, September 18-20, 1885, Kendall Whaling Museum.
  7. India, of New Bedford, August 18, August 29, 1849, ODHS.
  8. India, of New Bedford, June 28, 1850, Spafaryev, July 2, 1850, Talan, ODHS.
  9. India, of New Bedford, July 2, 1850, Talan, ODHS.
  10. India, of New Bedford, September 18, 1849, Spafaryev, ODHS.
  11. Daniel Wood, of New Bedford, August 26-27, 1853, Spafaryev, NWC.
  12. Location
  13. Talan Island
  14. Ostrov Talan
  15. Talan location
  16. Kondratyev, A. Y., Litvinenko, N. M., Shibaev, Y. V., Vyatkin, P. S., & Kondratyeva, L. F. (2000). "The breeding seabirds of the Russian Far East". Seabirds of the Russian Far East, 37-81.
  17. Utekhina, I., Potapov, E., & McGrady, M. J. (2000). "Diet of the Steller's sea eagle in the northern Sea of Okhotsk". In First Symposium on Steller’s and White-tailed Sea Eagles in East Asia. Tokyo, Japan: Wild Bird Society of Japan (pp. 71-92).


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