viking yacht rough seas

• Viking Ocean

Rough Seas?

By Hottubmomma , October 12, 2021 in Viking Ocean

Recommended Posts

Hottubmomma

We are thinking of booking the Cities of Antiquity and the Holy Lands in January 2022. Concerned that the seas might be rough then, does anyone having thoughts on this? The cruise starts in Rome and ends in Athens. I am especially concerned about the Mediterranean Sea, thank you!

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

I have sailed in those waters extensively over many years. Some times it has been very smooth sailing and at others not so much. Did experience a good outflow storm down the Adriatic, when off the Greek Coast in January/February 1976. In 1977, I also did the Haifa/UK citrus shuttle between January & April and experienced nothing but smooth seas.

Therefore, best to prepare for any sea conditions. Have experienced the periphery of 3 TRS on Viking Sun and she handled the seas rather well.

If concerned with motion, book a cabin on a lower deck, preferably around midships. During the day, avoid the pool deck, explorers, world cafe and favour the living room. If using the MDR, ask the host for a table closest to the entrance.

2 hours ago, Hottubmomma said: Hi  We are thinking of booking the Cities of Antiquity and the Holy Lands in January 2022. Concerned that the seas might be rough then, does anyone having thoughts on this? The cruise starts in Rome and ends in Athens. I am especially concerned about the Mediterranean Sea, thank you!

You might want to wait on this. We are booked on that cruise, but it’s looking pretty unlikely to happen unless Israel dramatically changes their entry requirements very soon. Right now they require quarantine upon arrival but are expected to change their policies within the next few days.  https://hamodia.com/2021/10/11/foreign-tourists-to-be-allowed-back-in-israel-from-november-1/  

Nothing is certain yet, but Israel is considering changing its requirements to:

- Allow US tourists only from certain states 

- Require booster shots

- Require antibody testing (and quarantine) upon arrival

Any one of those options would probably result in a canceled cruise. So I’d wait a bit before booking. Or maybe book a later cruise.

Thank you for these responses very helpful!

We have cruised the Med many times on Regent in ships similar to Viking's.  Every cruise was perfectly smooth except for one, in May of 2015.  On May 22, we were sailing from Malta to Barcelona on the last leg of a 23 day Middle East cruise.  It was very rough and the captain slowed down to make it a little better ride and we were several hours late into Barcelona, causing flight misconnections.

The ride was MUCH worse at the front of the ship and best on lower decks midship.  In short, the odds are in your favor and modern ships have effective stabilizers so don't miss out on cruising a wonderful area.  But you should get a lower, mid-ship cabin and absolutely have motion sickness meds with you just in case.  Hopefully these actions will mitigate your worries.

Also keep in mind that river cruises are great fun and you hardly know you are moving.

2 hours ago, Twitchly said: You might want to wait on this. We are booked on that cruise, but it’s looking pretty unlikely to happen unless Israel dramatically changes their entry requirements very soon. Right now they require quarantine upon arrival but are expected to change their policies within the next few days.  https://hamodia.com/2021/10/11/foreign-tourists-to-be-allowed-back-in-israel-from-november-1/   Nothing is certain yet, but Israel is considering changing its requirements to: - Allow US tourists only from certain states  - Require booster shots - Require antibody testing (and quarantine) upon arrival   Any one of those options would probably result in a canceled cruise. So I’d wait a bit before booking. Or maybe book a later cruise.

The odds of Israel being open then are excellent. My guess is some time in December Israel will relax some of the restrictions. It is one of the most enchanting and fascinating countries we have visited.

https://www.touristisrael.com/when-will-travel-to-israel-resume/31963/

4 hours ago, rbslos18 said: The odds of Israel being open then are excellent. My guess is some time in December Israel will relax some of the restrictions. It is one of the most enchanting and fascinating countries we have visited. https://www.touristisrael.com/when-will-travel-to-israel-resume/31963/

I very much hope you’re right … and that they announce it soon enough for Viking to make the appropriate arrangements. I would dearly love to go!

Well, you may be right! A few hours ago, Israel announced that US tourists could enter Israel. (They already announced a little while ago that they would accept Europeans.) 

https://m.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/coronavirus/covid-jabbed-us-tourists-to-enter-israel-with-personal-health-declaration-681739

The hitch: we have to have had at least one jab within the past 6 months. That means a booster. I’m getting mine next week, but I don’t know how that will work for folks who got non-Pfizer vaccines. Like my husband.   

But I’m more hopeful than I was this morning!

great news, thank you everyone for sharing!

50 minutes ago, Twitchly said: I very much hope you’re right … and that they announce it soon enough for Viking to make the appropriate arrangements. I would dearly love to go!

I know Israel pretty well having visited 36 times and served as the Board Chairman of a Foundation that supports Israel. Israel is open for group tourism (5 or more) not individual tourism. I will get an update from people on the ground.

That's very helpful thanks.   If Israel does decide to ban travelers from certain US states, I suspect my current state of residence would be the bullseye.

On the other issue, my wife and I traveled through the periphery of Hurricane Lorenzo in the Bay of Biscay on Viking in 2019. Waves breaking on the sides of six deck and Mamsen's. The ship was rocking and rolling for the better part of the day.  Staff was deployed to stairwells and corridors to assist guests, messages were periodically issued about safe movement.

It was a good experience, much better than the folks in the Norwegian issue.

We had rough seas on Biscay, too. At one point as DH and I sat outside on an upper deck, the ship tipped in a huge swell and we heard a bunch of smashing and crashing of dishes from inside. Then the ship tipped the other way, and we got another round of smashing and crashing. For some reason we found this extremely funny. I imagine the restaurant staff were less amused.  

Viking put out green apples everywhere, which are supposed to help with seasickness. I didn’t like the wrist bands, found them uncomfortable, but ginger capsules worked well for me. Any time I started to feel the least bit oogly I just popped a couple ginger pills and felt fine. Oh, and I watched the horizon, which also helped. I did a bit worse when I couldn’t see outside.

I've seen a video of Sky crossing Biscay, filmed by crew in the Explorer Lounge. Seas coming over the bow hitting the windows. Apparently the captain ordered passengers to stay in their cabins.

We enjoyed a slightly rough tasman crossing, and are hoping for a bit of bad weather off Norway. 

No idea why, but I notice pitch and roll more on the lower decks than higher up. 

My seasickness remedies are looking at the horizon, closing my eyes for a minute and tablets brought from home. 

Mrs Miggins

The cruise from Rome to Athens that is mentioned by the original poster is in the Mediterranean and therefore goes nowhere near The Bay of Biscay which is in the Atlantic Ocean.  

I have cruised extensively in the Med, twice in January and am on Viking Venus from Rome again this New Year.  Most of the time calm conditions but of course one or two rough days.  Once we ran a storm from Corsica to Nice, but that was on the wonderful Star Clipper sailing ship.  One of the most exciting days of my life.     I doubt I would have noticed it if I had been onboard Viking.

We know Biscay isn't in the med, but the med rarely does anything worth mentioning weather wise 🙂

4 hours ago, KBs mum said: We know Biscay isn't in the med, but the med rarely does anything worth mentioning weather wise 🙂

This isn't consistent with my experience. While in the summer months it is smoother, I have experienced many rough nights off the Greek Coast. Lost a gangway one night on SS Uganda when a wave swept along the Prom Deck and tore it loose.

I've experienced similar seas in the Meddy as we got in Biscay.

28 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:   This isn't consistent with my experience. While in the summer months it is smoother, I have experienced many rough nights off the Greek Coast. Lost a gangway one night on SS Uganda when a wave swept along the Prom Deck and tore it loose.   I've experienced similar seas in the Meddy as we got in Biscay.

Can't argue with you on matters nautical. Comment withdrawn. 

16 hours ago, Cienfuegos said: It was a good experience, much better than the folks in the Norwegian issue.

There’s a reason we are called Viking Sky Survivors!

The message that I draw from these observations is that a good ship and a good Master will manage weather and seas regardless of where they are.

My reference to Lorenzo and the Bay or Biscay was to emphasize that huge rollers are not something novel to Viking.

3 hours ago, Cienfuegos said: The message that I draw from these observations is that a good ship and a good Master will manage weather and seas regardless of where they are.   My reference to Lorenzo and the Bay or Biscay was to emphasize that huge rollers are not something novel to Viking.

Totally agree with your comment that a great ship and Master can ease the passage through rough weather, especially when they have accurate weather forecasts and routing information. However, one constraint in the Meddy is the lack of searoom, or the proximity to navigational hazards.

Regardless, even when the Master can't avoid heavy seas, they have a number of options to ease the passage. Reducing speed is critical, especially with modern cruise ships. The other factor is that many pax believe modern stabilisers will reduce/eliminate all ship movement, but they only work to reduce rolling. Stabilisers do nothing for pitching, and except for some high speed craft, ships are not fitted with technology to reduce pitching.

The Master can reduce pitching by reducing speed and altering course, so the seas are not from ahead or astern. Unfortunately, weather courses result in delayed arrivals and/or missed ports.

Looking forward to my New Year cruise.  On our last one it was decided, because of weather, that we would spend an extra day in Naples rather than head down to Trapani in Sicily.  Viking arranged a new free excursion which included a visit to the  wonderful Archeological Museum which houses most of the original artefacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum.  It was a treat.  I was sad to miss Trapani as I had never been there but I trust Viking to make sensible decisions.  We had a smooth crossing to Cagliari in Sicily.

The experience of winter in the Mediterranean is very different to our usual summer voyages but still wonderful.  

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• Hurricane Zone 2024
• New Cruisers
• Cruise Lines “A – O”
• Cruise Lines “P – Z”
• River Cruising
• Cruise Critic News & Features
• Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
• Special Interest Cruising
• Cruise Discussion Topics
• UK Cruising
• Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
• Canadian Cruisers
• North American Homeports
• Ports of Call
• Cruise Conversations

Announcements

• New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!
• How To: Follow Topics & Forums (Get Notifications)

1153 What Kind of Cruise Ship Decor Do You Like Best?

1. what kind of cruise ship decor do you like best.

• Colorful and wacky! It sets the vibe for fun.
• Serene and soothing! Greige helps me relax.
• Arty and sophisticated! Whimsical pieces make me smile.
• Nautical and classic! I want to feel like I'm on a ship.
• Mod and shiny! Give me all the glass and chrome.
• Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

Write An Amazing Review !

Click this photo by member XFrancophileX to share your review w/ photos too!

Parliament, Budapest

Features & News

LauraS · Started 43 minutes ago

LauraS · Started 1 hour ago

LauraS · Started 6 hours ago

LauraS · Started Yesterday at 02:28 PM

LauraS · Started Monday at 04:30 PM

Cruise Planning

Find a cruise, popular ports, member reviews.

© 1995— 2024 , The Independent Traveler, Inc.

• Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
• Find Your Roll Call
• Meet & Mingle
• Community Help Center
• All Activity
• Member Photo Albums
• Meet & Mingle Photos
• Favorite Cruise Memories
• Cruise Food Photos
• Cruise Ship Photos
• Ports of Call Photos
• Towel Animal Photos
• Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
• Write a Review
• Live Cruise Reports
• Member Cruise Reviews
• Create New...

If you are already a Cruise Critic member, please log in with your existing account information or your email address and password.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

American archaeologist drowns after replica Viking boat sinks

An American archaeologist has died after the replica boat she was sailing in capsized in rough seas during an expedition from the Faroe Islands to Norway.

Six people were on board the Naddoddur when it got into trouble on Tuesday evening - the fourth day of the voyage - and a distress signal was sent.

Only five people managed to get into an inflatable life raft. They were later airlifted to safety by helicopter.

A woman's body was eventually found on Wednesday morning close to where the boat sank.

The US State Department confirmed the death of an American citizen "off the coast of Norway" but declined to comment further "out of respect for the privacy of the family".

"We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased," the agency told BBC News.

Norwegian media identified the deceased woman as 29-year-old Karla Dana.

A blog maintained by the group contains several entries written by Ms Dana. In one post that appears to have been written before their departure, she describes trepidation over the expedition as she watched online videos of the North Sea.

"It’s hard to keep excitement from turning into fear when you see those waves casually tossing around huge modern boats like toys," she wrote in the post, which published Wednesday.

"But there’s a wild beauty in the North Sea, a reminder of nature’s raw power, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this adventure."

Ms Dana's body was found trapped underneath the capsized boat, Faroe Islands news website local.fo reported.

Norway's Sea Rescue Society (NSSR) described conditions when the boat capsized as very demanding, posting a video of the strong winds and high sea west of the town of Stad.

It said waves were up to 5m (16ft) and winds were as much as 40 knots.

According to Ms Dana's LinkedIn profile, she is an archaeologist specialising in the Viking era, with previous experience working and studying in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, England, Germany, Morocco, China and Taiwan.

In 2023, Ms Dana joined the Florida chapter of The Explorers Club.

The Explorers Club is a prestigious international organisation founded in 1904 by Arctic explorers to promote scientific discovery and research.

The secret travel club that’s been everywhere

Why humans are drawn to the ends of the Earth

Joseph Dituri, the chairman of The Explorers Club's Florida chapter who sponsored Ms Dana's entry into the club last year, said that her death is a reminder "that we make these dangerous Expeditions and Explorations look easy but they are not".

"This brave Explorer left this planet doing something she loved entirely too early," he told BBC News.

"Her exploration spirit was evident in everything she did as well as her zest for life! It is a better world having had her in it."

Dr Dituri, who holds a Guinness World Record for having spent 100 days in an underwater habitat, said that Ms Dana had begun to pursue an archaeology masters degree in June at the University of the Highlands and Islands at the remote Orkney Island campus.

"As she finished her first excavation unearthing Iron Age Viking artifacts in the Orkneys, Karla shared, 'I’m happy to say I’m living out my dreams,'" Dr Dituri said.

Earlier, she had led a project in Costa Rica, doing ethnographic field research on the Ngöbe Indigenous Tribe. Her work culminated in book about the tribe's language, legends and traditions.

Bergur Jacobsen, who is chairman of the Naddoddur boat club on the Faroe Islands, told the BBC that everyone was very sad about what had happened.

He explained that the 10m-long boat had been on previous Viking voyages before to Iceland, Shetland and Norway.

"It's not a Viking boat, it's a Faroes fishing boat without a motor but with sails."

He said he could not speak about the accident as a Norwegian investigation team was due to speak to him.

Locals were said to be in shock over the accident. One seaman told the BBC that visitors were keen to go on expeditions with the boat, although he would not have done so himself.

The expedition had been postponed for several days because of bad weather until Saturday.

One of four Swiss nationals on the trip, Andy Fitze, posted a map on social media two days into the voyage showing the boat to the north-east of Shetland.

Before the trip, the Faroese member of the crew, Livar Nysted, said when you were in the middle of a storm "you just try to do the best you can".

"It's an open boat. You sleep under the stars and when it's raining or windy you can feel the elements."

The expedition was not affiliated with the Viking Cruises company.

With additional reporting from Max Matza

Faroe Islands profile

Shetland's damaged subsea cable now fully repaired

Faroe Islands to limit dolphin hunt after outcry

Recommended Stories

'saved our cabinet': this kitchen sink mat, down to $13, protects against leaks.

Its raised edges trap water and surprise spills to spare you from pricey damage and sticky situations — literally.

Stock market today: Stock rally loses steam as S&P 500, Dow slip from records

Now that the Fed has started cutting rates, the economy has taken to the fore for investors.

We tested 16 menstrual cups and discs to find the best eco-friendly (and economical) options

The best menstrual cup or disc for you depends on factors like the size and shape of your cervix and vagina, how heavy your period flow is and whether you've ever had a baby. We tested 16 of the most popular products on the market to find the best option for every body.

How much homeowners insurance do you need?

The amount of homeowners insurance you need is an individual determination based on many factors. We’ll explain the coverage types and what to consider when setting your own policy limits.

Padres triple play clincher, Tigers clawing at the Wild Card | Baseball Bar-B-Cast

Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the Padres clinching a postseason berth on a triple play, the Dodgers sloppy night, the Tigers wild card inevitability and John Fisher’s letter to A’s fans.

Hurricane Helene's effect on MLB: Pivotal Braves-Mets series could be impacted

The Braves and Mets are scheduled to finish their series on Thursday, but a poor forecast could affect when it's played.

How to pre-order the Meta Quest 3S VR headset

The Meta Quest 3S VR headset is official. If you're thinking about grabbing one, here's what to know before you order.

Hurricane Helene tracker: Models show path toward Florida panhandle, prompting evacuations

The National Hurricane Center projects that the storm will make landfall as a major hurricane along the Florida's Gulf Coast on Thursday.

Shocked by UNLV's Matthew Sluka sitting out over an apparent NIL dispute? Don't be

Until college athletics wants to address the underlying problem and make the players employees, this is going to keep happening.

Mozilla faces a privacy complaint over Firefox's tracking

Noyb has previously gone after Microsoft, Meta and more.

Bite into the best Prime Day Apple deals early, including a record-low iPad that's over $100 off

These juicy deals include AirTags for $25, over 30% off AirPods and over $100 off a Series 9 Apple Watch.

Blink security cameras are up to 64 percent off in this early Prime Day deal

Blink security cameras are up to 64 percent off in this early Prime Day deal. Some items and bundles are at record low prices.

The 10 essential Walmart deals you need to shop this week to start fall right

Autumn is coming on strong — and the savings are coming along with it, including a 50-inch TCL 4K smart TV for under $200.

The 28 best early Amazon Prime Day beauty deals — get up to 75% off vetted faves

Why wait? Save on editor-vetted skin care, hair care and makeup favorites from RoC, Revlon, Neutrogena, L'Oreal and more.

Amazon Prime Day 2024: Early deals we are shopping now and everything to know about the October Big Deal Days sale

The biggest shopping event of the fall kicks off next month. Here are all the details, along with stellar sales you can score right now.

Prime Day deals include the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam for a record low of $50

Several Ring cameras have dropped to all-time-low prices in pre-Prime Day deals on Amazon.

I'm a 50+ beauty expert: Here are the early Prime Day skin care deals in my cart

Save up to 60% with these Amazon beauty sales on tried-and-true anti-aging products from Sunday Riley, CosRx, CeraVe, RoC and more.

Final 3 days to score up to $600 in savings on TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 passes

The countdown is on to lock in your ticket for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 at a huge discount. Disrupt 2024 is your gateway to the heart of the startup ecosystem. From October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco, 10,000 tech founders, innovators, and VC leaders will gather to network, learn, and share their expertise.

Your September guide to healthy (and happy) living: National Lobster Day, new COVID vaccines and more

Go apple picking, upgrade your breakfast and other items for your September to-do list.

DOJ accuses Visa of debit monopoly, Floridians evacuate ahead of possibly major hurricane, Lady Gaga announces surprise album

Get caught up on this morning’s news: DOJ sues Visa, Florida begins evacuations and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter

• Mideast News
• Art&Culture
• ynetespanol
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Archaeologist dies after replica Viking boat capsizes off Norway's coast

Boat capsizes during journey aimed at recreating viking travel between norway and the faroe islands, facing rough seas and strong winds  .

• The Inventory

What the Viking Sky cruise evacuation tells us about cruise ship safety

It’s every cruiser’s worst nightmare: A cruise ship, loaded with 1,373 people, out of power and in stormy seas, in danger of drifting aground as it began a helicopter evacuation. The world watched this terrifying scenario play out on the Viking Sky , off the western coast of Norway this weekend.

Videos tweeted by passengers showed heavy furniture skidding across the ship’s lounge and planks crashing down from the ceiling:

Fortunately, it all ended without tragedy. A reported 479 of the passengers on the Viking Sky were evacuated by helicopter during the 20-hour ordeal, which started with a mayday call on Saturday afternoon. When the weather improved on Sunday, the vessel was able to return the ship’s remaining passengers and crew to the port of Molde with a tugboat assist. Twenty people suffered injuries, according to a statement on Sunday, with Viking’s chairman Torstein Hagen summing the incident up by saying “We’ve been lucky.”

Lucky indeed, but one might wonder why luck was necessary. The cruise industry often touts its own safety record, and cites the low statistical probability of an incident such as this. But the crisis on the Viking Sky raises several important questions: First, why did the vessel sail into a forecasted storm? Why did it opt for the time-consuming and risky helicopter rescue, instead of using the vessel’s lifeboats? And is it safe to cruise when the seas are rough?

Why did the Viking Sky  sail into a forecasted storm?

The weather conditions that the Viking Sky encountered were extreme, by any measure. As one meteorologist pointed out, the bomb cyclone that it was attempting to navigate through brought hurricane-force winds and waves 60 to 80 feet tall:

The company did not specifically respond to my question about why the ship sailed into forecasted poor weather, except to say that “the Viking Sky is an Ocean-going vessel built to the highest standards. It is designed to sail worldwide.” The spokesperson added that the company is conducting an internal investigation.

Captain Michael Lloyd, a former sea captain with five decades of experience and a strong advocate for improved cruise ship safety , told me that these conditions are what cruise ships should expect to encounter if they’re touting itineraries in places such as the Arctic and the North Sea at this time of year. “That kind of weather is not unusual for where that ship was, especially in March, which is a windy month,” he said, adding that had the engine not failed, things would have likely been fine onboard (if unpleasant).

That said, the Norwegian press reported that the well-known ferry companies who sail this route “chose to wait in Bergen and Trondheim because of the weather forecast for Saturday.  The cruise ship  Viking Sky , on the other hand, chose to pass Hustadvika on the Møre coast in strong winds.” This is a call that the ferry companies have to make “a few times a year.”

Why didn’t the Viking Sky use its life boats?

With all the training and attention given to life boats, one might well wonder why the Viking Sky didn’t attempt to evacuate via its life boats, instead of painstakingly and slowly evacuating passengers in small batches by helicopter. Over the course of 20 hours—from 2pm on Saturday when the ship put out its mayday call, to 10am the next morning—only about a third of the people onboard were able to be evacuated by helicopter. Viking told Quartz that “the decision was taken for the safety of the passengers not to launch the lifeboats and to keep the passengers onboard and organize a precautionary evacuation by helicopter.”

Lloyd said that if the ship had been in more dire straits—if the anchor did not hold, for example, or the ship was taking on water or at risk of running aground—the crew would not have had the luxury of time to wait for the slow, airborne rescue process to unfold. But then what would they have done?

Lifeboats require some skill to deploy and pilot, Lloyd said, and it can be especially difficult in a stormy situation. “My concern [as a captain] would not be the lifeboats themselves, but the ability of [crew] to be able to lower them properly and get away from the ship in that kind of weather,” he said. Viking did not respond specifically to a question about whether its crew are trained to deploy lifeboats in dangerous conditions such as this past weekend’s.

Also, while lifeboats are ostensibly designed for situations when the ship must be abandoned swiftly, Lloyd notes that many of the International Maritime Organization standards that govern lifeboats are based on the assumption that weather is fine and visibility is good.

As Lloyd wrote in a report about the mistakes learned from the Costa Concordia disaster in 2012, in a scenario where the ship must be abandoned, “lifeboats, which are allowed to carry up to 150 persons, must be boarded in 10 minutes. Which is 15 per minute or if you like, a passenger every 4 seconds.” It’s hard to imagine thousands of panicked passengers, many of them elderly, and many having never been on a boat before, boarding so efficiently and swiftly in unstable conditions.

Is it ever safe to cruise when the seas are rough?

The Viking Sky’s predicament was unusual, no doubt: With just bad weather, or just an engine failure, the crisis would have been much less dire.

The safety drills that are done when passengers first set off on a cruise serve the dual purpose of teaching safety protocols and giving the passengers faith that there is a backup plan if something goes wrong. But the reality is that getting thousands of inexperienced seafarers into lifeboats in bad conditions is something that industry critics, like Lloyd, fear isn’t possible.

In the 1994 sinking of the cruise ferry MS Estonia in a severe Baltic storm—the second deadliest peacetime maritime disaster of the 20th century, after the Titanic — none of the ten lifeboats were deployed. This was determined to be due to “the angle of heel and the lack of coordinated action by the crew.” The ship capsized and sunk, killing 852 of the 989 passengers and crew onboard.

As the maritime attorney and cruise ship critic James Walker wrote , though power losses on cruise ships are not uncommon, “fortunately, most power failures occur in the Caribbean during calm weather. Losing power in rough weather like this current situation is potentially a disastrous situation. It is virtually impossible to safely evacuate over a thousand passengers via lifeboats during a storm in these type of wind and wave conditions.”

📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief

Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.

Log in or Sign up

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser .

lb3 New Member

I am looking to move up to a convertable Sportfish from a 40 Cabo express. There are 2 yachts I am interested in. One is a 2005 Hatteras 54 with 1550 HP Cats that has aprox 1500 hours. the other is a 2006 56 viking with 1360 CR MANS that have approx 1250 hours. The eqipment on the boats are basically the same. There is a price difference of about 200K. with the viking being more expensive. First does anyone have any experience with either boat and second is the Viking worth the price difference. Are the C30 CATS a better deal than the MANS. I currently have MANS in my Cabo and have been very reliable.

dockboy93 New Member

We had a Hatteras 54 for a season and what an impressive boat. Everything in the boat is overbuilt and of a really high quality. When we cut a hole in the bow for a thruster the hull was several inches think a pure glass. The quality is what makes the boat heavier than the viking. And while you probably burn more fuel with the Hatteras, you will never have to worry about coring like on the Viking. The Weight of the Hat also makes it really good in rough seas, much better than the viking. Actually have a friend with a 56 viking and he is not impressed with the ride when it gets rough. He does however always brag about the speed. CATs are great because you can get them serviced pretty much everywhere. Hatteras is also really good when you need to get a part or just want some phone support. While Viking does make a nice boat, the hat is a tank and is my recommendation.

What engines did you run in your 54 Hatteras. what was the cruise speed and fuel burn

Capt J Senior Member

I ran a 2004 or 2005 54' Hatteras, It has C30's and burned 120's gph at 32 or 33 knots with a full tuna tower. This boat has a great ride and will run 33 knots into a 6 foot head sea and will run smooth......it just eats up a head sea.......with the tuna tower it leaned a little with a strong beam wind but was corrected with trim tabs. This is probably one of Hatteras' best riding hulls IMO. It also is over engineered and well built. The only downside I could find with the boat is storage space is a little on the small side but to be expected on a 3 stateroom SF in this size, also the cockpit didn't have a built in livewell and a smallish fishbox compared to what you're used to on the Cabo. Maintanence on the CATS is 1/2 that of the MANS. I've heard good things about the Viking as well, but they've never been on a 56'/ However they are fast. A little more stable at trolling speeds. Have you considered a 52' Cabo SF as well?

I have looked at 2 cabo expresses. There aren't many 52 convertibles out there in the used market. This is my second cabo and would like to find one in the same price range as the hatteras but I have not found one to this point

lb3 said: I have looked at 2 cabo expresses. There aren't many 52 convertibles out there in the used market. This is my second cabo and would like to find one in the same price range as the hatteras but I have not found one to this point Click to expand...

SHAZAM Senior Member

There's been a few good deals on 54 hatts lately. The cats are nice but they're not as light as the Mans but not nearly as complicated. The last 56 Viking I was on with mans if I'm not mistaken had four turbos per motor, no thanks!

Is there an issue with the 54 hatteras and a station wagon effect relating to exaust

lb3 said: Is there an issue with the 54 hatteras and a station wagon effect relating to exaust Click to expand...

lb3 said: What engines did you run in your 54 Hatteras. what was the cruise speed and fuel burn Click to expand...

NewSouthSailor New Member

After looking for a SF in the 42 to 45 feet range to own myself I'm currently looking at purchasing a 50 to 54 feet SF to co-own with a friend / partner. Viking 52 and Hatteras 54 are on my short list. I observe that most 54 Hatts have commonly more powerful engines (e.g. C-30 CATs with 1550 HP). Some C-18 CATs with 1000 HP. I think all of them come with a 1250 tank. The Viking 52 on the other hand comes with 1050/1100 or 1300 HP MANs and there are quite a few with 1400 tanks. >>> At first sight the Viking 52 seems to have a better range. Somwhere close to 400 nm. Correct? >>> If you have a heavily powered 54 Hatt, would you get a similar range if you run it at slower speeds / lower fuel burn? Would that be problematic for the engines? >>> Do you agree that a 54 Hatt with C-18 engines at 1000 HP looks 'underpowered'? If yes, would that mean the engines are put under higher pressure and might have more issues in less time? Or are they an interesting alternative if you look at increased range? Thanks in advance for your feedback! I spend hours here reading and I am amazed with the quality and quantity of knowledge that is being shared ... though the real experiences and learning lay still ahead of me ...

A 54' Hatteras SF with C18's would not be underpowered or hard on the engines by any means. The C 18's are bulletproof, easy on fuel (75 gph at 1950rpms for both, 80gph at worst) and I imagine they'd probably cruise the boat around 27 knots. The C 18 boats are priced much less because everyone wants a 30+ knot sportfish. The C30s are bulletproof also and a very good choice too, they burned 120gph though and pushed it 32-33knots at cruise. The 54' Hatteras is an amazing hull, and one of the best I've run at that size. I've run it head into 6' head seas at cruise (32 knots) and it was comfortable! The Viking is faster, yet more of a flatter bottom a little more stable at trolling speeds, but you're going to be pulling back the throttles in a 3-5' head sea. The only thing I felt the Hatteras lacked was a little interior storage. But probably the best riding hull in Hatteras lineup back then. The CATS are cheaper to maintain than the MANs and parts and mechanics are found worldwide. I also like the cat controls over the man controls and displays in that era by far. The MAN displays were not very weatherproof at all, and the screen looked funky very quickly on them back then.

Fantastic feedbak Capt J. Thanks! Looks like I'd get decent range with the C-18s and the 1250 tank. A cruise in the 27 kts neighborhood is fine with me. How about range if you have the bigger cats (C-30) but run them let's say at a similar 27 kts cruise. Would you get similar economy / range? Any problem for the engines if you run them e.g. at 60% or 70% instead of 80% over a longer time? Thanks again!

NewSouthSailor said: Fantastic feedbak Capt J. Thanks! Looks like I'd get decent range with the C-18s and the 1250 tank. A cruise in the 27 kts neighborhood is fine with me. How about range if you have the bigger cats (C-30) but run them let's say at a similar 27 kts cruise. Would you get similar economy / range? Any problem for the engines if you run them e.g. at 60% or 70% instead of 80% over a longer time? Thanks again! Click to expand...

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

The Biggest Viking Yacht

• On April 4, 2023
• No Comments

The biggest Viking yacht to date, the 92′ Viking Sportfish, is a testament to the luxury and performance offered by the Viking Yacht Company in their lineup of prestigious sportfishing vessels. This impressive model boasts unparalleled size, performance, and amenities. As the 90-foot Viking yacht makes its debut, it’s important to appreciate the legacy of the largest Viking yacht ever built – the iconic 92′ Viking Sportfish.

Table of Contents

92 viking tour, speed and handling: viking 92 top speed, key features of the 92′ viking sportfish, 92 viking specs:, the next generation: the 90-foot viking, key takeaways.

A Legacy of Luxury and Performance

The Viking 92 Sportfish first made its debut in 2014, quickly gaining recognition as one of the most desirable large sportfishing yachts ever built. It was the most technically advanced vessel of its time, raising the bar in sophistication, design, and engineering. Anglers were offered the best of both worlds, as the 92′ Viking flourished as both a fierce tournament contender and a luxury motor yacht .

With MTU Series 2000 / V16 M96L diesel engines, the 92 Viking can reach impressive speeds of up to 35 knots, cruising comfortably at 31 knots. The vessel’s hull is designed for speed and enhanced handling, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable ride for both leisurely cruises and intense fishing expeditions.

Some of the standout features of the largest Viking yacht include:

• Expansive 238-square-foot cockpit with a large mezzanine and raised viewing area
• Dual mezzanine decks, one in the cockpit and one on the main level aft deck
• Alfresco dining on the aft deck with an outside galley area and grilling station
• Opulent salon with a custom-designed home theater system, commanding views, and an abundance of lounge seating
• Six luxurious staterooms, each with a private head and shower
• Aft crew quarters with separate access from the cockpit, a full head and shower, a compact galley, and a second laundry center

With the introduction of the 90-foot Viking, the company continues to push the boundaries of luxury and performance. This new flagship model is set to replace the 92 Viking sportfish yacht, incorporating advances in design and engineering in response to the IMO Tier III international mandate . The 90-foot Viking draws from the experience gained with the 92 Viking, offering a sleek, fast luxury sportfish yacht with enhanced performance, advanced propulsion systems, and weight-saving building materials.

• The 92′ Viking Sportfish is the largest Viking Sportfishing yacht ever built, known for its luxury, performance, and state-of-the-art engineering.
• With a top speed of 35 knots and a cruise speed of 31 knots, the 92 Viking offers both speed and exceptional handling for sportfishing enthusiasts.
• Standout features of the 92′ Viking Sportfish include an expansive cockpit, dual mezzanine decks, alfresco dining, an opulent salon, and luxurious staterooms.
• The introduction of the 90-foot Viking aims to continue the legacy of the 92′ Viking Sportfish, with advances in design and engineering to comply with the IMO Tier III international mandate.
• The 90 Viking is set to replace the 92 Viking sportfish yacht, offering a sleek, fast luxury sportfish yacht with enhanced performance, advanced propulsion systems, and weight-saving building materials.

An international emissions mandate (IMO Tier III) led the sportfish manufacturer to cease production of the 92 Viking and redesign a yacht that complies with these standards. The 90 Viking is their response to this mandate.

The 92 Viking has a standard fuel capacity of 4015 Gallons (15,198.43 L).

A new 92 Viking costed anywhere between 9 and 12 million dollars. Currently, a used 92 Viking costs around 10 million dollars depending on the build and what options were included.

You might also be interested in reading:

What Size Boat For Offshore Fishing

The Best Boats for the Ocean

Starlink Maritime

Best Boat for Rough Seas

Cruising Speed of a Viking 64?

Steve Momot

Steve is an accomplished professional photographer and marketer who specializes in the Fishing, Yacht, and Boating industry. With a strong presence as an influencer and marketing expert in the Marine Industry, he has made a significant impact in the field. Additionally, Steve is the original creator and co-founder of Sportfishtrader. Prior to his career as a marine photographer, he gained extensive experience as a licensed boat and car dealer in South Florida.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You might also like.

Who Makes The Biggest Sport Fishing Boat?

Fishing Memes

What is Sportfishing?

The Top 3 Boat History Report Websites Reviewed

Sportfish Hub was founded with a clear and unwavering mission in mind: To provide boaters and fishermen with the highest quality content, offering invaluable insights, tips, and resources.

• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy

SOCial Media

Get in touch, © 2023 | all rights reserved.

Watch CBS News

Details emerge after Viking ship replica sinks off Norway, killing U.S. woman

August 29, 2024 / 12:11 PM EDT / CBS/AP

A strong wave was likely responsible for the capsizing of a Viking ship replica earlier this week off Norway's coast that killed a U.S. citizen , police said Thursday, describing it as a "tragic accident" that did not constitute a criminal matter.

The wooden replica, called Naddodd, was crossing the North Atlantic from the Faeroe Islands to Norway with an international team of six people. The 33-feet double-masted vessel built on the Faeroes had departed the islands located halfway between Scotland and Iceland on Saturday.

On Tuesday, it sailed into strong winds and high waves and late that night, the ship capsized off the coastal town of Stad, about 215 miles from the capital of Oslo.

Survivors told police that the weather "suddenly turned significantly worse than predicted with very high waves." Rescuers said some of the waves were up to 16 feet high at the time.

Norway's Sea Rescue Society posted video of one of its boats navigating the rough seas during the search for the capsized ship.

#Redningsskøyta «Idar Ulstein» er på nå på stedet hvor vikingskipet har kantret vest av #Stad . Vi holder øye med skipet, og gjør det vi kan for å bistå med bergingen, men værforholdene gjør det svært krevende. pic.twitter.com/iLUUeo6Qoz — Redningsselskapet (@NSSR) August 27, 2024

The five survivors had managed to get into an inflatable life raft and were later airlifted to safety by helicopter. A sixth person, who had been trapped underneath the vessel, drowned, police said. The victim's body was found on Wednesday.

Police have not released the name of the victim but Norwegian and Faeroese media identified her as 29-year-old archaeologist Karla Dana, from Florida.

"Thrilled to be a part of this crew, fearlessly embarking on this Nordic voyage on a Viking ship replica across the North Sea, pushing through physical and mental limits to sail into history," Dana had posted on her LinkedIn profile before the trip.

Sail2North Expeditions, which organized the trip, told CBS News they would release more information about the incident on Friday. In a June Instagram post , Sail2North called Dana "the youngest member of our crew and embodies both the curiosity of a field researcher and the boldness of an adventurer."

In 2023, Dana joined the Florida chapter of The Explorers Club,  BBC News  reported. Joseph Dituri, the chairman of club's Florida chapter, told the outlet that her death is a reminder "that we make these dangerous expeditions and explorations look easy but they are not."

"This brave explorer left this planet doing something she loved entirely too early," he told BBC News. "Her exploration spirit was evident in everything she did as well as her zest for life! It is a better world having had her in it."

More from CBS News

Explosion at coal mine in eastern Iran kills dozens of workers

U.S. woman reportedly dies in controversial "suicide capsule" in Switzerland

Rare polar bear spotted on shores in Iceland shot dead by police

U.S. Navy fuel ship runs aground as it supports strike group in Mideast

• CruiseMapper
• Cruise Ports
• Asia Cruise Ports

Vladivostok (Russia, Primorsky Krai)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Asia

Local Time 2024-09-26 04:43

Vladivostok is a port city located in Russia (northeastern Asia), and on Golden Horn Bay (Sea of Japan). The city covers a total area of approx 331 km2 (128 mi2) and has population around 0,6 million.

The port city is the terminus of Russia's largest Pacific railway system (Trans-Siberian Railroad) and also the main naval base of Russia's Pacific fleet. The harbor is being kept open by icebreakers during winter months and serves as base for whaling and fishing vessels. Far Eastern State University is also here. The city is a major center of scientific research.

After the port city is named the 2015-built icebreaker Vladivostok .

The town was founded in 1860 as a military outpost and grew rapidly after 1903 when the Trans-Siberian railway was completed. During 1918-1922, Vladivostok was occupied by Japanese and Allied forces.

Port Vladivostok is ice-free the whole year-round. In 2002, the port had a foreign shipping trade turnover worth USD 275 million. In 2015, a special economic zone was established within the free port.

The city's main industries/employers are the Russian naval base, cargo shipping, commercial fishing. Fishing accounts for about 4/5 of the commercial production. A major source of revenue is the Japanese cars import.

In 2012, the city hosted the 24th Summit of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum on Russky Island. In preparation for the event, the city's infrastructure was improved and two giant cable-stayed bridges were built - Zolotoy Rog Bridge (over Golden Horn Bay, city center) and Russky Bridge (connecting with Russky Island).

The 4-lane Russky Bridge (across Eastern Bosphorus strait) is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge ever constructed -(length 3,1 km / 10,200 ft). Its longest span is 1,1 km (3622 ft). The bridge's clearance above is 70 m (230 ft). The construction cost around USD 1,1 billion.

In August 2016, the Chinese ship Chinese Taishan (former Costa Voyager) made a maiden port call. Liner's operator (Bohai Cruises) soon announced the company's decision to include Vladivostok in its regularly scheduled roundtrip itineraries.

On July 31, 2017, the Peace Boat-chartered cruise ship Ocean Dream made a maiden port call in Vladivostok, with around 1200 tourists from Japan and South Korea. The voyage departed Port Kobe (Japan) on July 27th and visited Yeosu (Korea) , Vladivostok, Hakodate (Japan) , Sakaiminato-Matsue (Japan) and Busan (Korea) .

In 2017, cruise ships managed by Costa Asia ( Carnival Corporation 's subsidiary) visited Port Vladivostok 6 times. The first vessel ( Costa Victoria - max capacity 2314 passengers) docked here in May 2016. In 2017, the cruise port handled 13 ship calls. In 2016, their number was 6.

In 2018, the area near the cruise berth was dredged to allow docking of bigger vessels. On February 26 was opened port's season 2018 with Amadea ( Phoenix Reisen ) carrying over 500 passengers. Among 2018's highlights were the maiden calls by the large liners MSC Splendida (3900 pax), Costa Serena (3600 pax) and Costa Fortuna (3250 pax). On May 12, 2018, Costa Serena became the ever-largest cruise ship docking in Vladivostok. The liner carried over 3000 passengers and crew. It arrived from South Korea (roundtrip Busan itinerary) being chartered by Lotte Tours. Tourists were greeted with a live performance by Far Eastern State Technical Fisheries University students (drummers, singers, dancers). The seaport and Vladivostok tour operators arranged a total of 79 buses each with a Korean-speaking tour guide.

In 2019 (March through October) were booked for berthing a total of 16 ships, among which the RCI-Royal Caribbean 's Quantum and Spectrum . Other large-sized liners were Costa Serena (5 times), Costa neoRomantica (3 times), Diamond Princess , Holland America 's Maasdam and Westerdam , Ocean Dream .

Season 2019 started on March 20 with MS Albatros (Phoenix Reisen), with estimated nearly 30,000 cruise passengers (plus ~70,000 ferry passengers) to be handled at Vladivostok Sea Terminal. In 2019, Vladivostok also restarted its homeport operations with locals and tourists able to book cruises leaving from Vladivostok (mainly to ports in Korea and Japan) and fly-cruise deals (via air/sea programs). There are plans for establishing a local (Russian) cruise line to operate itineraries to other Russian Far East destinations.

On Sept 9, 2019, Spectrum OTS became the ever-largest passenger ship to visit a Russian Federation port. The vessel docked in Vladivostok and was boarded by 200+ Russian VIP guests. Next is listed the 8-day "Russia and Japan Cruise" itinerary roundtrip from China.

Via Vladivostok, the Russian cargo shipping company FESCO serves three express routes connecting Russia with South Korea, China and Japan - Busan to Moscow (15-days transit launched June 2018), Shanghai to Moscow (20-days transit launched January 2017) and Toyama to Moscow (15-days transit launched April 2018). The new services allow delivery time reduction achieved by implementing new pass-through technology (port-railway). Busan to Vladivostok transit time is 2 days.

In January 2021, FESCO for the first time exported containerized grain delivered from Khabarovsk. The TEU-containers were shipped to China's Qingdao and Chiwan ports. FESCO's Russia-China service is 2-week (transit time 14 days). FESCO started bulk shipping of gran (from Krasnoyarsk) to China in 2018 with the new Siberia-to-Far East (Kamchatka and Magadan) service via FESCO-owned trains.

In December 2021, FESCO acquired JSC Port Gaydamak (FEMSTA containership terminal) which was planned for modernization and expansion in 2024. The facility is used mainly for transshipment (400,000+ tons of grain annually) and general cargoes. Also in December was inaugurated the "FESCO West Gate Bridge" (2-4-times a month intermodal containership service on the route Vladivostok- Kaliningrad/Baltiysk ) linking the Asia-Pacific countries with Europe. With an estimated transit time of 36 days, the Vladivostok-Kaliningrad service is nearly 1,5 times faster than the Suez Canal alternative.

Vladivostok cruise terminal

Cruise ships dock at Vladivostok Sea Terminal where their passengers are welcomed with a ceremony that includes live performances of traditional Russian dances, folklore songs and drummers. The event is organized by the company Vladivostok Sea Terminal, LLC.

To all passengers are given free city maps and tour guides, provided by Primorsky Region's Tourist Information Center. Traditionally, an outdoor market with Russian souvenirs is also organized for the disembarking tourists.

Vladivostok tours, shore excursions, hotels

City tours and shore excursions.

• In Olga Bay is located the port town Olga (population around 4,000) -  the administrative center of Olginsky District (Primorsky Krai, Russia). The St Olga military post was established in 1860.
• Lazovsky Nature Reserve is accessed through the port town Preobrazhina (aka Preobrazhenie).

Heritage Expeditions preparing for another Southern Ocean summer season

The small-ship cruise travel brand Heritage Expeditions (New Zealand-based) is getting ready for another Southern Ocean Summer for Kiwis. The cruise...

Scenic unveils 2022-2023 Arctic programme for its ultra-luxury superyacht Scenic Eclipse

Scenic Cruises announced its 2022-2023 Arctic program for the ultra-luxury superyacht Scenic Eclipse, The World’s First Discovery Yachts. ...

Port Lyttelton NZ's new $67 million cruise berth welcomes the first ship amidst pandemic

The Professor Khromov ship (fka Spirit of Enderby) departed from Vladivostok Russia and docked on Monday, November 16, at Port Lyttelton...

Cruise Line to Connect Vladivostok to Korea and Japan

A regular cruise route starts on November 26th, from Port Sokcho Korea to Vladivostok Russia. The Korean cruise ship Glory Sea, carring up to 1300...

•   show more news

• Places - Siberia and the Russian Far East

Russian Far East

The Russian Far East is a region in eastern Russia that includes the territories that run along the Pacific coast and the Amur River, the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin island and the Kuril Islands. It is a cold, inhospitable and sparsely populated area with stunning scenery, rich fisheries, virgin forest, remote towns, Siberian tigers and Aumur leopards. Sometimes the Russian Far East is regarded as part of Siberia.

Rachel Dickinson wrote in The Atlantic: Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District is huge — 2.4 million square miles, roughly twice the size of India — and takes up one-third of the country, but only 6.7 million people populate that vast space. (The district’s biggest city is Vladivostok — best known for being the last stop on the Trans-Siberian Railroad and home to the Russian Pacific fleet.) Provideniya was once a thriving military town with a population as high as 10,000; today the population is about 2,000. Most of the ethnic Russians have left, ceding the city to the region’s indigenous people. Now the government is struggling to stem the tide of people leaving the desolate Far East. [Source: Rachel Dickinson, The Atlantic, July/August 2009]

The entire Russian Pacific coastline extends for almost 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles). The formal dividing line between Siberia and the Far East are the borders of the Khabarovsk territory and Magadan region, which extends between 160 kilometers (100 miles) to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) inland from the Russia's east coast. Siberia, the Russian Far East and Kamchatka were largely covered by glaciers during the last Ice Age, which ended about 10,000 years ago. In the Soviet era, the Far East had its share of gulags and labor camps, Maksim Gorky called it " land of chains and ice." Since the break up of the Soviet Union, its people have largely been forgotten. The whole region would probably be forgotten if it weren't so rich in resources.

The Far East only has 6.7 million people and its population is falling. There used to be around 8 million people there. Eighty percent of the people live in the cities but have a strong ties to the land: hunting, fishing or picking berries and mushrooms whenever they get the chance. Some places only exist because the government subsidizes them, providing the people with shipped-in food and cheap energy for heat. In the early 2000s, the government has decided it has spent too much supporting these people and told them they have to move. In some places the people refused to move and the government cut off their water and heat and they still stayed. In recent years thing have stabilized somewhat as more money has flowed in from oil, natural gas, minerals, fishing and timber.

What the Russian Far East lacks in historical sites, old cities and museums — compared to the European parts of Russia and even Siberia — it makes up for with a wide variety of beautiful scenery and adventures. The Amur Rive boast sturgeons the size of whales. In the Primorskiy territory you can find rocky islands, steep cliffs, Siberian tigers and Amur leopards. There are isolated beaches on rivers and the see. If you like taiga, there lots of that along with wild mountains and many places to go hiking, fishing, hunting and camping. On Kamchatka there are dozens of very active 's volcanoes. Further north are some of the best places in the world to see walruses, polar bears and whales. Khabarovsk and Vladivostok are two major cities that define the eastern end of the Trans-Siberian Railway and have plenty of urban activities.

The Far Eastern Federal District is the largest of the eight federal districts of Russia but the least populated. The 11 federal subjects are: 1) Amur Oblast: 361,900 square kilometers, 830,103 people, capital: Blagoveshchensk 2) Republic of Buryatia: 351,300 square kilometers,, 971,021 people, capital: Ulan-Ude 3) Jewish Autonomous Oblast: 36,300 square kilometers, 176,558 people, capital: Birobidzhan 4) Zabaykalsky Krai: 431,900 square kilometers, 1,107,107 people, capital: Chita 5) Kamchatka Krai: 464,300 square kilometers, 322,079 people, capital: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 6) Magadan Oblast: 462,500 square kilometers, 156,996 people, capital: Magadan 7) Primorsky Krai: 164,700 square kilometers, 1,956,497 people, capital: Vladivostok 8) Sakha Republic: 3,083,500 square kilometers, 958,528, people capital: Yakutsk 9) Sakhalin Oblast: 87,100 square kilometers, 497,973 people, capital: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 10) Khabarovsk Krai: 787,600 square kilometers, 1,343,869 people, capital: Khabarovsk 11) Chukotka Autonomous Okrug: 721,500 square kilometers, 50,526 people, capital: Anadyr

Traveling in the Far East is troublesome. There are few roads, and they are in poor conditions. Many places can’t be reached by road anyway. Rivers are frozen much of the year. Helicopters can cost as much as US$500 an hour to rent. Corruption is rampant and it seems like everyone wants a cut. Even if paperwork is in order customs officials, police an other authorities demand, sometimes, huge outrageous "fees."

Economics of the Far East

The Far East is rich in gold, diamonds, oil, natural gas, minerals, timber and fish. It accounts for more than 60 percent of Russia's total sea harvest and fishing is the region’s leading industry, providing jobs for more than 150,000 people. People in the Far East should be rich from the wealth generated from fishing, timber and minerals but that is not necessarily the case. In the case of timber, in the early 2000s, local communities were supposed to get 30 percent of the profits but in reality Moscow took 80 percent and local officials took the rest.

In the early 2000s, gas and oil companies could not pay their workers and utility companies couldn’t pay the oil and gas companies and as a result electricity was only on for a few hours a day. Workers were among the last to receive their wages, factories were cannibalized of scrap metal and parts, students studied in sub-freezing classrooms, and people died at early ages. Those that could afford it moved away.

Many foreign companies were equally frustrated. The U.S. wood product giant Weyerhaueser, Korea's Hyundai conglomerate and Australian mining companies arrived in east Russia with high hopes but after some time there either packed up and left or scaled down their staff down to a skeletal crew.

Ussuri River

The Ussuri River forms the border between Russia and China in southern Khabarovsk Krai and . Primorsky Karia. A right tributary of the Amur, it is 897 kilometers long, with a basin area of more than 193,000 square kilometers. The Ussuri River originates in the spurs of the central Sikhote-Alin. Once it descends into it the valley, the river becomes flat and gentle but has a steep rocky coast. In many area there are meandering channels.

Among the tributaries of the Ussuri are: 1) the upper river: Izvilinka, Sokolovka, Matveyevka and Pavlivka. 2) the left tributaries: Arsen'evka, Muling, Naoli River and Songacha River; 3) and the right tributaries: Pavlovka, Zhuravlovka, Big Ussurka, Bikin and Khor.

In Khabarovsk Krai, near the village of Kazakevichevo, Ussuri River flows into the shallow Kazakevichevo channel and after that the confluence of the Ussuri is called the Amur channel. The Amur channel empties into the Amur River in the center of the city of Khabarovsk. The Ussuri is a full-flowing river from May to August. In the summer and when the ice breaks there are frequent floods. Ice on the Ussuri breaks up in April and forms in November. The water is used for water supply. Above Lesozavodsk the river is navigable. Previously it was widely used for timber floating.

The Ussuri River is good for fishing and rich in fish. Gudgeon, crucian carp, common carp, trout, burbot, pike, catfish, flax and grayling are all caught as are Kaluga sturgeon, which can reach a huge size (eight meters recorded in the Amur River). The river is a spawning ground for salmon and chum salmon. In the waters of the Ussuri fish mountain rivers are found near the bottom fish. Mountain fish comes to the Ussuri in the spring to spawn.

Ussuri Taiga and Dersu Uzala

The Ussuri taiga is a forest different from the normal Russian taiga. Located between the Ussuri and Amur Rivers in the Far East and dominated by the Sikhot Alim Mountains, it is a monsoon forest filled with plants and animals found nowhere else in Siberia or Russia and instead are similar to those found in China, Korea and even the Himalayas. In the forest there is s lush undergrowth, with lianas and ferns. Wildlife include Siberian tigers, Asian black bears, Amur leopards and even tree frogs. The Siberian Tiger Project is located here. The 1970 Akira Kurosawa Oscar-winning film “Dersu Uzala,” and the book it was based on, about a Tungus trapper, was set here.

Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker: ““Dersu Uzala,” the memoir and narrative of exploration by Vladimir K. Arsenyev, begins in 1902, when Arsenyev is a young Army officer assigned the job of exploring and mapping the almost unknown regions east and northeast of Vladivostok, including Lake Khanka and the upper watershed of the Ussuri River. The name for the whole area is the Primorskii Krai—the By-the-Sea Region. It and much of the Khabarovskii Krai, just to the north of it, consist of a unique kind of Pacific forest in which tall hardwoods hung with vines grow beside conifers almost equally high, and the lushness of the foliage, especially along the watercourses, often becomes quite jungly. [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 10 and 17, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010) ]

“In Arsenyev’s time, this jungle-taiga was full of wildlife, with species ranging from the flying squirrel and the wild boar to the Siberian tiger. Back then (and even recently) tigers could also be seen on the outskirts of Vladivostok, where they sometimes made forays to kill and carry off dogs. Arsenyev describes how tigers in the forest sometimes bellowed like red deer to attract the deer during mating season; the tiger’s imitation betrayed itself only at the end of the bellow, when it trailed off into a purr.

“The humans one was likely to meet in this nearly trackless forest were Chinese medicine hunters, bandits, inhabitants of little Korean settlements, and hunter-trappers of wild game. Dersu Uzala, a trapper whom Arsenyev and his men come upon early in their 1902 journey, is a Siberian native of the Nanai tribe whose wife and children have died of smallpox and who now is alone. After their meeting, Dersu becomes the party’s guide. The book is about Arsenyev’s adventures with Dersu on this journey and others, their friendship, and Dersu’s decline and end.

“In the nineteen-seventies, a Soviet film studio produced a movie of “Dersu Uzala,” directed by Akira Kurosawa. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film of 1975. The movie is long and slow-paced, like a passage through the forest, and wonderfully evokes the Primorskii country. I own a cassette of the movie and in my many viewings of it even picked up some useful fractured Russian from the distinctive way Dersu talks.

Udegeh: People Who Live with Siberian Tigers

The Udegeh live around the Sikhotealin Mountains in the Far East, also home to many Siberian tigers, and traditionally survived by hunting in the forest. Their ancestors were farmers and members of the Zhurdzhen empire, which ruled parts of what is now China, Mongolia and Russia. In the 13th century, Zhurdzhen was defeated by Genghis Khan and the Mongols and survived in scattered communities in the forest, where they became nomadic hunters to survive and formed their own language and culture, called Udegeh. There are only about 2,000 Udegeh left. The largest group lives in a village called Krasnyr, about 175 miles southeast of Khabarovsk.

The Udegeh live in wooden houses that often have painted gables with images of bears, dogs, devils and pagan goddesses. Their villages are surrounded by forests, and in the winter deep snow. They primarily live on animals they hunt such as sable, mink, squirrel, deer and boar. They often earn what little money they have by collecting wild ginseng in the forest or selling furs.

About 80 Siberian tigers live in the Udegeh hunting grounds. The Udegeh worship tigers, which are considered sinful to kill. One Udegeh hunter told the Washington Post, "The tiger and the Udegeh people are the same."

In the 1920s, the Udegeh were organized into hunting cooperatives by the Soviets. They sold furs to the Soviets and were able to keep their culture alive even though the Communists frowned upon their pagan beliefs and shaman practices. Today most young Udegeh wear Russian clothes and few of them speak the old language. Intermarriage is common and there are few pure blood Udegeh left. In the early 1990s, the Udegeh were involved in a dispute with the South Korean conglomerate Hyundai, who wanted to log the Udegeh's hunting ground.

See Separate Article PEOPLE OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST factsanddetails.com

Ussuriisk (kilometer 9177 on the Trans-Siberian, an hour and a half drive from Vladivostok) contains a "Chinese Bazaar" that is more like a separate town. The market operates all night and approximately 2,000 Chinese traders live semi-permanently in metal freight containers near their stalls.

The Museum of History and Local Lore and the famous 800-year-old stone turtle will introduce you to the history of this city. At the end of summer, tourists come to see the city's blooming lotuses. In the winter, you can enjoy a swim in an outdoor pool, surrounded by snowy fir trees. There is a historical park of everyday life and customs of the Russian people called “Emerald Valley” located five kilometers away from the city . Various events are held here, including the celebration of Kupala Night, jousting tournaments, Christmas and Maslenitsa festivities.

Ussuriisk is located near the border with China and North Korea and stands at the confluence of the Komarovka, Rakovka and Razdolnaya. The city was founded in 1866 by Russians from Voronezh and Astrakhan province in East Russia and the Capian Sea area. The town began to grow when the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began in the area.

Places Where the Siberian Tigers Live

Siberian tigers today are confined primarily to the Ussuri Taiga, a forest different from the normal Russian taiga. Located between the Ussuri and Amur Rivers in the Far East and dominated by the Sikhot Alim Mountains, it is a monsoon forest filled with plants and animals found nowhere else in Siberia or Russia and instead are similar to those found in China, Korea and even the Himalayas. In the forest there is s lush undergrowth, with lianas and ferns. Wildlife include Siberian tigers, Asian black bears, Amur leopards and even tree frogs. The Siberian Tiger Project is located here. The 1970 Akira Kurosawa film Dersu Uzala, about a Tungus trapper, was set here.

Sikhot Alin Reserve and Kedrovaya Pad Reserve within the Ussuri Taiga are the last homes of the Siberian tiger. The largest wildlife sanctuaries in the Far East, they embrace 1,350 square miles of forested mountains, coastline and clear rivers. Other animals found in Sikhot Alin reserve and Kedrovaya Pad reserve include brown bears, Amur leopard (of which only 20 to 30 remain), the Manchurian deer, roe deer, goral (a rare mountain goat), Asian black bears, salmon, lynx, wolf and squirrels with tassels on their ears, azure winged magpies and the emerald-colored papilio bianor maackii butterfly. Over 350 different species of bird have been sen here.

Dunishenko and Kulikov wrote: “In the 19th century, aside from the Sikhote-Alin and Malyi Khingan portions of Russia, tigers were found in southeastern Transcaucasia, in the Balkhash basin, in Iran, China and Korea. Now the Amur tiger is found only in Russia’s Primorskii and southern Khabarovskii Krais. This is all that remains of an enormous tiger population that formerly numbered in the thousands and that lived mostly in China. In the spring of 1998, one of the authors of this booklet took part in an international scientific study investigating the best tiger habitat remaining in the Chinese province of Jilin. We found three to five tigers there, mostly along the Russian border. Our general impression is that there are no more than twenty or thirty Amur tigers in all of China. [Source: “The Amur Tiger” by Yury Dunishenko and Alexander Kulikov, The Wildlife Foundation, 1999 ~~]

The general area where Siberian tigers lives is called the Primorskii or Primorye, a region of the southeast Russian Far East that embraces Vladivistok. John Vaillant wrote in “The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival”: “Primorye, which is also known as the Maritime Territory, is about the size of Washington state. Tucked into the southeast corner of Russia by the Sea of Japan, it is a thickly forested and mountainous region that combines the backwoods claustrophobia of Appalachia with the frontier roughness of the Yukon. Industry here is of the crudest kind: logging, mining, fishing, and hunting, all of which are complicated by poor wages, corrupt officials, thriving black markets — and some of the world's largest cats.” [Source: John Vaillant. “The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival” (Knopf, 2010)]

Nezhino (100 kilometers north of Vladivostok, 20 kilometers east of the Chinese border) is used as a base for people who track Siberian tigers. They are particularly easy to track in the winter, if you can initially locate some tracks, when they leave big paw prints in the snow. Tigers tracking tours began being offered in 2005.

See Separate Articles: SIBERIAN TIGERS factsanddetails.com ; PLACES WHERE THE SIBERIAN TIGERS LIVE factsanddetails.com ; HUMANS, SCIENTISTS, CENSUSES AND SIBERIAN TIGERS factsanddetails.com ; ENDANGERED SIBERIAN TIGERS factsanddetails.com ; SIBERIAN TIGERS CONSERVATION factsanddetails.com ; SIBERIAN TIGER ATTACKS factsanddetails.com .

Ussuri Nature Reserve and Lake Khanka

Ussuri Nature Reserve (100 kilometers north of Vladivostok) is specially protected natural area located in the southern Sikhote-Alina range, It is rich in virgin liana conifer-deciduous forests, which have been cut down in other parts of the Russian Far East and the neighboring countries. The reserve is named after Academician Vladimir L. Komarov, a Russian botanist who studied the flora of East Asia. He first gave a description of the area, visiting her in 1913.

The reserve was created in 1932 and since then has significantly increased its area, which now amounts to 4,040 square kilometers. The reserve embraces lowlands and mountains and foot hools formed by the the southern spurs of the Sikhote-Alin (Przewalski Mountains). The average elevation is 300-400 meters above sea level. The highest peaks are 650-700 meters high. There are also mountain rivers in canyon-like narrow valleys and small waterfalls. Summers are warm and humid. Winters are moderately severe with little snow. The coldest month is January (average temperature of -17.9 degrees C). The warmest month is August 19.7 degrees).

The flora of the reserve is composed almost entirely of forest species, mainly those found in cedar-broadleaf forests, which are are characterized by high species diversity and different from ecosystems found in Russia and elsewhere in the former U.S.S.R. A typical plot of pine forests, contains trees, shrubs and vines from 50-60 species. Among the many rare plants and ginseng, hard juniper, mountain peony and Chinese Prinsep

The fauna of the reserve is typical of coniferous and deciduous forests: wild boar, red deer, musk deer, and black bear. Among the birds are common warblers, blue nightingale, nuthatch and grouse. The reserve is home to the largest beetle fauna of Russia: It is interesting that several attempts to "diversify" the species composition of fauna — through the the introduction of sika deer and Barguzin sable — did not work as hoped. Most of the reserve is off limits to visitors. Among the places that one can visit are the rehabilitation center for the education of orphaned bear cubs. Reserve staff tell the story of each bear and describe it character and habits. There is also a nature trail and small museum.

Lake Khanka (200 kilometers from Vladivostok) has an average depth of 4.5 meters and is home to more than 300 species of bird and 75 species of fish. Trips to the lake includes stops at the villages of Kamen-Rybolov and Troitskoye on the west side of the lake and a trip to Gaivoron, near the town of Spassk-Dalniy, where there is a 10,000 square meter open air cage with a family of Siberian tigers. The cage is made of a transparent metallic net. The enclose incorporates the surrounding forest so you can see the tiger is a pretty close facsimile to how they lin nature.

Biodiversity of the Ussuriskii Taiga Forest

Siberian tigers inhabits the Ussuriskii taiga forest, a coniferous broadleaf forest that specifically favors the so-called Manchurian forest type. The Manchurian forests are located in riparian areas and are particularly high in biodiversity. John Goodrich of NPR wrote: “The most bio-diverse region in all of Russia lies on a chunk of land sandwiched between China and the Pacific Ocean. There, in Russia's Far East, subarctic animals — such as caribou and wolves — mingle with tigers and other species of the subtropics. It was very nearly a perfect habitat for the tigers — until humans showed up. The tigers that populate this region are commonly referred to as Siberian tigers, but they are more accurately known as the Amur tiger. "Imagine a creature that has the agility and appetite of the cat and the mass of an industrial refrigerator," Vaillant tells NPR's Linda Wertheimer. "The Amur tiger can weigh over 500 pounds and can be more than 10 feet long nose to tail." [Source: John Goodrich, NPR, September 14, 2010]

Dunishenko and Kulikov wrote: "The range of biodiversity experienced by the early explorers in the Ussuriskii taiga forest is hard to imagine. Read Vladimir Arsenev and Nikolai Przhevalskii and you’ll realize that the region’s present-day richness is but a sad remnant of what was once found here. The fact is, that not all that long ago there was a lot more to be found in our taiga. Old-timers can still vividly recall the herds of deer, numbering in the hundreds, that migrated the lightly snow covered regions of China, the incessant moan in the taiga when red Manchurian deer were mating, the endless waves of birds, the rivers boiling with salmon. [Source: “The Amur Tiger” by Yury Dunishenko and Alexander Kulikov, The Wildlife Foundation, 1999 ~~]

"And my lord, how many wild boar there used to be in the taiga! All winter long, the southern exposures of oak-covered hills were dug up by droves of wild pigs. Snow under the crowns of Korean pine forests was trampled to ground level as wild boar gathered pine cones throughout the winter. A symphony of squeal and moan! Mud caked wild boar racing around the taiga, rattling around in coats of frozen icycles after taking mud baths to cool passion-heated bodies. Horrible, blood caked wounds, chattering tusks, snorting, bear-like grunting, squawky squeaking, oh the life of a piglet.~~

"This was an earlier image of the Ussuriskii taiga. Just 30 years ago a professional hunter could take 60 to 80 wild boar in a season! There was more than enough game for the tiger out there among the riotous forest “swine.” Tigers strolled lazily, baron-like and important. They avoided the thick forests: why waste energy with all the boar trails around — you could roll along them sideways! It was only later on that the tigers took to following human trails.~~

"How many tigers there used to be in the wild can only be conjectured. Southern Khabarovskii Krai is a natural edge of their habitat; at one point in history there was a substantial tiger population that spilled over into surrounding regions. The tiger’s range coincided, for the most part, with Korean pine and wild boar distribution, and the number of tigers in the Russian Far East in the last century was at least one thousand. Tigers densely settled the Malyi Khingan and the Korean pine, broad leaf deciduous forests typical of southern Amurskaya Oblast. Lone animals wandered out as far as Lake Baikal and Yakutiya."~~

Sikhote Alin Reserve

Sikhote Alin Reserve (400 kilometers northeast of Vladivostok) and Kedrovaya Pad Reserve are the last homes of the Amur (Siberian) tiger. The largest wildlife sanctuary in the Far East. It embraces 3,500square kilometers (1,350 square miles) of forested mountains, coastline and clear rivers. Other animals found in reserves include brown bears, Amur leopard (of which only 40 to 50 remain), the Manchurian deer, roe deer, goral (a rare mountain goat), Asian black bears, salmon, lynx, wolf and squirrels with tassels on their ears, azure winged magpies and the emerald-colored papilio bianor maackii butterfly. Over 350 different species of bird have been seen here.

Central Sikhote-Alin was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. According to UNESCO: “The Sikhote-Alin mountain range contains one of the richest and most unusual temperate forests of the world. In this mixed zone between taiga and subtropics, southern species such as the tiger and Himalayan bear cohabit with northern species such as the brown bear and lynx. After its extension in 2018, the property includes the Bikin River Valley, located about 100 kilometers to the north of the existing site. It encompasses the South-Okhotsk dark coniferous forests and the East-Asian coniferous broadleaf forests. The fauna includes species of the taiga alongside southern Manchurian species. It includes notable mammals such as the Amur Tiger, Siberian Musk Deer, Wolverine and Sable. [Source: UNESCO]

Founded in 1935, Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve covers an area of 3,902 square kilometers, plus and 2.9 square kilometers offshore. The reserve is located in the northern part of Primorsky Krai and includes the eastern slope of the Sikhote-Alin mountain range from its watershed to the coast (including one kilometer of shoreline), as well as a part of the western slope of the mountain range. The maximum elevation in the reserve is 1598 meters.

The reserve was originally established to protect sable populations that were on the verge of extinction. V.K. Arsenyev was one of the initiators of the reserve. K.G. Abramov and Y.A. Salmin substantiated the need to create the reserve. In our age when there are fewer and fewer untouched corners of nature on the globe, The profusion and diversity of the reserve’s ecosystems are attributable to the fact that the park includes different slopes of the Sikhote-Alin, range which differ in natural conditions and elevation. Availability of direct access to the sea is another important factor.

The reserve includes parts of three landscape areas: 1) Terney (cedar broad-leaved forests), 2) Samargino-Dalnegorsky (in the subzone of broad-leaved and coniferous forests) and 3) Mid-Sikhote-Alin (fir and spruce forests) in a boreal coniferous forest subzone. The flora and fauna in the reserve are strongly influenced by the presence of the Sea of Okhotsk: dark boreal coniferous forests are more strongly represented here than in other reserve in Primorye Krai. At the same time, conditions exist for the development of the Manchuria-like ecosystems. A distinctive feature of the flora and fauna in the reserve is the combination of heat-loving and cold-loving natural species. For its long-term research program and achievements in the conservation of the Amur tiger, the reserve was awarded with a CATS international certificate in 2015, becoming the only reserve in Russia (and the second in the world) to receive such recognition.

Traveling by Road Around Sikhote Alin Reserve

Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker: ““Rather than continue south, directly to Vladivostok, our ultimate destination, we had decided to turn east again, cross the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, and arrive at the Pacific (technically the Sea of Japan) in a less inhabited place on the mountains’ other side. The Sikhote-Alins, once we were among them, seemed more like hills, and not very forbidding, but the depth and silence of their forest made up for that. Arsenyev had described the taiga here as “virginal, primeval timberland.” From the altitude of the trees and the venerable length of the vines depending from them, I would guess that the taiga we saw was still original growth. That night, we camped above the small gorge of a river named for Arsenyev—the Arsenyevka. The sound of it was pleasant to sit beside; this was our first genuinely rushing stream. I stayed up for a while after Sergei and Volodya had gone to bed, listening to it and looking up at the stars and at the satellites tracking past. [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 10 and 17, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010) ]

“The next day, we continued winding generally eastward through the mountains. I noted villages called Uborka (Harvest), Shumnyi (Noisy), and Rudnyi (Oreville). Now we were in Arsenyev’s very footsteps. A little beyond Rudnyi, we crossed a mountain pass that hardly looked like one. This was the divide between the waters that flow roundabout to the Pacific via the Ussuri and the Amur, and those which drain down the front of the Sikhote-Alins and into the Pacific directly. At the crest of the divide, back among the roadside weeds, stood a cement obelisk on which was inscribed: “crossed over this pass: m. i. venyukov 1858*; N. M. PREZHEVALSKII* 1887*; V. K. ARSENYEV* 1906.”

Arsenyev’s passage across this divide happened during a mapping expedition guided by Dersu and described in detail in the book. The party continued from here until they came to the Pacific and the port village of Olga, where they were resupplied. Sergei said that we would also aim for Olga and camp near there.

“Often the taiga stood so close to the road that the vines almost touched the side of the car, and on the upgrades we were looking into the canopy. At one point in the movie “Dersu Uzala,” a tiger stalks Arsenyev’s party, and the Siberian tiger used for the scene was a splendid animal, all liquid motion and snarling growls. Though near extinction, the Siberian tiger has not yet been wiped out, and the thought that this Pacific forest—reminiscent in some ways of the American and Canadian Northwest—had tigers in it gave the shadows far back among the trees a new level of authority. I had been in a few forests that held grizzly bears, but a forest with tigers in it seemed even more mysterious and honorable.”

Kedrovaya Pad Reserve

Kedrovaya Pad Reserve (400 kilometers northeast of Vladivostok) is the oldest reserve in the Far East and the southernmost reserve of Primorye. Sikhote Alin Reserve and Kedrovaya Pad Reserve are the last homes of the Amur (Siberian) tiger. The largest wildlife sanctuary in the Far East. Kedrovaya (Cedar) Pad Reserve embraces 178.97 square kilometers (69.10 square miles) of forested mountains, coastline and clear rivers. Other animals found in reserves include brown bears, Amur leopard (of which only 40 to 50 remain), the Manchurian deer, roe deer, goral (a rare mountain goat), Asian black bears, salmon, lynx, wolf and squirrels with tassels on their ears, azure winged magpies and the emerald-colored papilio bianor maackii butterfly. Over 350 different species of bird have been seen here.

Kedrovaya (Cedar) Pad Reserve was one of the first officially organized reserves in Russia. The idea for establishing was raised at the beginning of the 20th century after the Trans-Siberian railway and built nearby and intensive development of the Ussuri region was accompanied by indiscriminate logging, forest fires, uncontrolled hunting. In 1908, the region created the first forest reserves, one of which was on Cedar River. Kedrovaya Pad Reserve, founded in 1916 close to the western shore of Amur Bay. Over time that status of the reserve was improved and the reserve was enlarged. In 2004 UNESCO designated the reserve as a biosphere.

Kedrovaya (Cedar) Pad Reserve is located in the Khasan district of Primorye Territory. The villages of Seaside, Perevoznaya, Cedar, Bezverkhova and Barabash located within a few kilometers of the reserve. . The reserve was established for the preservation and study of natural systems there of liana deciduous and mixed forests with hornbeam and black fir-broad-leaved forests and their animals and plants. The reserve provides shelter for two adult Amur leopard females and their offspring and one male. Among the rare species of insects found there are the excellent marshmallow beetle and Jankowski beetle.

The territory of the reserve is occupied by by two major low mountain ranges — the Gakkelevskaya and Suhorechensky — representing the extreme northeastern foothills of the Black (Changbai) Mountains, which are mainly in China and Korea. The length of the main Cedar River within the reserve is about 15 kilometers. The largest number of tributaries originating from Suhorechenskogo ridge flows into the forest, where many wild boars live. About 73.1 percent of the entire reserve is occupied by forests. The remaining area is occupied by scrub and secondary meadows resulting from logging in the past and especially forest fires.

The forest reserve contains numerous species of trees. The underbrush is represented by various bushes, that often blossom beautifully, such as early-flowering honeysuckle and Weigel, which produces fine-leaved mock orange flowers. Vines entwine tree trunks rising to a height of 30-35 meters. The diameter of the winding vines of wild grapes and the Amur Actinidia Argut reaches 10-15 centimeters. They are like giant snakes crawling from the ground and entangling shrubs and trees.

In places the reserve resembles a rainforest and it does have parallels with the temperate rain forests in coast British Columbia, Alaska and Washington state. Among the many plant species are Manchurian walnut, dimorfanta and aralia, with and velvet, spiny trunks, and several types of ferns. In the crevices of bark and crotches of trees attract epiphyte and small fern called Ussuri centipede.

Zov Tigra (“Roar of the Tiger”) National Park

Zov Tigra National Park(Near Lazo, 150 kilometers northeast of Vladivostok is a mountainous refuge for the Amur (Siberian) Tiger. Established in 2008, the park encompasses an area of 834 square difficult (322 square miles) on the southeast coast of Primorsky Krai. The park lies on both the eastern and western slopes of the southern Sikhote-Alin mountain range.,The relatively warm waters of the Sea of Japan are to the east, the Korean peninsula to the south, and China to the West. The terrain in rugged and difficult to access, with heavily forested taiga coexisting with tropical species of animals and birds. The park is relatively isolated from human development, and functions as a conservation reserve. Tourists may visit the portions of the park marked for recreation, but entry to the protected zones is only possible in the company of park rangers. The park’s name in English means "Call of the Tiger” or "Roar of the Tiger".

Zov Tigra National Park is occupied by Ussuri taiga and is located at the junction of Lazovsky, Chuguevsky, and Olginsky districts. The park covers 1,854-meter-high Oblachnaya mountain, the upper half of the Milogradovka's river basin, and sources of the Kievka River. There are more than 50 mountains more than 1000 meters high. The forest feature giant cedars, specimen trees, slender spruces entwined with gaily-coloured actinidia's lianas, emerald-green clusters of Amur grape and Schizandra brushwood.

Zov tigra was established in part as as a "source habitat" for the recovery of the Amur Tiger and its prey base. A survey in 2012 identified four Amur tigers resident in the park, and four more that visited the protected areas frequently. The base of prey consisted of 1,200 Manchurian deer, 800 Roe deer, and 99 Sika deer and 189 wild boars. These species make up some 85% of the Amur tiger's diet. Brown bears and lynx are relatively common in area. The Far Eastern Forest Cat is found in the broad-leaf and oak valleys. The critically endangered Amur Leopard has not been resident since the 1970s.

Amur Leopards

The Amur leopard inhabits an 800-mile long stretch of evergreen forest in the eastern Siberian taiga near the North Korean border. Named after the river that forms the border between Russia and China, they live in a narrow mountain chain that extends from Hanka Lake in the Russian Far East south to the borders of China and North Korea. It ranges further north than any leopard species, even the snow leopard.

Amur leopards weighs between 40 and 60 kilograms (90 and 140 pounds). They are reclusive, solitary creatures. They eat sitka deer and wild boars. Their numbers have declined as the numbers of their main food source, roe deer, have declined. They also suffer from declining numbers of sitka deer and wild boars. Leopards eat dogs of villagers to survive. Sometimes they are forced to make a single meal last for two weeks. Other times they reduced to scavenging for carrion. It’s winter coat has large spots.

Only 38 to 46 Amur leopard are believed to remain. Twenty to twenty-four in Russia. Fifteen in China and an unknown number in North Korea. They have been hurt by loss of habitat, loss of prey and poaching. Around 30 Amur leopards live in an area which borders China and is 150 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide. At least 16 live in Nezhinkoye game reserve. This area contains many villages and is crisscrossed by roads, making survival problematic

Environmentalists have trouble securing funds to study the leopards. Most of what is known about them is based on studies conducted at Kedrovaya pad nature Reserve near Vladivostok. The Russian Academy of Science, the University of California and the International Wildlife Congress are studying the leopards using “phototraps”— motion sensitive cameras.

Land of Leopard National Park

Land of Leopard The National Park (200 kilometers west of Vladivostok) occupies 2,620 square kilometers and is located in the Khasansky, Nadezdinsky, Ussuriysky districts of Primorsky Krai as well as in the small area of Frunzenskiy district in Vladivostok. Kedrovaya Pad and Leopardovy reserves and number of other territories, with total area exceeding 2,800 square kilometers are as compounds of the National Park. The national park’s buffer zone covers about 800 square kilometers.

About 30 individual Amur leopards are thought to be living in the southwest area of Primorsky Krai. “Land of the Leopard” national park covers about 60 percent of the natural habitat occupied by the leopards and the main reason the park was set up was to preserve them. Many surviving Amur leopards live In the Nezhinkoye game reserve that is under partial protection of the Russian Pacific fleet. Hunting with dogs and hunting for fur animals is banned in the reserve. Deer and wild boars are fed. Some leopards used to follow hunters in hopes of snatching an easy meal. Work on the world’s longest pipeline — between Siberia and the Sea of Japan — was suspended in 2005 due to ecological concerns, among them the fate of the Amur leopard, whose territory would be bisected by the pipeline.

The “Land of Leopard” is divided into several zones, the smallest of which is a 230-square-kilometer conservation zone that you can’t visit without special permission. Other zones have a simplified visiting regime. Guided trips are allowed in the “specially protected” zone. The 7950-square-kilometer recreational zone allows more touristic activity. The “Leopard Trail” is the first tourist route, developed in the National Park. The 770-square-kilometer administrative zone accommodates villagers and interests of other people living in the territory of the National Park.

Leopardovy Sanctuary

Leopardovy Sanctuary (200 kilometers west of Vladivostok) embraces 1,694.29 square kilometers of the “Barsovy” and “Borisovskoe Plato” sanctuaries in the Khasansky, Ussuriysky, and Nadezhdinskiy districts. The state biological sanctuary “Barsovy” was founded in 1979 to preserve and restore not only the endangered animal species such as Siberian Tiger and Amur Leopard but also their natural habitat. The animal sanctuary “Borisovskoe Plato” was created in 1996 to conserve and increase the population number of Amur leopard; Siberian tiger and other threatened animals.

The sanctuary's natural environment is highly favorable for the forest faun's inhabitation. The low-level mountain ranges deeply dissected with the river valleys, extended rock masses, and plateau-like mountains create mosaic of forest, tree and shrubbery vegetation. Secondary broadleaved forests prevail here. Primary forests with fir trees, cedars and khingam fir remain in the west and northwest part of the sanctuary. The plateau-like mountains are covered with the leafed forest.

Amur leopard is the main protected species here.Siberian tiger, Asian black bear, leopard cat and other animals are also placed under special protection. There are six ungulates species such as Amur goral, Manchurian wapiti, wild boar, musk deer, roe deer, and deer in the sanctuary. Lot of rare vascular plants grows here, some of them such as water caltrop, stipa baicalensis, nepeta manchuriensis are not presented even in the neighboring “Kedrovaya Pad” reserve. More than 150 species of birds nest in the sanctuary and around 100 species traverse its territory or make stopover here during the migration period. It must be stressed that “Leopardovy” sanctuary is the only place of nesting for some bird species in this part of Primorsky krai. 15 of these species are threatened with extinction. Over 40 IUCN Red List insect species inhabit here, what is more some of them occur exceptionally at the sanctuary's territory.

This district has a monsoon climate. Its specific trait is the variability of the airstreams direction in the summer and winter seasons. Plenty of rivers and streams run at the sanctuary’s territory. There are no large lakes. The biggest one, Krivoe lake, covers 11 hectares. All types of hunting, commercial fishery, timber felling, resource development, ploughing the ground, and application of chemicals are prohibited here. Beyond that, public visiting, amateur fishery, and gathering wild harvest are brought under regulation. The sanctuary contains some populated places such as Barabash settlement and military firing range with total area in 3,490 squate kilometers A considerable part of the territory is the border territory separated from the rest of area by the plowed strip.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation (official Russia tourism website russiatourism.ru ), Russian government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Yomiuri Shimbun and various books and other publications.

Updated in September 2020

•  Facebook
•  Twitter
•  Google+
•  e-mail

 Page Top

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available in an effort to advance understanding of country or topic discussed in the article. This constitutes 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. If you are the copyright owner and would like this content removed from factsanddetails.com, please contact me.