The territory of the Commander Islands is another protected area of the Kamchatka Region, referring as a whole to Kamandorsky State Nature Reserve (National Park) . It includes two big islands (Bering, Medniy) and a number of small rocky islands (Ariy Kamen, Toporkov, etc.)    260 years ago the crew of the vessel "Saint Peter" headed by Vitus Bering discovered these islands. In honour of the great traveller , who rested in peace here, they were named the Commander Islands.
   Nothern fur seals are undoubtedly, the main sight and wealth of the Islands. The first male seals appear on the rookeries at the end of April. In winter fur seals wait till the severe season is over near the shores of Japan. After it they come back to the the native land. Male seals secure the plots of land (20-25 sq.m.) for the harems (there are about 100 females in each of them). In June the female seals swim up and get ashore to give the birth to young ones.
   In August the harems disintegrate, and in November the young seals taught to swim and to fish leave the Islands together with their parents.
   Besides the fur seals the Islands are rich with another species of fauna.
   One of the bays located in the southern part of Bering Island was named Bobrovaya (Beaver). A lot of seabeavers (sea-otters) lived here before. Their population, as well as the population of Steller's sea-cow was destructed. Fortunately there was a place to remove them from. Sea-otters were found in Medniy Islands and in the southern extremity of Kamchatka Peninsula. This fact saved the population of Bering's sea-otters from disappearance.
   In the southern and almost inaccessible part of Bering Islands the small herd of reindeer remains.
   In the rivers of the Bering and Medniy Islands there are the spawning grounds of Pacific Salmon. The biggest one is the Lake Sarannoye.
   And of course most multiple inhabitants of the Islands are different kind of birds. From April to October countless quantity of birds settle their colonies on the rocks and cliffs as well as valleys and marshes around the Islands.

See also:

Site of local sitizens from Bering Island