Kamchatka wildlife

2 min summary When to go Map & highlights Things to do Wildlife Chukotka Wrangel Island Kuril Islands Advice Responsible tourism

Kamchatka wildlife

Kamchatka's extraordinary wildlife, almost entirely free of human company, is that enchanting and somehow fragile state of utter grace in which nature presents itself to us wholly on its own terms.

See all our Kamchatka Vacations

Give us a call

Our Kamchatka Vacations

Polar bears

The world’s largest land predator can be found in Chukotka and Wrangel Island, north of the peninsula - but this cuddly-looking creature is anything but. Weighing up to 550kg, they feed mainly on the blubber of seals, which they catch when the seal pops up through a breathing hole in the sea ice. The bears must follow the ice; the seals live at sea, and catching a swimming seal is near impossible. Trapped or beached whales provide a rare but welcome feast – if a carcass is spotted, your ship will likely make a diversion to see if any polar bears are feeding on it.

Brown
bears

There is one wild brown bear to every 30 inhabitants in Kamchatka and it's possible to see them with such regularity that they adopt an almost human quality

Brown
bears

Sliding down dusty slopes of cooled lava to circle the edge of a hot spring, or patrolling the water’s edge for salmon and then stopping and standing bolt upright looking directly at you, you can almost imagine the brown bear, arms folded, all at once looking like an, admittedly massive, teddy bear, but with a tough ‘I know you’re there’ glare fixed in their big brown eyes. Majestic, intimidating and extraordinary all rolled into one.

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about Kamchatka or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.

1-866-821-6866

Call toll free

Calling from outside the USA

rosy@responsibletravel.com

1-866-821-6866

Call toll free

Calling from outside the USA

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Grey whales

Grey whales are huge mammals as old as time itself, which have been hunted to near extinction more than once, but have luckily fought back and are now protected under international law.

One of the animal kingdom’s most prolific migrators, they travel in pods swimming an annual round trip of over 19,000km from their summer home in Alaskan waters to warmer waters off the Mexican coast. Like all whales, the barnacle-covered grey whale has to surface to breathe, so migrating groups are easier to spot and if you’re lucky you can catch a glimpse of them feeding just metres from Kamchatka’s Kolyuchin Inlet.

Grey whales

Pacific
walrus

Most people’s first impression of a walrus is how astonishingly large they are – up to 3.5m long and rearing up to shoulder-height. Their distinctive tusks help them haul their blubbery bodies out of the water and onto slippery ice, but can also be used in combat by aggressive males guarding their harem during the mating season. Pacific walrus in Russia migrate seasonally from the southern range in the Bering Sea – where they can be seen drifting on ice floes – to the Chukchi Sea.

It's odd how something with grizzly whiskers and bodies packed with blubber can be so cute, but they just are; none more so than the pacific walrus with it's wrinkly rose-pink skin

More about Kamchatka

Best time to visit Kamchatka

Short seasonal bursts best describe Kamchatka’s annual temperature & rainfall levels, which is why our month by month guide and our recommendations are essential reads for discovering the best time to visit Kamchatka.

Kamchatka travel guide

Find out what we rate & what we don’t in our Kamchatka travel guide that presents our best and worst of Kamchatka vacations alongside a brief history of Kamchatka and tips on how to discover Kamchatka like a local.

Kamchatka map & itineraries

Check out our Kamchatka map and highlights page that features everything from information on our favourite locations to classic itineraries and travel times in Kamchatka to help you make the most of your time.

Things to do in Kamchatka

Walk into a land of fire and ice and quickly discover why cruising, trekking and the untouched glaciers of Wrangel Island offer an exceptional range of things to do in Kamchatka, way off the beaten track.

Traveling to Chukotka in Russia

A huge region in the extreme far east of Russia, Chukotka is a wild, remote place, home to a scattering of people and a whole lot of wildlife, and visiting is more an expedition than a vacation.

Wrangel Island polar bears

The word ‘remote’ could definitely have been invented to describe Wrangel Island, which sits on the very top of the world in the Arctic Ocean, off the northern coast of Chukotka.

Kuril Islands, Kamchatka

A skinny archipelago of volcanic islands that drops like a broken necklace from Kamchatka in Russia down to Hokkaido in Japan, the Kuril Islands are a wild place of bustling seabird colonies, wooded shores, active volcanoes, but very few people.

Kamchatka travel advice

Lots of helpful Kamchatka travel advice, including tips from our friends in Kamchatka on bird watching, Wrangel Island wildlife and local culture, plus advice on what to pack and how to stay healthy and safe.

Responsible tourism in Kamchatka

Poaching and trophy hunting are, unfortunately, issues that need to be dealt with, which is why our responsible tourism in Kamchatka page doesn’t hold back when it comes to helping you travel right in Kamchatka.

More relevant guides

Written by Polly Humphris

Kamchatka wildlife