Wrangel Island, Arctic nature reserve in Chukotka, Russia
Wrangel Island sits far above the Arctic Circle, between the East Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea, forming one of the most remote landmasses in the Russian Arctic. The terrain features low mountains, flat tundra plains, and hundreds of shallow lakes that thaw during the brief summer season.
The island remained uninhabited until the 19th century and was not officially documented until 1881 by American whalers. Woolly mammoths lived here until roughly 4,000 years ago, persisting far longer than mainland populations.
The Chukchi and Yupik people maintain seasonal settlements on the island, contributing to wildlife research and conservation efforts through traditional knowledge.
Visitors need a special permit and must join an expedition cruise, as the island is protected exclusively for scientific research. Arctic conditions allow access only during the short summer between July and September, when ice retreats.
Polar bears dig more birthing dens here than anywhere else in the world, and female bears often return to the same sites used across generations. Gray whales swim more than 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) from their Mexican breeding grounds to feed in these cold waters each summer.
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