!!!Sakhalin Island

by Sergey Rumyantsev,
member of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

8 October 2015

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

"The edge of the world... Where can it be?" Probably everyone thought of
that once. And everyone had their own thoughts on this question. When I
was a child I liked a song about Sakhalin which said: "And I am throwing
rocks from a steep beach of the faraway La Pérouse strait". I imagined
the steep cliffs, the endless sea... and that place was the edge of the
world for me. That was the place I wanted to go to. So here we are, many
years later I am on my way to Sakhalin hoping to see this mysterious La
Perouse Strait.

[{Image src='01_Sakhalin Island.jpg' caption='Sakhalin Island' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='466'}]

The weather forecast was nice and the mood as perfect. However, when the
airplane started to descend we could see a vast thick cloudiness under
us and just before landing the bald peaks surrounding the South-Sakhalin
Khomutovo airport appeared. It was raining. The girls from the Ministry
of sport and tourism that where meeting me at the airport said that the
weather forecast suddenly changed to bad so our helicopter photo shoots
are delayed. We had a week scheduled for our journey so I wasn't very
emotional about that. I had time to take a slow walk around the city,
visit the Regional natural history museum that was located in a Japanese
building, built in the traditional national style. And, of course, I
certainly had to taste the Japanese cuisine, which was absolutely
marvelous.

[{Image src='02_Moneron Island.jpg' caption='Moneron Island' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='506'}]

One of the main tourist sights of South-Sakhalin is the "Mauntain air"
mountain skiing resort. Almost half of the year it's slopes are covered
with skiers from all over Russia. In summer you can use the ropeway to
reach the top station and breathe in the pure mountain air, wander the
various forest paths, what I certainly did.

Days past and tough the rain stopped, the low cloudiness prevented me
from performing the first flight. I got nervous more and more. And when
there were only two days left the Sun came out on Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The
equipment had already been prepared, so some short negotiations with the
heli-pilots and I was on my way under the evening sun to the Shlamberg
mountain and the unique high-mountain lakes near its top. After five
days of rain nature granted me the fantastically beautiful light. Big
clouds sparkled and reflected in the smooth waters of the high-mountain
lakes. Covered with green tress the plush bald peaks appeared under the
helicopter. How beautiful it must be here in autumn!

[{Image src='03_Over the Kologeras Bay, Moneron Island.jpg' caption='Over the Kologeras Bay, Moneron Island' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='500'}]

I hoped that the weather won't go bad and the flight to Moneron Island
would happen on the next day. It is Russia's first marine natural park
which is rightfully considered one of the pearls of Sakhalin region. It
is very hard to get there because it is situated near the state border
line. It is necessary to obtain permissions from the Federal security
service for going there and a separate permission to take photos there.

[{Image src='04_Land of Lakes, Lake Bolshoe Vavayskoe and Lake Busse.jpg' caption='Land of Lakes, Lake Bolshoe Vavayskoe and Lake Busse' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='360'}]

The morning saluted me with absolutely no wind. All permissions were
obtained and here we are on our way to Moneron flying over the pink flat
waters of the Tatar Strait. Moneron island is situated 43 km from
Sakhalin. It is a small dot on the map with a total space of 30 square
kilometers. Nevertheless, the island has its own world: two rivers,
waterfalls, emerald hills, column cliffs, colored wall caverns, eared
seals and sea lions swimming in absolutely unreal clear emerald water.
Moneron stands in the way of the warm Cesium stream, therefore, the
water there is not only transparent, but very war also — a real heaven
for divers. In 2008 a tourist complex was established on the Island and
divers in particular have become its constant visitors.

[{Image src='05_Lighthouse at Cape Aniva.jpg' caption='Lighthouse at Cape Aniva' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='889'}]

You can fall in love with Moneron from first sight easily. The green
hills, clean and clear coves, astonishing cliffs — I was lucky to have
seen this beauty from a birds-eye view. Unfortunately, there is no
helicopter fuel depot on the Island, therefore, the aerial photo shoots
were very limited, but I didn't lose hope. The Island's staff organized
a boat trip around it for me. Warm weather, calm sea water, eared seals
and sea lions enjoying the sun, great cliffs and caverns, seagull and
loon chatter — this day was definitely the best of my Sakhalin journey.

[{Image src='06_Cape Ptichiy and cape Velican.jpg' caption='Cape Ptichiy and cape Velican' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='428'}]

Moneron opened its beauties to me, but I still haven't found the "Edge
of the world", the a steep Sakhalin rocks of the La Pérouse strait
hadn't revealed itself to me yet. I had only one more morning left
before my departure. At 06:00 AM the helicopter was covered with fog and
I feared that the flight would be cancelled, but, nevertheless, we took
off and one hour later were near the Aniva cape — the south point of the
Sakhalin Island. The "Edge of the world" appeared to be exactly as I
imagined it — hard to get to and cliffy. This scenery in reality was
complemented with a beautiful lighthouse built in 1939, but
unfortunately it had been out of service long ago.

[{Image src='07_Sakhalin Island, Sea of Okhotsk.jpg' caption='Sakhalin Island, Sea of Okhotsk' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='653'}]

The way back lay through the shore of the Okhotsk Sea. The eastern coast
of South Sakhalin left a strong impression in me: the Aniva cape,
"Ptichye Lake", the cliffs at cape "Velican" — all of this can be
observed by you through our panoramas.

We express our deep gratitude to the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of
the Sakhalin region and to Atnon Zaytsev personally for the arrangement
of the photo shoot.

\\ \\
[14 Panoramas of Sakhalin_Island|Geography/Asia/Russia/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Sakhalin_Island]










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