Tourism in protected areas :The case of the Commander Islands Natureand Biosphere Reserve

Anastasia Kuznetsova

Director of the CINBR

December, 2021

Part of Protected Areas System
One of 108 state nature reserves

The largest marine nature reserve in Russia

Cruise travel is one of the main sources of tourists

Up to 3000 tourists per
year visit the islands via
cruise vessels

Aryi Kamen Island

Objects of interest – seabirds colony, harbor
seals, sea lions
How to visit – tour on motor boat from thecruise ship
Duration – 30 minutes
Cost – 1500 rubles (if the boats are provided by
the cruise company)

Toporkov Island

Objects of interest – tufted puffins colony (over100 000 birds)
How to visit – tour with nature reserve staff
Duration – 1 hour
Cost – 2000 rubles (if the boats are provided by
the cruise company)

Bering Island. Steller’s Arch
Places of interest – geological object, landscapesand rivers of Bering Island
How to visit – tour on motor boat from thecruise ship
Duration – 1.5 hour
Cost – 1500 rubles (if the boats are provided by
the cruise company)

Bering Island. Nikolskoye Village, Aleut Local HistoryMuseumPlaces of interest – buildings of RussianAmerican Company, modern life on theisland, Local History Museum, Vitus Beringmonument
How to visit – landing on motor boat fromthe cruise ship, free time or tour
Duration – 2 hours
Cost: excursion around the village - 1500
rubles, museum ticket – 360 rubles

Bering Island. Nikolskoye Village, the CINBR Visitor Center

Objects of interest – work of the nature
reserve, educational exposition, talk about
Aleutian tradition nature use, souvenir shop
How to visit – tour led by nature reserve staff,
traditional teatime
Duration – 1 hour
Cost: 1000 rubles

Bering Island. Severo-Zapadnoye rookery of marine
mammals

Objects of interest – northern fur seals, sealions, harbor seals, sea otters, Georg Stellermonument
How to visit – tour with nature reserve
specialists
Duration – 1.5 hour
Cost: 2000 rubles

Bering Island. Buyan Bay

Objects of interest – landscapes of Bering
Island, geological objects, introduction to a
Nature Reserve Ranger program
How to visit – tour around the bay
Duration – 1.5 hour
Cost: 3000 rubles, including Aleut fish soupBering Island. Komandor Bay

Objects of interest – landscapes of Bering
Island, necropolis of the Second Kamchatka
Expedition participants, Vitus Bering’s grave
How to visit – tour around the bay
Duration – 1.5 hour
Cost:
1500 rubles without a guide3000 rubles with a guideMedny Island. Preobrazhenskaya Bay

Objects of interest – landscapes of Medny
Island, old cemeteries, dug paths andprotective structures
How to visit – tour around the bay
Duration – 1.5 hour
Cost:
1500 rubles

Medny Island. Sulkovskogo Cape

Objects of interest – Medny Island
landscapes
How to visit – tour around the bay
Duration – 1.5 hour
Cost - freeMedny Island. Yugo-Vostochnoe rookery of marine mammals

Objects of interest – Medny Island
landscapes
How to visit – tour around the bay
Duration – 1.5 hour
Cost - 1500 rubles

Important details

General Rules:
You will need permissions
from Russian Federal Security
Service and Border Guard
Special Rules:
Permission from the nature
reserve and a signed
agreement are required
To enter protected waterarea cruise tourists need topay entering fee of 1500
rubles (regardless of durationof stay)Thank you!
www.komandorsky.ru@commanderislands