Okhotsk High Sea

East of Sakhalin, the southern Sea of Okhotsk lies between the island and the Kuril chain. Cold water and drifting ice move south along Sakhalin, while warmer water enters from the vicinity of Hokkaido. The contrasting currents meet above the deep Kuril Basin. Farther east, straits between the Kuril Islands allow water and ice to pass between the Okhotsk Sea and the Pacific Ocean.