Okhotsk High Sea

The open Sea of Okhotsk lies between Sakhalin and the distant Kuril Islands. In winter, sea ice spreads from the northern and western coasts, driven by winds and carried by currents across the water. The Amur's freshwater flow helps the shallow western sea freeze. Cold water moves south along Sakhalin, while the islands to the southeast separate these waters from the open Pacific without completely closing the passages between them.