Moneron - heritage of humanity

There are places on the globe about which everyone knows and who can not belong to any person, organization, or even belonging to the country, is rather an honorable duty rather than a right. The duty to protect, preserve and whenever possible give the opportunity to see this miracle. The names of some of them themselves come to mind: the Galapagos Islands, the Valley of Geysers, Yellowstone, the good half of Iceland ... There are places that are not well known to most, although it can not be said that they are inferior in something to their eminent brethren. These are points of attraction and dreams for people of certain hobbies: photographers, divers, climbers and just lovers of traveling



For this category, I would include, for example, the Commander Islands, Cocos, Patagonia. But I do not want to tell about them either. There are places, unusual and amazing, knowledge of which remains the lot of a few, either born near, or accidentally by the will of fate. Usually getting there is not so easy. Although many of the wonders of nature have been preserved due to the fact that the masses were not able to get there.



Me and my friends were lucky. First there was a story told to us, on the edge of the world - on the island of Bering. Then two years of searching for options and ways to get there. Unexpected luck and amazing people who helped us. And of course adventure. In general, everything that accompanies the true story.

But today I would like not only and not so much to show beautiful pictures from the expedition to the island of Moneron. I would like to raise the issue that such places should be the property of each of us. They should know about them. There must be a real way to get there, and not as part of the RGO expedition, and not being a deputy or minister.



Yes, human activity in such natural parks should be tightly controlled, but this does not mean their complete closure. There are examples around the world, worked out over the years and even decades. But let's go back to Moneron. Why is it so interesting? I am sure that the majority of readers have never even heard of this island in the Tatar Strait. Although in my opinion such places as the Commanders and the Moneron are notable enough and unusual to tell about them in the lessons of geography.



Firstly, this island is washed by the warm current of Soya (this is the northernmost of the southern currents, part of Kuroshio Current ) in this region. In fact, due to the confusion with the cold waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, this region is very rich in underwater life. Here you can meet both the inhabitants of the northern seas, and the warm southern. And in large quantities (it is considered one of the most productive in the world).



Secondly, the water that brings the flow is radically different from all that can be seen in other parts of our country. It can be attributed to the tropical by color and transparency. It can be compared with the water of the Red Sea. It is saturated blue, even a little violet, and the transparency reaches 40 meters.

In many ways, thanks to this, the third moment that distinguishes Moneron among others opens. Namely, the underwater landscape. Canyons, grottoes, rocky ridges, huge stone formations, preserved from the times when the island was an active volcano. Some sites are replaced by others, telling a story that is thousands and millions of years old. In other parts of our country, unless you can touch it all, but to assess the scale you need water, which is only here.



And all this is home to a multitude of living beings. In the season thousands of sea lions live here. A bending around the island you can see a lot of seal rookeries (larghi). We were able to see several dozen seals scurrying about in the water at the same time.
Some species are included in the Russian Red Book.



Well, now about the sad. Even with the support of the RGO and the local federal agency for tourism, we were able to get to the island for only a few days. And even the inhabitants of Sakhalin itself almost always talk about Moneron with dreamy intonations, since almost none of them were there.

And it's not so much in weather conditions or the availability of transport, as is usually the case. We, for example, got from Moneron on the deck of an ordinary fishing boat, which before had brought a group of scientists. And let it go 5-6 hours against the usual 2x, but it's quite real.



The problem here is purely administrative. Despite the fact that the island itself and the water area around it are part of the regional natural park "Moneron Island", the island is closed most of the season. Closed, he said so on the "special service".

It all started long ago, when the previous governor of the Sakhalin region (who was eventually imprisoned), actually started using the island as his own residence for recreation. And accordingly the way there for ordinary people was generally closed.



Now the tourism agency of the Sakhalin region is struggling to make the island free for visits. There is a small base, which can accept a limited number of tourists. There are boats and park staff who can control all this. However, the island is again periodically closed to receive so-called "vip-clients". Why so-called? Because real status persons (such as the president, prime minister, patriarch, etc.) regulate their stay in such remote places very, very in advance. Yes, and spend a few hours.



So the problem is purely local. It turns out that a group of people suddenly wanting to get on holiday on the island, through the administration of the area closes the natural park to visit. And those people who bought tickets and tickets in advance, remain with nothing on the shore. People suffer, the image of the region and the tourism agencies suffer. We all suffer. Because we have no chance not only to visit, but even to learn, to see one of the natural wonders of our country.



I always believed and believe that people should do what they can and can do. Therefore, each of the participants of our expedition will try to tell and show about the places where we were, about what we saw. And, of course, about those problems that have become witnesses.

And the first of these is the fate of Moneron Island. The island, which should be the property of all mankind. Russian Coconut. And in fact, he artificially immersed in oblivion, for the personal interests of individuals.

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