Which sea is bounded by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, and Hokkaido?

Which sea is bounded by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, and Hokkaido? The answer is the Sea of Okhotsk.

The Sea of Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to the east, the Kuril Islands to the southeast, Hokkaido to the south, Sakhalin to the west and mainland eastern Siberia to the north and northwest. The Kuril chain separates much of it from the open Pacific.

The sea covers about 1,583,000 square kilometres and reaches a maximum depth of roughly 3,372 metres. Winter sea ice is important to its ecology and navigation. Freshwater from the Amur River lowers surface salinity, helping ice form, while the resulting dense water contributes to the circulation and nutrient supply of the North Pacific.

Its name comes from Okhotsk, the historic Russian port, which in turn takes its name from the Okhota River. The sea is also associated with rich fisheries, salmon, crabs and marine mammals. A common mix-up is the Sea of Japan: that lies west of Sakhalin and Hokkaido, whereas the Sea of Okhotsk lies north and east of them.