In an effort to travel the whole world, we often forget how beautiful our own country is. Among the sights of Russia that everyone should visit, stands out Moneron - an island nicknamed the real pearl of the Far East. The amazing beauty of this place attracts many tourists, but because of its location in the border zone, only a small number of people can fulfill their desire to visit it.
General information about the island
Moneron is an island located at a distance of about 40 km from the south-west of Sakhalin. The uniqueness of this place is in a rare combination of beautiful mountains, green meadows and rocky gorges. Bizarre rocks, large pillars of stone, mysterious grottoes - every corner of this amazing place emphasizes its charm. The sea water here is so clear that you can easily watch the life of the underwater kingdom.
This small island, the total length of which is 30 square meters. km, is a plateau. The highest point is Mount Staritsky, which rises above sea level by 439 m.
History of occurrence
Moneron Island arose on the site of a volcano, which died out relatively recently - two million years ago. In favor of this theory, forever frozen lava languages, from which bizarre bays are formed, speak. In some cases, they are bordered by columnar basalt outcrops.
In addition, on the shore of the island, which consists of pebbles, you will come across small pieces of jasper and agate. It is believed that they remained from volcanic rocks, destroyed earlier. In some places you can meet small rocks sticking out of the water, pillar-shaped - kekury.
Due to its unique features, Moneron Island is included in the list of “Seven Wonders of Sakhalin”. For local residents, it seems to be a mysterious corner of the earth, only occasionally appearing from the sea fog. Moneron has many secrets and legends.
Island history
Moneron is an island that has existed in its current form for no more than 2 million years, which is considered relative youth. It was first mentioned in the 17th century, when the Japanese samurai Murakami Hironori marked him on his map. It was compiled by him personally and is considered the oldest map of Sakhalin. This document is also known as the "Map of the Shoho-era Country" dated 1644.
As for the locals, they knew about the existence of the island much earlier, but did not enter it in any documents and used the island only as a place for a break on the road. This is evidenced by the oldest remains of human sites that are found on the island. These are primitive ceramics, pieces of harpoons and arrows, bones of various fish and animals, as well as an anchor, which, undoubtedly, was brought from another place. Despite such evidence of a person being on the island, no evidence of dwellings was found. This indicates that the island was never inhabited.
In the 18th century, the island was discovered by French sailors, who put it on the nautical charts of Europe. The discovery belongs to the famous French navigator Jean-Francois de Laperouse, who, making a trip around the world, explored, including the Sea of Japan. That is why Moneron - an island with a French name, received it in honor of an engineer officer who participated in this expedition.
Engineer Paul Moneron attempted to draw up a rough map of the island bearing his name. But for the first time, a detailed map of the area appeared only many years later. In 1867, already Russian hydrographs marked Moneron on the map of the Russian Empire. The expedition was led by Lieutenant K.S. Staritsky. In his honor was named the highest peak of the island - Mount Staritsky.
Moneron's political changes
Moneron Island, whose history is not so eventful, belonged to the Russian Empire for a short time. After the country was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War, he went to the winner and received the name Kaibato. Moneron was part of Japan until 1945, until after the end of World War II, significant changes in the political geography of the world took place.
Nevertheless, it was during this period that the island finally became inhabited - the Japanese built a fishing village in which approximately 2,000 people lived, and also provided infrastructure. So there were roads, a pier, a lighthouse, a weather station and even a telephone line. Rice fields with an irrigation system, orchards were also founded by the Japanese, who conducted the first archaeological and geological studies of the area.
After Moneron again became part of the Sakhalin Oblast of the USSR, several Soviet villages replaced the Japanese fishing village. However, over time, living here was considered unprofitable, and it was decided to assign the area the status of a border zone, strictly restricting visits.
In the late 1970s, Moneron Island (Sakhalin) was visited by hydrobiologists, who laid the foundation for the first natural marine park in Russia.
Island Natural Park
Throughout its existence, the island has no land connection with its closest neighbors - Japan and Sakhalin. Thanks to such isolation, the amazing nature of Moneron has been preserved in its original form.
The most important wealth of this place is its vegetation and marine fauna. The level of water transparency reaches 30-40 m, and the beneficial effect of the Tsushima current, which helps to increase the temperature of coastal waters to 20 ° C, creates unique underwater landscapes. This explains the existence of the rarest representatives of marine fauna.
Such unique features gave rise to the creation of a natural park on the island.
The organization of tourism is under the authority of OBU "Nature Park" "Moneron Island". Here you will be offered boat trips, underwater tourism, fishing for lovers, exciting and exotic excursions around the island and much more. Since 1995, the natural park (Moneron Island) has won many loyal fans who come here every year to enjoy the amazing beauty of the place.
Nature Park Attractions
Here is highly developed hiking, which is divided into two types. The first of them is alongshore, and the second one is tourism on a scientifically sound network. All routes are available in the absence of a certain physical form. All that is required of you is the availability of suitable clothing, as the local weather is unpredictable.
However, if you prefer extreme relaxation, a route will be selected for you that requires certain mountaineering skills.
A mandatory element of this tourism is a visit to the pedestrian bridge, which was built by the Japanese during the tenure of the island. Its length is 30 m, width - 1.5. The bridge crosses the deepest gorge and is the only one in the Sakhalin Region, intended exclusively for walking.
Top Routes
“On the West Coast” - a route that originates in the bay of Kologeras. You will walk very close to the picturesque rock Death Path, which is a geological monument of nature. On the rocks you will see a bird market, as well as rookeries of sea lions.
Another route, called the Telephone Operator’s House, starts on an old Japanese rock and also leads to Kologeras. Your path will lie through the beach along the coastline, where once there was a Japanese village. You will also pass the thumb rock.
Park (Moneron Island) offers you swimming with flippers and snorkels. This can be done near the northern cape, which is located in the bay of Chuprov. In this way you can catch sea urchins, which you can enjoy later on.
There, on the Japanese trail, the third route, the Lighthouse, originates. It follows the gleams crossing the coastal slope of the cliff, and ends with a steep descent, from which it is necessary to descend from a height of 20 m by cable. Your path will pass through another picturesque bridge erected by the Japanese, which bears the poetic name "Bridge to Nowhere." Then you go up to the lighthouse, near which there is a well with clear water, rich in minerals. The route ends near Izo Bay, opposite the Eastern Islands. Here you are invited to relax with a swim in the purest emerald water.
As for the ring route, it originates in the “bucket”, where it ends. This is the name of Chuprova Bay, which goes through the highest point of Staritsky Mountain. Along the entire length of the route, there are about nine information-specific points. This route is notable for its extraordinary natural landscapes. At the highest point of the mountain you can see a stunning circular panorama of the ocean. The review will be approximately 50 km. The whole route will take from 6 to 8 hours on average.
Exotic lovers can take a boat trip towards the grotto with colorful walls. Through the crystal transparency of sea water, you can enjoy a whole bunch of colors of the bottom.
Moneron Island in the Tatar Strait offers entertainment for outdoor enthusiasts. They will be able to rent water transport, managing which they have the opportunity to independently plan their route.
Moneron (island): water
Although Moneron is an island, it has no shortage of fresh water. The largest watercourses are the Usova River, 2.5 km long and the Moneron River, which stretches for 1.5 km. The first of them flows to the north, the other to the south.
The excess of fresh water is due to the fact that in addition to these large rivers, many small streams that have a V-shape flow along the banks. The mouths of the streams are narrow and hanging, and the channels have very steep rapids. The period of freezing starts here in December and lasts until the beginning of April. There are also many waterfalls on the island.
Island flora
The number of rare and endangered plant species on the island reaches 37. At the same time, 9 of them are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. 26 species are in the Red Book of the Sakhalin Region, and another 32 are recommended for protection throughout the Far East.
Most of the forests were cut down by the Japanese during their reign on the island, and the Soviet authorities continued this work. Thus, many valuable tree species have disappeared, and forest coverage is only 20%. Despite this, the flora of Moneron has certain characteristics. So, on the island its oldest tree was preserved - Ayan spruce.
Fauna of the island
Moneron's most important feature is its unusually rich underwater world. This place is the only one in the country where the abalone is found. The Tsushima current, on the path of which this island lies, provides a water temperature of up to 20 ° C, and the amazing transparency of the water allows you to see the smallest inhabitants of the seabed. One of the areas of underwater tourism is shooting. Having visited Moneron island, you will make a photo simply magnificent. They will become the most unusual in your collection. Sea urchins and stars, sea cucumbers, giant mussels, scallops and many species of fish provide spectacular underwater observation. And the riot of algae colors that form an abstract pattern will fascinate every tourist.
Such a wealth of the underwater kingdom provides an opportunity for everyone to go fishing. The main objects of fishing are flounder, perch and ruff.
The fact that the island infrequently becomes an object to visit contributes to the fact that marine fauna is represented in large numbers here. This makes it possible for fishermen to get a good catch any time they are here. In addition, the local inhabitants of the underwater world are not afraid of humans and boldly swim to the shore itself, which makes it possible to observe them well. It also contributes to rich nibble and good shooting.
Moneron (island): climate
Despite the fact that this corner is located on the same parallel with the Krasnodar resorts, the climate here is completely different from them. Strong winds blow here almost all year. They are especially strong in the winter and summer. Nevertheless, thanks to the Tsushima current, the water here does not freeze all year round. Also, the island is characterized by good moisture.
The warmest month is August, although the summer is generally quite cloudy. At the same time, the winter period is characterized by moderate softness. Severe frosts on the island are rare. Snow cover forms in December, but it reaches maximum thickness in March.
Secrets of the island
The inaccessibility of this place gives rise to many different legends about the island. And the presence of mysterious places makes you come up with truly fantastic explanations.
One of the main secrets of Moneron Island - several nameless graves. They are in the forest, on them instead of earthen mounds are slides of stones. The most remarkable thing is that primitive monuments with a red star are installed on the graves. It still remains a mystery who lies in these graves, what caused the death, and most importantly, who buried them here and why, given the uninhabited island.
Another mystery of the island is the liner that disappeared from its shores. On September 1, 1983, not far from the island, a liner with passengers, the number of which was at least 300, fell into the water. Eyewitnesses tell how a plane blazed while falling into the water, but they found nothing at the scene of the accident. There is not even the slightest trace of the plane, nor a single body of the dead. The unsolved mystery remains where the falling plane disappeared, and what actually fell into the water near the island.
There are also many legends associated with the construction of a fishing village on the island during the reign of Japan. The creation of powerful and complex structures on the island, unsuitable for life, seems strange. This generated a lot of rumors about Moneron's secret mission. Among them:
- legends of small Japanese boats hidden in underground grottoes;
- the existence of a school here that trains combat swimmers - saboteurs;
- about the creation on the island of a leprosory isolating leprosy patients.
None of these legends have been refuted either from the Japanese side or from the Russian side. Such silence contributed to securing for Moneron the glory of a mysterious and mysterious place.
How to get to the island
This place is located in the border zone of Russia. That is why it is important to know how to get there. Moneron Island is not accessible to everyone, since it is under the direct protection of the FSB. To visit this place, you must obtain official permission from the border services, which in itself is quite difficult. But even with the appropriate document, the stay on the island is strictly regulated and does not exceed two days.
However, despite all the difficulties that Moneron Island creates for visiting, rest here will become one of the best memories for every visitor. The amazing nature of this place, as well as the beauty of the underwater world will not leave indifferent any tourist.