One of the most beautiful northern seas of Russia is the White Sea. The pristine nature, untainted by civilization, the rich and peculiar animal world, as well as the fantastic underwater landscapes and outlandish marine life, are attracting more and more tourists to the harsh northern regions.
The White Sea is one of the smallest in Russia. Its area is 90 thousand square meters. km This includes numerous small islands, and the most famous among them are the Solovetsky Islands, with an area of 90.8 thousand square meters. m. The average depth of the sea is 67 m, and the maximum is 340 m.
From the Kola Peninsula (Cape Svyatoy Nos) to the Kanin Peninsula (Cape Kanin Nos) there is a conditional border that separates the White Sea from the Barents. There are many ports on the White Sea coast, the main of which are Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk, Belomorsk, Onega, Kem, Kandalaksha and Mezen.
During the summer period, the surface layers of water in the bays and the central part warm up to an average of 15 ° C, however, in the Gorla and Onega Bay, the water temperature does not exceed 9 ° C. In winter, the water temperature drops to minus marks - from -0.5 ° to -1.7 ° .
Despite the low water temperature, even in summer, there are a lot of people who want to enjoy the beauty of the sea world, so diving on the White Sea is one of the most popular types of recreation. Underwater cliffs are the residence of many marine inhabitants: soft corals, sea anemones, sponges, bryozoans, hydroids, etc. These creatures grow directly on the rocks, creating beautiful underwater landscapes with their various colors and shapes. In the crevices of the cliffs hiding starfish, crabs, ofiura, shrimp and hermit crabs. The White Sea is rich in various species of fish - here you can find cod, saffron cod, bull-calf, catfish, sea bass, flounder and pinogor fish.
From August to October, night-diving divers are lucky enough to watch another fantastic picture - glowing plankton. Flocks of small crustaceans, ctenophores, bryozoans and twigs of hydroid polyps shimmer in the dark depths of the sea with an unearthly, fantastic emerald light. The beauty of this action is truly unforgettable, therefore tours to the White Sea during this period are most popular with tourists.
The relief in those places where diving is carried out is diverse - it can be sheer cliffs that go several tens of meters deep into the sea, and even sections of the seabed located at a depth of 15 to 40 meters. Fans of extreme diving will be able to get a dose of adrenaline in areas with tidal currents, the speed of which reaches from two to four meters per second. Divers in the fast current "fly" over the rocky bottom, admiring the thickets of scarlet, kelp and colorful sponges.
In summer, visibility in the water is 10-15 meters, in October it rises to 20-30 meters, and in winter it increases to 30-40 meters.
The main attraction of the islands located in the White Sea are the noisy bird markets. Gag, cormorants, gulls and terns nest in these places.