The Bering Strait is a strait 82 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, between Cape
Dezhnev, Chukchi Peninsula, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince
of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent. Named after
Vitus Bering, a Russian explorer born in Denmark, it lies slightly south of the polar circle
at approximately 65° 40' N latitude, with the present US-Russia east-west boundary,
agreed to only by the USA, at 168° 58' 37" W.
The Strait has been the subject of scientific speculation that humans migrated from Asia
to North America across a land bridge known as Beringia when lower ocean levels – perhaps
a result of glaciers locking up vast amounts of water – exposed a wide stretch of the
sea floor, both at the present strait and in the shallow sea north and south of it.
This view of how paleo-indians entered America has been the dominant one for several decades
and continues to be the most accepted one. As of 2014, the Russian coast of the Bering
Strait has been a closed military zone since 2012. Through organised trips and the use
of special permits, it is possible for foreigners to visit. All arrivals must be through an
airport or a cruise port. Unauthorized travelers who arrive on shore after crossing the strait,
even those with visas, may be arrested, imprisoned briefly, fined, deported and banned from future
visas.
Geography and science The Bering Strait is approximately 82 kilometres
wide at its narrowest point, with depth varying between 30 metres and 50 metres. It connects
the Chukchi Sea to the north with the Bering Sea to the south.
The International Date Line runs equidistant between the Strait's Diomede Islands at a
distance of 1.5 km, leaving the Russian and American sides usually on different calendar
days, with Cape Dezhnev 21 hours ahead of the American side.
Population The area is sparsely populated.
The area in the immediate neighborhood on the Alaskan side belongs to the Nome Census
Area, home to a population of over 9,000. No roads exist from the Strait to the main
cities of Alaska, with only a few around Nome. The Russian coast belongs to Chukotka Autonomous
Okrug. Roadless Provideniya and Chukotsky lie along the Strait.
The Diomede Islands lie midway in the Strait. The village in Little Diomede has a school
which belongs to Alaska's Bering Strait School District.
Expeditions
From at least 1562 European geographers thought that there was a Strait of Anián between
Asia and North America. In 1648 Semyon Dezhnyov probably passed through the strait, but his
report did not reach Europe. Danish-born Russian navigator Vitus Bering entered it in 1728.
In 1732, Mikhail Gvozdev crossed it for the first time, from Asia to America. Adolf Erik
Nordenskiöld in 1878/79 sailed along the complete northern coast of Siberia, thereby
proving that there was no northern land bridge from Asia to North America.
In March 1913, Captain Max Gottschalk crossed from the east cape of Siberia to Shishmaref,
Alaska on dogsled via Little and Big Diomede islands. He was the first documented modern
voyager to cross from Russia to North America without the use of boat.
In 1987, swimmer Lynne Cox swam the 2 miles between the Diomede Islands from Alaska to
the Soviet Union in 40 °F water during the last years of the Cold War.
In June and July 1989, a British expedition, Kayaks Across The Bering Strait, completed
the first sea kayak crossing of the Bering Strait from Wales, Alaska, to Cape Dezhnev,
Siberia. The team of Robert Egelstaff, Trevor Potts, Greg Barton and Pete Clark landed on
Little Diomede Island rested a few days and completed the journey to Uelen. They were
escorted to Moscow from where they flew back to London at the end of July.
During the first part of the crossing they were accompanied by two other groups, Paddling
into Tomorrow led by Doug Van Etten. There was also small party led by Jim Noyes in a
3 man Baidarka who were accompanied by a film crew. The film "Curtain of Ice" was produced
by Aggi Orse. In 1998, Russian adventurer Dmitry Shparo
and his son Matvey made the modern crossing of the frozen Bering Strait on skis.
In March 2006, Briton Karl Bushby and French-American adventurer Dimitri Kieffer crossed the strait
on foot, walking across a frozen 90 km section in 15 days. They were soon arrested for not
entering Russia through a border control. August 2008 marked the first crossing of the
Bering Strait using an amphibious road-going vehicle. The specially modified Land Rover
Defender 110 was driven by Steve Burgess and Dan Evans across the straits on its second
attempt following the interruption of the first by bad weather.
In July, 2012, six adventurers associated with "Dangerous Waters", a reality adventure
show under production, made the crossing on Sea-Doos but were arrested and permitted to
return to Alaska on their Sea-Doos after being briefly detained in Lavrentiya, administrative
center of the Chukotsky District. They were treated well and given a tour of the village's
museum, but not permitted to continue south along the Pacific coast. The men had visas
but the western coast of the Bering Strait is a closed military zone.
Between August 4 to 10 2013, a team of 65 swimmers from 17 countries performed a relay
swim across the Bering Strait, the first such swim in history. They swam from Cape Dezhnev,
Russia to Cape Prince of Wales, USA. They had direct support from the Russian Navy,
using one of their ships, and assistance with permission.
Proposed tunnel
A physical link between Asia and North America via the Bering Strait nearly became a reality
in 1864 when a Russian-American telegraph company began preparations for an overland
telegraph line connecting Europe and America via the east. It was abandoned when the undersea
Atlantic Cable proved successful. Suggestions have been made to construct a
Bering Strait bridge between Alaska and Siberia. However, despite the unprecedented engineering,
political, and financial challenges, Russia green-lighted the US $65 billion TKM-World
Link tunnel project in August 2011. If completed, the 103 km project would be the world's longest.
China is considering construction of a "China-Russia-Canada-America" railroad line that would include construction
of a 200 km long underwater tunnel that would cross the Bering Strait.
Proposed dam In 1956, the Soviet Union proposed to the
US a joint bi-national project to warm the Arctic Ocean and melt some of the ice cap.
The Soviet project called for a 90 km wide dam across the Bering Straits. Ice floes and
the cold currents would be trapped north of the dam and the warm currents would bring
warm water further north with the dam blocking the cold water. The warmer water would be
pumped over the dam into the Arctic Ocean. However citing national security concerns,
the CIA and FBI experts opposed the Soviet plan by arguing, that while the plan was feasible,
it would compromise NORAD and thus the 55 mile dam could only be built at an immense
cost. The "Ice Curtain" border
During the Cold War, the Bering Strait marked the border between the Soviet Union and the
United States. The Diomede Islands — Big Diomede and Little Diomede are only 3.8 km
apart. Traditionally, the indigenous peoples in the area had frequently crossed the border
back and forth for "routine visits, seasonal festivals and subsistence trade", but were
prevented from doing so during the Cold War. The border became known as the "Ice Curtain".
It was completely closed, and there was no regular passenger air or boat traffic. In
1987, American swimmer Lynne Cox symbolically helped ease tensions between the two countries
by swimming across the border and was congratulated jointly by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.
Since 1990, tourist air and boat traffic resumed, but is hampered by the need for visas and
special military visit permits asked by US authorities and also by their Russian counterparts.
See also
List of Russian explorers References
Further reading
External links PBS Video of St. Lawrence Island in Bering
Strait