Published on: 2026-07-23
Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
World Whale and Dolphin Day is celebrated annually on July 23. This date was established to draw attention to the issues of protecting cetaceans, which are an important part of the marine ecosystem.
In all regions of its presence, Rosneft organizes its activities taking into account the importance of preserving biological diversity and a favorable environment. One of the directions of Rosneft’s environmental programs is monitoring the condition and studying marine mammals, as well as developing and implementing measures for their protection.
The Okhotsk Sea population of gray whales is one of the smallest and most vulnerable populations of marine mammals in the world, which is endangered and listed in the Red Book of Russia. Almost 30 years ago, a program was launched to study the state of their population. Within the framework of research conducted with the support of the company Rosneft, the local feeding grounds were studied, acoustic monitoring programs were carried out, satellite tracking of migration routes and observations of animal behavior were conducted, photo-identification studies and monitoring of the distribution of animals across feeding sites along the seashore are being carried out.
The obtained data made it possible to develop effective measures for the protection of gray whales. According to the results of the 2025 monitoring program, the number of whales registered in the photo catalog exceeded 400 individuals, and the annual growth of the Okhotsk Sea population is between 3 and 5%. Currently, work to monitor marine mammals from the shore and from sea vessels continues on the Sakhalin shelf.
At the same time, thanks to an extensive study program and unprecedented measures to reduce stress factors in the whale feeding area, which are being implemented during the development of Sakhalin’s offshore fields, a stable increase in the number of these mammals is currently observed. The Okhotsk Sea population of gray whales is considered one of the most studied populations of cetaceans in the world.
Gray whales are the oldest species of baleen whales. Every year, they appear off the northeastern coasts of Sakhalin, where they feed during the warm months when the sea is free of ice. The diet of gray whales includes crustaceans, invertebrates, and other bottom-dwelling organisms. In the fall, the whales move to their wintering grounds.
It was previously believed that the population in the Sea of Okhotsk had been completely destroyed by whaling. However, in the 1980s, gray whales were rediscovered off the coast of Sakhalin.
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The gray whale is the only species of whales that has mastered bottom feeding. Usually, whales scoop up benthos from the bottom along with water, silt, and pebbles at depths of 15–60 meters and filter the suspension through their baleen. The diet of the gray whale includes up to 70 species of invertebrates, including annelid worms, bivalve mollusks, small crustaceans, as well as juvenile fish.
Gray whales swim slowly – on average 5-8 km/h, which allows marine parasites to cling to the whale’s skin and establish their colonies. The total weight of these companions can reach 180 kg per whale.
Department of Information and Advertising
PJSC “NK Rosneft”
July 23, 2026
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