Bering Strait connects the Arctic Ocean from the Bering Sea and separates the two continents: Asia and North America.Through it passes the Russian-US border.It is named for Vitus Bering, the Danish captain who sailed on it in 1728.However, until now there is debate about who opened the Bering Strait.Anadyr River Delta, which could only come through the Strait was investigated Cossack Semyon Dezhnev further in 1649.But later his discovery was unnoticed.
depth Strait averages 30-50 meters and the width at the narrowest point is 85 kilometers.The Straits are numerous islands, including the island of Diomede and the island of St. Lawrence.Some waters of the Bering Sea flows through the Strait into the Arctic Ocean, but most of it flows into the Pacific Ocean.In winter, the Bering Strait is subject to severe storms, the sea is covered by ice up to 1.5 meters thick.Drift ice is still there, even in mid-summer.
about 20-25 thousand years ago, during the Ice Age, monumental continental glaciers, formed in the northern hemisphere, contains so much water that sea level was more than 90 meters lower than it is now.In the Bering Strait falling sea levels exposed the massive glacier uncovered tract, known as the Bering bridge or Beringia.It combines modern Alaska from north-eastern Asia.Many scholars suggest that had Beringia tundra vegetation, and on it were carried out even reindeer.Isthmus people opened the entrance to the North American continent.10-11 thousand years ago, due to the melting of glaciers sea level has risen, and the bridge across the Bering Strait was completely flooded.
The idea is that in these days to get from the Russian Chukotka to Alaska American enough to swim two hours by ferry.However, both the US and Russia to limit access to the pond.Not for the American nor Russian inhabitant is almost impossible to get permission to swim the Bering Strait.Sometimes adventurers trying to illegally cross it by canoe, swim or ice.
There is a misconception that the strait in winter completely frozen, and it's easy to go on the ice.However, there is a strong northern current, which usually leads to the formation of large open channels of water.Sometimes these channels become clogged by moving chunks of ice, so that it is theoretically possible, going from piece to piece, but in some areas moving swimming, cross the Strait.
At present there are two cases of a successful crossing of the Bering Strait.The first was recorded in 1998, when the father and son from Russia tried to walk to Alaska.Many days they spent at sea on drifting blocks of ice, until finally they are not brought to the shores of Alaska.And not so long ago, in 2006, English explorer Karl Bushby and his American comrade Dimitri Kiefer made a return trip.In Chukotka, they were detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia and deported back to the United States.It and several other such attempts, but they all end up with the help of rescuers had helicopters lifted people with ice blocks.
