Shantar Islands National Park (Russian: Шантарские острова (национальный парк)) covers both the terrestrial and maritime surroundings of the Shantar Islands, a group of 15 currently uninhabited islands that lie close to the coast of Khabarovsk Krai, in the Sea of Okhotsk in the Russian Far East. Most of the islands are moderately mountainous, with rugged cliffs; the highest point is 720 m (2,375 ft). Situated just to the east of the westernmost, shallowest and calmest bay in the Sea of Okhotsk, the area around the islands is an important area for marine mammals - including Steller Sea Lions, seals, and many species of cetacean (gray, bowhead, minke, beluga, and killer whale) - plus spawning salmon and very large colonies of birds. The park was formerly a state nature reserve (established i