Aniva Lighthouse

   From here, one after another, inflatable motor boats with tourists depart for Aniva Bay.

   The distance to the lighthouse is about 21.5 nautical miles and the journey takes about an hour and a half. On the left side is the coastline of the Tonino-Aniva Peninsula, whose cliffs are now and then enveloped in cool fogs…

    Finally, at the very tip of the peninsula, we reach the destination of our trip. On a separate island, a stone giant rises majestically, which, according to National Geographic, is one of the top 5 most beautiful lighthouses on Earth. Aniva was built between 1937 and 1939 by Japanese builders according to the design of engineer Shinobu Miura. At that time, the southern part of Sakhalin Island belonged to Japan and was called Karafuto Prefecture, and the lighthouse was called Cape Nakashiretoko Lighthouse until 1946. It served to ensure the safety of ships passing through the La Perouse Strait (connecting the Sea of ​​Japan and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk). Now there is a state border between Russia and Japan.

GPS: 46.018875, 143.414227

   Following the Second World War, Sakhalin was transferred to the USSR, but the lighthouse continued to function. The light from the searchlight was visible at a distance of 16 nautical miles. It was serviced by caretakers and operated on batteries and diesel generators until 1990.

   In 1990, the lighthouse was equipped with radioisotope thermoelectric generators with a service life of 10-20 years, and the need for caretakers disappeared — the lighthouse became completely autonomous. After the nuclear fuel resource was exhausted, the generators were removed and since 2006 the lighthouse is considered abandoned.

   Near the lighthouse, on the rocky islets, sea lions and other marine animals gather among the seagulls, closely watching the boats with tourists scurrying back and forth.

   We were lucky that the sea conditions allowed us to moor the boat near the island and we were able to step to the foot of Aniva. But unfortunately, since this year access to the lighthouse itself has been closed, so we had to admire it from the outside under the incessant cries of seagulls hatching chicks in these places. Due to the abundance of birds, the stones naturally become dirty and very slippery, which did not allow us to climb to the very base of the lighthouse.

   The return journey also passed along the coastline of the Tonino-Anivsky Peninsula with a stop at a bay with a white rock called Mramornaya. You can climb up it from the shore along a steep slope holding on to a rope. The rock offers a magnificent view of the bay, and also gives you the opportunity to see the nests of local birds (such as the Spectacled Guillemot, pictured).

GPS: 46.160673, 143.411719