Why can ice floes remain near Shantar Island during summer?

The Sea of Okhotsk is characterized by a harsh, continental climate in its northern and western regions, which are heavily influenced by the Asian landmass. While ice cover across the sea generally vanishes by June, the region around Shantar Island remains an exception.

In these specific coastal areas, ice floes are not uncommon in July and can occasionally persist into August. This phenomenon is primarily due to the region's extreme cold-weather regime and the specific hydrological conditions of the northwestern part of the sea, where a thick layer of cold water—reaching depths of up to 525 feet (160 metres)—prevents the ice from melting as quickly as it does in the open sea or warmer southern sectors.1