“This Is Our Apology to Nature”: How Marine Mammals Are Being Rescued in Russia

Teaching the Value of Life: The Team’s Mission

The core of our team has been shaped over many years and regularly takes part in rescue operations. We are all volunteers and receive no financial compensation for our work.

There are very few people directly involved in rescuing marine mammals from entanglement. That’s why it’s so important for us to stay connected and support one another. One of our long-term goals is to build a network of volunteer initiatives across Russia’s coastal regions — this is the direction we hope to grow in.

We work closely with other organizations dedicated to marine mammal protection. We support the creation of a large whale rescue group in the Murmansk region and collaborate with the Delfa team on the Black Sea, which rescues small cetaceans. We also maintain partnerships with groups in Khabarovsk Krai and Chukotka, and co-organized the rescue operation for the orca Frodo in Avacha Bay, Kamchatka.

In 2026, Friends of the Ocean will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Over the years, we have constantly evolved — growing, transforming, analyzing our work, overcoming challenges, and learning from crises.

For a long time, we traveled extensively through remote wilderness areas. But more and more often, we began noticing how the natural harmony of these places had been disrupted by traces of human irresponsibility: litter, plastic waste, abandoned fishing gear.

We started trying to change this and eventually realized that what truly needs to change is humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Our mission is to foster a deeper appreciation for life — not only human life, but the value of every part of nature. We believe people need a more holistic understanding of their place in the world.

Tyuleny Island is a powerful example of this. The island is beautiful and perfectly balanced, yet it is not a place for humans. And still, human presence remains there — in the form of packing straps, fragments of fishing nets, and wounds on the necks of animals.

The Day Doesn’t Begin with Breakfast: Life During the Expedition

Earlier this August, we spent nine days on Tyuleny Island as part of our annual expedition. We usually plan for ten days, but the weather often makes adjustments of its own. Although this trip takes place every year, it represents no more than 10% of our overall work. Most of our efforts happen before and after the expedition — raising awareness about humanity’s responsibility for pollution on land and in the ocean.

In June, two researchers from the Council for Marine Mammals arrived on the island, assisted by one of our volunteers. Later, our main team joined them, and together we began the rescue work to free entangled eared seals. Over the course of the expedition, a team of 14 people managed to disentangle 80 adult animals and three newborn Steller sea lion pups.

In the 1970s, a large complex was built on the island — a three-story building along with infrastructure for the commercial harvesting of fur seals. At the time, the Soviet Union needed foreign currency, and seal pelts were intended for export. The main building remains relatively well preserved, although it clearly requires major restoration. For now, scientists and volunteers, including our team, take care of it. The remaining technical buildings on the island are in extremely poor condition and should ideally be dismantled.

We stay in that same three-story building during the expeditions, while the rest of the island belongs to seals and seabirds. Inside, there are still usable living quarters, a kitchen, and utility rooms. We bring everything we need ourselves — food, water, fuel, and supplies. Water is especially important: for drinking, washing, and technical needs. Logistics are always challenging, and every expedition comes with its share of worries, but so far we’ve managed.

We sleep on beds in sleeping bags, and in the “indoor” areas we only wear clean clothes — work on the rookery, as you can imagine, is far from sterile. We take turns cooking and cleaning. During the first few days, meals are more varied, and later we switch to a standard field-camp menu. There is no refrigerator on the island, so we mostly bring canned goods and simple food rather than anything elaborate. Meals are cooked on gas stoves, and we transport the gas cylinders ourselves.

During the expedition, the day often begins not with breakfast, but with rescue operations. At night, seals come ashore to rest, while during the warmer daytime hours they head back into the sea. In the early morning, when the animals are sleepy, relaxed, and undisturbed, injured seals are often found near the house. That’s why the first volunteers outside immediately begin searching for them.

Afterward, we continue working in other sections of the rookery. We usually cover only about 15–20% of the island, deliberately avoiding disturbing seals in other areas. Even with the greatest care, human presence still causes stress to the animals. That is why we choose a period after the breeding season has ended and mother-pup pairs have already formed. We try not to enter the 80–85% of breeding areas where harems are located.

Most of our work focuses on bachelor groups — young males that do not participate in breeding. They are the animals most often found entangled in plastic debris, which causes serious injuries. While playing, they become trapped in loops of plastic and are unable to remove them. As the animals grow, the plastic tightens and cuts deeper into their bodies. These young males are our primary rescue group.

After dinner, we usually hold a debriefing session: discussing how the day went, identifying any mistakes, and planning the next day’s work. The last people to go to sleep are typically the photographer, who must sort through the day’s material, and the record keepers, who analyze all the information collected during operations. Their work may not be as physically demanding as that of the capture team, but intellectually and emotionally it can be even more challenging. They participate in the entire process and often don’t go to bed until one in the morning.

Helping Seals, One Rescue at a Time

I’ll describe our work in broad terms — for safety reasons, we prefer not to share the full details of our capture methods. First, we identify the target animal, ideally two or three in the same area, so that our efforts are as effective as possible. Then we assess how much disturbance our actions might cause, making sure there are no newborn pups or breeding groups nearby. Encountering a territorial male protecting his area can be dangerous.

In general, we evaluate every situation according to many different factors. If we decide to proceed, one or two rescuers equipped with radios move into position while record keepers and the expedition photographer observe from a distance. Often, another team member acts as a spotter to ensure the target animal is not lost from sight. There may be hundreds of seals around, and if the chosen animal lies down or moves, the rescuers can easily lose track of it from their low vantage point — they don’t walk toward the seals, they crawl.

We try to keep the number of people near the animals to an absolute minimum and leave the area as quickly as possible. I would never recommend attempting to rescue marine animals without proper training. Seals defend themselves and fight for survival, which can be dangerous. They do not understand that we are trying to help them.

That is why we usually work only with young seals under four years old and with females. Larger animals can be extremely dangerous — seals have very powerful teeth. To cut away the packing straps or plastic debris entangling an animal, it first has to be restrained, and they are incredibly strong. Holding a young fur seal in place can require three or four grown men, and even then the animal may still drag rescuers across the ground.

We constantly update our volunteer training methods. But when volunteers arrive on Sakhalin, they quickly realize that reality is very different from theory. No lecture can truly prepare someone for what happens in the field, and it is impossible to learn how to work with wild marine animals remotely.

Not Superheroes, but on the Side of Good: The Team’s Values

Around once every two years, we recruit new members to the team. About 50 candidates from across the country apply each time. The process begins with several months of remote theoretical training covering marine mammal biology, rescue protocols, and animal behavior.

Those who complete the course and pass the final assessment are invited to an in-person seminar on Sakhalin. Unfortunately, that still does not guarantee a place on the expedition. After the seminar, we can usually select only three people out of 15–20 candidates — it’s an incredibly difficult decision.

We simply do not have the capacity to bring everyone to the island, and in reality, too many volunteers would only create unnecessary stress for the animals and waste valuable resources. Everyone understands that the chances of joining the rescue mission are limited. Every time, it’s an emotional moment when we tell some people they’ve been selected and others that they haven’t. Some are disappointed; others respond with understanding.

At the very beginning of the training process, we introduce our first and most important rule: under no circumstances may the knowledge gained here ever be used to capture animals for aquariums or marine parks. Never, in any way — even indirectly. We are firmly opposed to this treatment of marine mammals, and we select volunteers very carefully based on their values. We work with people who are, so to speak, “on the side of good and light.”

The second key criterion is the ability to work as part of a team. We are not looking for lone superheroes — that’s simply not how this work is done. Depending on the complexity of the entanglement, rescuing a single animal usually requires four to six people. Every member of the team must trust the others completely, because the safety of both the animal and the rescuers depends on it.

Of course, we can never be entirely certain that no one will misuse the knowledge they gain. But we state this condition openly and begin training only after every participant agrees to it face-to-face. It’s impossible to truly know what is in another person’s mind, but over time you develop certain instincts about people.

Naturally, we conduct interviews with all candidates. We’ve encountered all kinds of situations. For example, someone once said: “I’m mostly interested in visiting the island and seeing the seals. Besides, you’re never going to save them all anyway.” In a way, it was good that the person spoke honestly — it immediately became clear that our team was not the right place for them.

The people who join us come from very different backgrounds, though most of our core team members are between 30 and 40 years old. More broadly, the growth of volunteerism in Russia is a remarkable phenomenon. The willingness of ordinary people to contribute their best qualities to work that can genuinely help nature deserves enormous respect.

Take the events in Anapa after the fuel oil spill, when thousands of people traveled there at their own expense to help. These are exactly the kinds of people we encounter — people guided by universal human values, with a clear sense of purpose and a genuine belief in what they are doing.

What drives people to crawl through mud among dead animals, dealing with blood and infected wounds? It’s far from a pleasant experience, but it is what helps restore a sense of balance. We are not simply observing the world — we are trying to change it and reclaim what has been lost. This is our apology to nature, to the living creatures harmed by human actions.

Our motivation is simple: we see the impact of our work, and we feel the support of our team and our families. These are ordinary but powerful values that help people keep going in any field. We work in a somewhat isolated world with its own principles, and our work can be both emotionally and physically exhausting. But we have never seriously considered walking away.

The greatest reward is seeing how people respond. It is deeply encouraging to know that so many care. Not everyone can travel to the island, but many still empathize and try to help — some through financial support, others by spreading awareness. That support inspires us to continue our work.

When you appear, the animals should not change their behavior. If seals were resting and suddenly raise their heads or become visibly alert, something is already wrong. Even if the animals do not appear obviously frightened but simply begin behaving differently, you should adjust your actions — stop what you are doing and move farther away.

Many people try to care for wild animals in the way they personally think is best — by feeding them, for example, or trying to “help.” This should not be done. Wild animals already know how to survive on their own. In an anthropocentric worldview, humans stand at the top of the pyramid. In the ecocentric approach that we follow, humans are simply one species among many on Earth. Nature, evolution, God — however you choose to see it — has given us intelligence, and we should use it to protect the world around us rather than harm it through our actions.

We appeal not only to travel companies, but also to travelers themselves — to ordinary people taking part in wildlife-watching tours. For example, when you go out on a boat trip, you probably think about your own safety. You ask questions such as whether there are life jackets on board.

The same kind of questions can be asked about the safety of the animals. And the more often travelers ask them, the fewer harmful wildlife tours there will be. Ordinary people can help encourage tour operators to treat marine mammals with greater respect. The number of responsible travel organizers is already growing, and that is encouraging — although there is still a long way to go.