Shelikhov, Gulf Of

Gulf of Shelikhov, also spelled Šelichov, Russian Zaliv Shelikhova, gulf lying off far eastern Russia, a northward extension of the Sea of Okhotsk lying between the Siberian mainland on the west and the Kamchatka Peninsula on the east. The gulf extends northward for 420 miles (670 km) and has a maximum width of 185 miles (300 km). The average depth of the sea there is 330 to 490 feet (100 to 150 metres), though at maximum it reaches 1,624 feet (495 metres). The coasts are largely rugged, except in the southeast. From December until May the gulf is closed by ice. The Taygonos Peninsula divides the northern part of the gulf into the bays of Gizhiga and Penzhina. The tidal ranges in these bays are about 36 to 43 feet (11 to 13 metres) and are among the greatest in the world, and there has been discussion of developing tidal power sites there, especially at Penzhina Bay. The gulf is named for the Russian merchant-explorer G.I. Shelikhov.