One of three propulsion units on the tanker “Nikolay Yevgenov” was damaged on January 16 as the vessel approached the Bering Strait. After having sailed with a speed of about 9 knots from Sabetta, the tanker suddenly slowed to 3 knots.

Last week, a 908-foot Russian tanker carrying liquified natural gas passed south through the Russian side of the Bering Strait, with two more to follow. The ships are traversing the northern coast of Siberia, called the North Sea Route, in the middle of January with no icebreaker escort, an unprecedented event that may hint at the future of the region as climate change alters global commerce.

Even if a storm does hit Western Alaska, thicker sea ice will always be more resistant than last year’s ice was at this time, a climatologist says.

Recent storms and warm seas melted a vast stretch of ice in the Bering Sea, leaving some islands surrounded by water when they should be locked in ice.

Rough seas and moving sea ice.

South winds blew out most of the sea ice. Going to be bad ice if it refreezes for spring hunt.