Tourist operators in the Avacha Gulf off the coast of Kamchatka are pursuing orcas from the air as well as from the water. A recent incident involved a helicopter with the tail number RA-05811 descending directly over a pod of marine mammals to provide close-up views for passengers – a practice that violates established wildlife observation protocols.
The operation of tourist helicopters creates additional environmental disturbances across the region. These aircraft routinely drive seals away from their coastal resting areas and hover at exceptionally low altitudes over various cetacean species. Local authorities are currently conducting an official investigation into a separate incident involving multiple tourist boats engaging in a mass pursuit of an orca pod in the same gulf.