Aviatorov Bay

Aviatorov Bay (Bukhta Aviatorov) is a small bay on the Sea of Japan coast in the Nakhodka urban district of Primorsky Krai, near the village of Triozerye. It adjoins the southwestern cape of the neighboring Spokoynaya Bay and is easy to recognize by the azure color of its water.

Nature

The shoreline combines sandy stretches with tall cliffs, and the bay itself is framed by a watershed ridge and rocky outcrops that drop straight to the water. The coast has a small cave and a cape, and next to them there is a viewing platform with a picnic table offering a view of the whole bay. Spotted seals, known locally as larga, live in the coastal waters and can be seen on the rocks or swimming close to shore.

History and name

The bay has older names as well — Kitayanka and Golubaya Laguna (Blue Lagoon). Its current name, Aviatorov Bay, is tied to a wartime tragedy: the crew of a PBN-1 Nomad "Catalina" flying boat of the 16th Aviation Regiment of the Pacific Fleet Air Force, seven men, is buried here. An obelisk in their memory stands on the right bank of the bay.

What to see

Today a recreation base called Golubaya Laguna operates on the shore of the bay, the source of one of its earlier names. Aviatorov Bay is a popular stop for coastal hikers: a trail leads from here to Cape Lisuchenko, known for its rocky stone outcrops and the wild bays nearby. Travel companies in Nakhodka run guided hikes along the rocky coast that usually combine both the cape and the bay in a single route.

Getting there

To reach the bay, drive from the village of Pervostroiteley toward Triozerye. At the first fork, marked with signs for Okunevaya Bay and the Golubaya Laguna base, turn right and follow the road to its end — it leads straight to the recreation base, next to which the bay lies.