The Far East Marine Reserve covers about 10% of the total surface area of Peter the Great Gulf.

In this sea, bounded by Asia, Japan, and the Sakhalin Islands, the Far East Reserve is on the west coast in the center.

This climate is characterized by high variation in temperature, both daily and seasonally; with dry winters and cool summers.

[5][6] Climate in the gulf is further characterized by monsoon conditions, uneven rainfall patterns, fog, gales, and seasonally variable winds (northwest in winter, southeast in summer).

The supralittoral, or splash zone, covers the area above the high tide mark; in the reserve this is mainly a region for algae, small crustaceans, and some beetles.

The intertidal zone in the reserve is affected by warm temperatures in the summer, but scraped by ice and storms in the winter so that living creatures must cling in cracks and sheltered areas.

The reserve has made arrangements with eco-tourism operators to provide guided sea excursions to certain portions of the territory for members of the public.