Nordvik Bay and most of its surrounding area belongs to the Sakha Republic administrative division of the Russian Federation.

The landspit in the west is the Uryung Tumus Peninsula, where there was formerly a village called Nordvik and an infamous penal colony that lies now deserted.

It is quite shallow, its average depth being around 6 m. It is circled by lowlands and, since the climate in the area is exceptionally severe, with prolonged, bitter winters, Nordvik Bay is covered by ice most of the year.

[2] During the 1930s this area experienced a limited boom owing to the first icebreaker convoys plying the Northern Sea Route.

Tiksi Bay and Mys Schmidta had become airports and Nordvik was "a growing town.