Abstract <p>Bearded seal is a typical, widespread and abundant inhabitant of the Sea of Okhotsk. The western coastal waters of the Sea of Okhotsk are one of the main areas of its summer habitat. As shown by early researches, the bays of the Shantar Area, where bearded seal is concentrated in summer, were not covered by scientific studies after the end of hunting. This paper summarizes a series of route surveys that were carried out near the Shantar Archipelago in summer. The results show that bearded seals are generally rare in the bays adjacent to the Shantar Islands at the beginning of summer, followed by their increase. By the end of July–beginning of August, the animals become widespread in the bays and in the straits between the islands. From the second half of August, the animals begin to gather on shallows and in shallow areas of bays, where they form aggregations. The most numerous aggregations are formed in the Konstantina Bay. During this period, the animals can be hardly found in the outer parts of the bays and in the straits between the islands.</p>