Trip Information

Dates: August 10 - 27, 2008 (18 days)

Leaders: Richard Knapton* and other resource staff

Our Vessel: Spirit of Enderby

Price: starting at $7595 USD / $8300 CDN Click here for details

Tour starts in in Port of Korsakov, Sahkalin Island and ends in Anadyr, Chuckotka Autonomous Region.

Highlights
• 18 days onboard the Spirit of Enderby amid stunning scenery
• Top notch resource team
• Tremendous viewing of unique arctic wildlife including seabird nesting cliffs
• Incredible scenery of the Kuril Islands and the Kamchatka Coast, plus Commander Islands
• Fascinating wildlife, geology, culture and history

Featured Birds & Mammals:
• Steller’s Sea-Eagle
• Whiskered Auklet
• Crested Auklet
• Red-legged Kittiwake
• Red-faced Cormorant
• Siberian Brown Bear
• Steller’s Sea-Lion
• Walrus
• Northern Fur Seal
• Horned Puffin

Summary
• Includes all meals and accommodation
• Exact itinerary is weather dependant
• Shore excursions by zodiac
• Onboard educational program by a diverse resource team
• Easy to moderate walking

*Our leader will accompany the group as long as the voyage is sufficiently subscribed.

The Russian Far East coastline dominates the North Pacific but few people have experienced it. Our cruise on board “The Spirit of Enderby” offers unique opportunities to explore fiords, bays and islands along this coastline. We visit outstanding nature reserves experiencing a huge range of natural habitats from the rugged Kuril Islands in the south to the volcanic wonderland of Kamchatka, then to the taiga and tundra of the north. At Kunashir Island and the Kurilsky Zapovednik Reserve, a World Heritage Site, we admire some of more than 200 Brown Bears that concentrate along rivers as salmon swim upstream to spawn. Largha seals gather near river mouths, and Steller’s Sea Lion, Harbor Seal, Sea Otter, Killer and Humpback Whales occur nearby. Sea birds include Slaty-backed Gull, Tufted Puffin, Rhinoceros Auklet and others. We then visit Chirpoy, Simushir and Yankicho Island where landings and seabird life is nothing short of spectacular. Russkaya Fiord is just one of a number of spectacular fiords on the Kamchatka Peninsula where we make expedition landings. The Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve showcases geysers, hot springs, hot mud pools and fumaroles, and is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna including Steller’s Sea-Eagle. The Commander Islands are rich in history and support colonies of Horned Puffins, Crested and Parakeet Auklets, Thick-billed Murres, Red-legged Kittiwakes, and Red-faced Cormorants. The Koryaksky Reserve on the Govena Peninsula is an amazing place where steep mountains rise from the sea and Snow sheep inhabit cliffs. We follow the coastline north past Cape Gavriila, and across Anadyrskiy Bay towards the Bering Strait and Arakamchechen archipelago, another amazing highlight including an ancient memorial site nicknamed “whale bone alley” and a walrus haul out. From Kresta Bay, we drive out onto the tundra where reindeer herders graze their herds, and explore and appreciate the vastness and beauty of the region. We disembark at Anadyr, in time to explore the town and museum.

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Crested Auklets © Aaron Russ; Steller's Sea-Eagle; Zodiac cruising on the Zhupanovo River © Aaron Russ

Itinerary

From Sakhalin in the South to the Bering Strait in the North

Day 1. August 10. Arrival at Port of Korsakov
Transfer from your hotel in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to the Port of Korsakov to join our vessel. Korsakov is a town on the southern tip of Sakhalin Island. We depart late morning bound for Kunashir Island. This afternoon there will be introductions to the staff and important background information on this expedition.

Day 2 August 11. Arrival at Kunishir Island
We arrive at Kunashir Island about midday. Kunashir Island (meaning Black Earth Island in Ainu) is the southernmost island in the Kuril chain in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast. and is visible from the nearby Japanese island of Hokkaido¯. It is 1490 km2 (123 km x 30 km), volcanic in origin, and the vegetation consists mostly of spruce, pine, fir, and mixed deciduous forests. On the island we visit the Kurilsky Zapovednik Reserve. The Zapovednik has unusually beautiful landscapes with unique floral and faunal communities; it has been nominated as a World Heritage Site. We spend the afternoon in the reserve exploring the rich biodiversity. It is here we admire some of more than 200 Brown Bears, probably the highest density in Russia, that concentrate along rivers as salmon swim upstream to spawn. Other land mammals include sable and red fox. Largha seals gather near river mouths, and endangered marine mammals such as Steller’s Sea Lion, the Kuril Harbor Seal, the Kuril Sea Otter, Killer and Humpback Whales occur nearby. Sea birds include Slaty-backed Gull, Tufted Puffin, Rhinoceros Auklet and others.

Day 3. August 12. Chirpoy Island
At sea this morning, then this afternoon weather and sea conditions permitting, we enjoy an evening zodiac and landing in Peschanaya on Chirpoy Island. In this sheltered cove there is a large number of kittiwakes and we may be lucky to spot a White-tailed Eagle cruising by. There is a black sand beach and a chance to stretch your legs and indulge in some botantising and beach combing, and there is a large Steller’s Sea Lion colony on the island.

Day 4. August 13. Simushir and Yankicha Islands
At the northern end of Simushir Island there is a huge caldera that was once a large Soviet Union submarine base. The now abandoned village of Krateruyi lies on the slopes of Karlomyy Volcano. We explore the village and the surrounding region.
This afternoon we sail north to the Island of Yankicha in the Ushishir group, a particularly scenic island with its high mountain ridges and huge caldera, and where the landing and birdlife is nothing short of spectacular. The auklets can be so numerous as to form an “auklet haze” and the sounds ….“The sound is like a symphony, as if each bird contributes a different note – fulmar, puffin, auklet and murre…..” Here Whiskered Auklets, one of the rarest alcids, breed in large numbers.

Day 5. August 14. Atlasova Island
We explore Atlasova Island this afternoon. It is the northern most island in the Kuril Islands and boasts the highest volcano. Mt Alaid (2339 metres.) is active and erupted as recently as 1971. Along the shoreline there is great abundance of wildlife including Steller Sea Lions, Northern Fur Seal and Sea Otters hauled out on the beaches which are composed of black and brown volcanic ash.

Day 6. August 15. Russkaya Fjord
This afternoon we sail into Russkaya Fiord, a spectacular feature within Avachinsky Bay, and just one of a number of spectacular fiords on the Kamchatka Peninsula. We will make an expedition landing here, and there will be an opportunity to explore the coast either on foot or by zodiac. From this fjord we should get great views of the volcano Mutnovskaya Sopka, over 2300 m high. There is also a superb chance to view wildlife including Tufted and Horned Puffins, Pigeon Guillemots and Thick-billed Murres.

Day 7. August 16. Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve and Nature Reserve
The Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve is one of the oldest reserves in Russia, established in 1882 and showcase’s Kamchatka hydrothermal activity – geysers, hot springs, hot mud pools and fumaroles. The Kronotsky Nature Reserve holds unparalleled spectacles for even the most experienced travellers. There are warm waterfalls flowing down from basalt rocks, groves of sea plants and noisy bird colonies on the Pacific Coast, narrow paths with walls of giant grasses and flowers, magnificent volcanoes with steaming tops, deep river valleys and spectacular geysers.
It is home to a vast variety of flora and fauna. Our time ashore will have opportunities to enjoy the wildlife which could include bears. We are likely to see up to 40 species of birds, which could include ‘Siberian’ species such as Siberian Rubythroat, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Black Scotor, Far-Eastern Curlew, Pechora and Olive-backed Pipits to name a few, as well as Stellar’s Sea Eagle.

Day 8. August 17. At sea
Today we are at sea as we cruise north east from Kamchatka to the Commander Islands. This is an opportunity to catch up on notes, attend lectures in preparation for our visit to these islands, enjoy some seabird watching from the bridge or simply relax in the library.

Day 9. August 18. Commander Islands
The Commander Islands are named after the famed Danish Captain and explorer Commander Vitus Bering whose expeditions in this part of the world are legendary. He was shipwrecked and eventually died of scurvy on the Commander Islands in 1741. Not only are these islands rich in history they are home to a huge number of bird species including Horned and Tufted Puffins, Crested and Parakeet Auklets, Thick-billed Murres, Red-legged Kittiwakes and Red-faced Cormorants. We may also see Harbour Seals, Steller’s Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals.

Day 10. August 19. At sea
Today we cruise back west to the Kamchatka Peninsula. Another day at sea as we reflect on our visit to the Commander Islands and attend lectures in preparation for our visit to Koryaksky Reserve. This outstanding Reserve is managed by the World Wide Fund for Nature and will be one of the highlights of our journey.

Days 11 and 12. August 20 and 21. Koryaksky Reserve
The Koryaksky Reserve on the Govena Peninsula is an amazing place, where steep mountains rise from the sea, and Snow Sheep inhabit the cliffs. There are numerous bird colonies that we can explore by zodiac, and landings to be made in the deep inlets which reach far inland. We should encounter several landbirds today - pipits, buntings and thrushes in the reserve. When we have had enough of exploring we can relax in the Natural Hot springs. We plan a number of landings at different locations within the Reserve over these two days.

Day 13. August 22. Bukhta Natalii
We continue north to Bukhta Natalii one of a number of Bukhtas (or Bays) along the South East coast of Chukotka. Within the bay there are a number of smaller inlets. We will choose one of these inlets for an expedition landing to enjoy the landscape and the wildlife.

Day 14. August 23. Cape Gavriila
At sea today as we follow the coastline north past Cape Gavriila, named after Bering’s ship St Gabriel. Grey whales frequent this area and because of the strong tides, there is often an abundance of food in the water and numerous seabirds feed here. We will look in particular for those we may have missed up to now. We continue across Anadyrskiy Bay towards the Bering Strait region.

Day 15. August 24. Arakamchechen archipeligo
Arakamchechen archipelago will be another highlight of the expedition. As recently as 1976 Russian anthropologists discovered an astonishing ancient memorial site nicknamed “whale bone alley” on Yttygran Island. This ceremonial site has immense jawbones and ribs of bowhead whales placed together in a stunning arch formation. We also plan a visit to a Walrus haul out on Arakamchechen Island where everybody should get good observations and photos.

Day 16. August 25. Anadyrkiy Bay
We sail into the upper reaches of Anadyrskiy Bay. It will be the last opportunity on this particular cruise for lectures and recaps because tomorrow we have a full day excursion planned.

Day 17. August 26. Day tour of the Tundra
From Egvekinot, a small port in Kresta Bay, there is a road running inland across the tundra of the inland plains where the reindeer herders graze their herds in the summer months. We plan a day trip by Ural (truck) into this region so you can explore and appreciate the vastness and beauty of the region, see the many tundra plants and hopefully meet up with a group of nomadic reindeer herders.

Day 18. August 27. Disembark at port of Anadyr
We arrive at the town of Anadyr, one of the earliest settlements of the region. Formerly a trading post this town is now the administrative centre of the Chukokta Autonomous region. We disembark the vessel here, in time for you to explore the town and the very good museum. There is a modern airport with good connections to Moscow and other cities.

What To Expect

Our vessel “Spirit of Enderby” is perfect for Expedition Travel. The real focus and emphasis of every expedition is getting you ashore as often as possible for as long as possible with maximum safety and comfort. We carry just 48 passengers in comfortable accommodation. There is a choice of cabin styles with main deck twin share with shared facilities, superior cabins with upper and lower berths and private facilities, superior plus cabins with two lower berths and private facilities, or mini suite or suite.

Our program features activities such as walking, wildlife viewing and Zodiac cruising, all at a relatively easy to moderate level of exertion. You will need to be able to climb in and out of the Zodiacs (assistance is provided), and some of our landings will be “wet”, requiring that you wear waterproof boots. A reasonable level of mobility is required to fully enjoy this travel program and to ensure the steady movement of the larger group of passengers. If you have any questions regarding your level of mobility, please contact us prior to booking. A complete clothing list and suggested reading list will be provided upon your registration. Meals are a great opportunity to meet new friends and recount the day’s adventures, and special diets can be accommodated with advance notice. Safety is also a top priority with Eagle-Eye Tours – our team has extensive experience in the field, and all of our Voyages are run in conjunction with operators with the highest safety standards.

Landings at these islands are by permit as administered by the relevant governments.
Circumstances may be encountered during our voyage which will make it necessary or desirable to deviate from the proposed itinerary. These circumstances include poor weather and opportunities for making unplanned excursions. Your Expedition Leader will keep you fully informed during the voyage.

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