Jewel Of the Russian Far East itinerary:

Day 1: Anchorage
Arrive in Anchorage. An informal dinner gathering provides an opportunity to meet other members of the expedition.

Day 2: Nome
Fly to Nome (flight not included) and transfer to the Port of Nome where you will meet the expedition team and board Spirit of Enderby, clear customs and depart for Provideniya, Russia.

Day 3: Provideniya
Once we clear Russian Customs, we can explore this former strategic military town and port, much reduced in size since the Cold War. It is home to an excellent museum with a very good ethnology section.

Day 4: Yttygran Island
On Yttygran Island, Russian anthropologists discovered an ancient aboriginal site where whalebones and meat pits stretch along the beach for nearly half a kilometer. Walruses, Grey Whales and seabirds abound.

Day 5: Cape Navarin
This morning we cross to the south coast of Anadyr Bay where we plan a walk in Gavrilov Bay. This is a large estuary where we will check for wildlife and explore the tundra vegetation. 

Days 6: Bukhta Natalii
This afternoon at Bukhta (or Fiord) Natalii, we have a unique opportunity to explore the ‘hinterland’. It is a wonderful location for an extended walk, photography and botanical exploration, with autumn colors at their height. Nomadic reindeer herders and walrus often frequent the vicinity.

Day 7: Bukhta Lavrova
Today, we explore the upper reaches of Bukhta Lavrova by Zodiac. This is in the Pylginsky mountain range, a dramatic landscape formed by glaciation.

Day 8: Lorran Peninsula
The Lorran Peninsula has been declared a Nature Reserve and contains a large population of Kamchatka Brown Bear. After a walk with local rangers, we visit the cliffs of Verkhoturova Island, home to thousands of sea birds. Steller’s Sealions have also been recorded here.

Day 9: Karaginskiy Island
On Karaginskiy Island we encounter some of the first ‘forests’ of the voyage – a sure sign that we are getting further south. The trees should be in full autumn splendour.

Days 10 – 11: Commander Islands
The Commander Islands were an important strategic military and Border Control post during the Cold War, but since the collapse of communism many of the people have moved away. We visit Nikolskoye, the one small village that remains and visit some of the wildlife colonies, including seabird and seal colonies.

Day 12: Zhupanova River
Today we explore the Zhupanova River by Zodiac. Steller’s Sea Eagles are known to nest here, and tons of salmon are harvested each year. We make a stop at a salmon fishing camp.

Day 13: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy
Early this morning we sail to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy in Avacha Bay, the capital of the Kamchatka Region and home to much of the Russian Pacific Fleet during the Cold War. This was a ‘closed’ city until 1992.

Day 14: Atlasova Island
Atlasova Island is dominated by to Alaid Volcano – at 2339 metres it is the highest in the Kurils. We investigate some wetlands for wildlife, explore the remains of a ‘gulag’ or political prison, and witness recent volcanic activity.

Day 15: Onekotan Island
On Onekotan Island we take an easy walk to Black Lake, which lies in the shadow of Volcano Nemo. In the afternoon we sail to Ekarma Island where we cruise by Zodiac around the cliffs to see Northern Fulmars breeding. We should also see other species including Horned and Tufted Puffins.

Day 16: Yankicho Island
Yankicho Island is home to thousands of Crested and Whiskered Auklets. We take the Zodiacs right into the flooded caldera in order to explore the island. There is also Arctic Fox and an area of geothermal activity. In the afternoon we visit Simushir Island, site of a flooded caldera and former submarine base.

Day 17: Iturup Island
Iturup Island is one of the larger islands in the Kuril group and has a resident population – a rarity in the Kurils – that sustains itself for the most part by fishing. 

Day 18: At sea
Today we cross to Sakhalin Island, where the expedition will finish. We enjoy a special farewell dinner tonight. 

Day 19: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Disembark at the Port of Korsakov transfer to the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk or the nearby airport for flights to Moscow or Vladivostok.