Trip Log
Jewel of the Russian Far East
7th - 25th September, 2011
Voyage # 1134
Day 1: 7th September, 2011: Anadyr
The various charter and commercial flights arrived throughout the day, and we transferred from the airport to an awaiting ferry that took us into town. It was a beautiful, calm day and the multi-coloured buildings of Anadyr shone brightly in the sunlight. There were Beluga Whales and Largha Seals surfacing in the estuary. We were able to spend a little time exploring the town before boarding our ship, the Spirit of Enderby, which was anchored down from the ferry landing.
In town we wandered around the sights. There was a large wooden orthodox church, its gold cupolas reflecting the bright sunlight, there was a modern building next door which housed the museum, along with a few coffee shops, and tiny shops.
Later in the afternoon we all gathered on the beach and were transferred to the ship in the Zodiacs. Our bags were already in our cabins, and we quickly settled in. We then went to the bar for drinks, everyone was in high spirits, Nathan Russ, our Expedition Leader, told us that he would do the expedition briefings the next day. As we dropped off to sleep, the ship weighed anchor and moved out of the estuary and into the Bay.
Day 2: 8th September, 2011: Cape Achchen
Anadyrsky Bay was surprisingly calm as we made our way to Cape Achchen where we planned to do a Zodiac cruise along the bird cliffs there. After breakfast we met in the lecture room for the Expedition Briefing and staff introductions. Nathan outlined our itinerary and reminded us that the operative word for expedition travel was ‘flexibility’. He then introduced Julia, the Assistant Expedition Leader, and Meghan, our Cruise Director and Hotel Manager. The rest of the staff introduced themselves and included our guides, Katya and Laurie, chefs Nicki and Brad, and Tom, our physician for the voyage. Also on board was Cassia from the Heritage Expeditions office and Marie.. Meghan followed Nathan’s introduction with the details of shipboard life. A little later we attended Nathan’s briefing covering Zodiac operations and safety and was followed by a mandatory lifeboat drill which left us ready for our first excursion.
The bird cliffs above Kekilin Point at Cape Achchen were teeming with seabirds engaged in all kinds of activities, now at the end of their nesting season. They flew in from, and back out to sea, soared overhead, bobbed on the water, and tended to chicks on ledges or in nests on the cliff face. There were mainly Common Guillemots and Black-legged Kittiwakes, but also Tufted and Horned Puffins, Pigeon Guillemots, Pelagic Cormorants, and Glaucous and Vega Gulls. On one tiny ledge a Guillemot kept shuffling around to keep itself between us and its chick. The Cormorant nests were higher than the other birds’ nests, but with their long necks and bills the young were easy to spot.
After a delightful Zodiac cruise we returned to the ship and had some time to relax and enjoy the beautiful afternoon, as the Captain lifted anchor and steered the ship towards Yttygran Island.
After dinner, the majority of the group retired, as it had been a long and rewarding day full of new experiences.
day 3: 9th September, 2011: Yttygran Island and Gilmimyl Bay
The seas were calm and the sun was shining. We were anchored between the two islands of Yttygran and Arakamchechen and took the Zodiacs to our landing site. Because of our early arrival we had enough time to enjoy one of the biggest archeological sites in the whole Chukotka region, Whale Bone Alley. The incredible line of Bowhead Whale jaw bones and skulls stretched along the beach for about two hundred meters and some of the skulls fell onto the beach with the eroding landscape. It was an impressive view. The site, as scientists suggest, must have been used by ancient Eskimos and Chukchis as a ritual site and also a gathering of people from different villages to hunt and process the Whales as well as to celebrate the hunt and store the meat. We explore the area and after a short tour around the Alley some of the group decided to join a climbing team and went to conquer the nearest hill. At the top there was a little old cemetery and a beautiful carpet of autumn coloured leaves and berries.
Before going back to the ship some decided to take a detour and go out in the Zodiacs to look for Gray Whales, which this area is famous for. We managed to find two in an absolutely amazing encounter! As the Whale was feeding close to the shore we turned the engines off and watched as it was circling around the boats, showing its fluke. It was such a wonderful experience to see the Whale so relaxed and friendly come so close to the boats. With this beautiful memory we arrived back to the ship.
Soon after lunch we all got ready for our next excursion to Gilmimyl Bay. We were welcomed by a local Chukchi fisherman who showed us around his little holiday house and his collection of pelts. There were two options; one was a short walk to the hot springs and the other a long walk over the hill. The long walkers set out on their hike, as they reached the top of the hill they saw the scenery that was simply awe inspiring. The vastness of the landscape combined with the autumnal colours was beautiful
As the short walkers, (also known as the ‘tundra crawlers’ for their particular interest in botany) were soaking in the pool and examining the plant life around it, the long walkers made it to the head of the valley and enjoyed the view of the river with the mountains in the background. Then they went down the river and joined the last of the short walking team at the hot pools. Some even took the plunge, while the others headed back to the zodiacs, followed by a curious, young Raven. As the weather seemed to deteriorate we returned to the boats and made our way back to the ship. It was a full and exciting day, and it was nice to have some rest and refresh the memories.
day 4: 10th September, 2011: At Sea
Due to the rough seas overnight, only the old salts managed to make it to breakfast, so the dining room had some elbow room.
The ship was pretty quiet throughout the morning with just a few people in the bar and one or two on the bridge. Those who made it to the bridge could enjoy the fabulous view of the waves crashing into the bow of the ship.
Towards lunchtime the conditions improved slightly and the ship came back to life. After lunch we heard that there would be a lecture by Katya about ‘Seabirds of the Russian Far East’. There was a fair level of attendance as Katya briefly described what seabirds we may be able to see on the voyage.
There was an amazing sunset, with flocks of Fulmars and Shearwaters flying around. During happy hour, Doctor Tom made a quick but memorable recap with some statistics on the events of the day, his day was probably the busiest of all. He congratulated the brave six, who made it to every meal of the day.
The wind had dropped by dinner which was a light affair before another night preparing for another busy day tomorrow with several exciting landings planned.
day 5: 11th September, 2011: Gavriila Bay
We were anchored at Gavriila Bay early in the morning. It was quite foggy outside but the conditions were suitable for landing, so after breakfast we made ready.
We landed in the southern corner of the beach and split into three groups, the botanists, the long-walkers and the medium walkers. Even though we could not see far, the carpet under our feet was fantastic with berries and lichens. There was an abandoned weather station further along the beach and two of the groups decided to go there and explore the buildings. On the way we could see some fresh signs of a Bear’s presence, it must have gone past just a little while before us.
Due to the fog, there was not much to see in the lagoon, although a few White-fronted Geese were spotted flying above, the groups agreed to explore the weather station. The biggest of the houses looked to be occupied relatively recently; it was probably used until the 1990s.
As the groups decided to turn back the rain started to pour, so the way back to the landing was a bit of a competition as to who got back the least wet.
The ride back was quite splashy, which did not matter much, as it was hard for us to soak up much more H2O. The botanists group managed to escape the bad weather and had gone back to the ship earlier than the other two groups. It was nice to dry ourselves up and warm up with a cup of tea after our tundra morning.
After lunch we heard the announcement that Nathan and the team had made a decision to skip our proposed Zodiac cruise in the afternoon, due to the weather conditions. So we set course to Bukhta Natalia and prepared ourselves for the long crossing into the low-pressure system that was lying ahead.
In the afternoon Nathan called everyone to the Bar to discuss our options for the time in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. The next event after that was a long-awaited lecture from Laurie about ‘Arctic tundra’.
day 6: 12th September, 2011: Bukhta Natalia, Pavla and Petra Bays
We woke up to a lazy morning as we were approaching our promised shelter at Bukhta Natalia. The amazing scenery included the views of the mountain ranges, peaks and gullies, all highlighted in the autumnal red, orange and yellow colours. The majority of people went out on deck and up to the bridge to enjoy the scenery.
After breakfast we started out for the landing. As before, there were three groups available: the ‘tundra crawlers’, the newly named ‘mountain climbers’ and lastly the medium walkers. All the groups had an excellent chance to explore the tundra, the last remaining flowers and the absolutely breathtaking scenery.
The ‘mountain climbers’ group almost made it to the ridge beyond the second lake, (even though some of the braver ones attempted to), but the view back towards Pavla Bay with the lake in the foreground was incredible. Quite a few bumblebees were seen along the track, unfortunately, no snow Sheep or Bears. The ‘tundra crawlers’ group explored the undergrowth, quite a few flowers were still in blossom and the vegetation in general was much richer than in all previous occasions.
Everyone was happy and a little tired upon the return to the ship. The Zodiac cruise into the Bay scheduled right after lunch was well worth it. As we set out on the cruise the sun hid behind the clouds and the view became even more atmospheric. We took the Zodiacs all the way to the head of the Bay, seeing a few ducks and Cormorants on the way. At the river mouth we found a large group of Largha Seals, who were curiously popping their heads out of the water to investigate us. They were obviously on the lookout for the salmon that goes into these rivers to spawn.
After spending some time with the Seals, we left and quickly returned to the anchoring, we then motored around the corner into Petra Bay. We really felt a sense of scale as we drove full speed from one Bay to another. We found another even bigger group of Largha Seals in one of the smaller bays and floated there for a while with the engines switched off just to observe them. Because it was very shallow we could actually see a few of them swimming beneath the crafts underwater.
We headed back to the ship to get some rest and to get ready for another amazing destination the following day. During the recap in the bar Laurie talked about permafrost, Marie showed us her incredible collection of invertebrates that she had gathered from the beach and Katya briefly covered a few facts about Largha Seals.
day 7: 13th September, 2011: Lavrova Bay
We woke up to a glorious morning along the Koryak coast on the way to Govena peninsula. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze outside and the scenery was beyond anyone’s expectations; Wild mountain ranges wrapped with clouds and valleys just inviting one to explore.
This morning we had a chance to learn a few Russian words which may come handy during our stay on the ship or in other travels within Russia. During the shop time we heard the announcement of the first sighting of a Brown Bear for the voyage. Even though it was a distant one and only been seen by few, it was a good start. Many went up on the bridge to look out for more Kamchatka Bears and enjoy the scenery, where a rainbow appeared to be rising in front of the beautiful mountain ranges.
While we were waiting to get to the anchoring point, Nathan and Julia went on a scout boat to check the possibility for a landing. Upon their return Nathan announced that unfortunately the combination of a low tide and a weather front coming right into the river mouth would not allow us to enter Tintikun Lagoon. So during lunch we repositioned and immediately afterwards we all went out on a long Zodiac cruise into Lavrova Bay.
A big T-shaped lagoon provided the perfect shelter for both the ship and the cruising Zodiacs. As we started out from the ship, our Bear count began. The first one was spotted close to the gangway. As we headed further into the lagoon we saw many more Seals, numerous ducks and gulls, and, of course, Bears, big brown ones.
We then drove past a shipwrecked fishing boat and went into the left arm of the lagoon, we saw the highlight of the whole cruise so far, two Bears playing on the beach just few hundred metres away. As we approached them they continued playing, but then went up into the bushes. It was an amazing encounter, a Kamchatka Brown Bear in its own land, with the breathtaking landscape and totally relaxed.
We then drove into the head of the lagoon’s arm and made a quick landing just to stretch our legs. On the way out we also spotted another bear, this time it was a female with two cubs, who even approached a little closer towards us.
We made another landing on the spit where there was an abandoned fishing factory. It was a bit of an exploration effort, during which we scrambled down the bear tracks in the bushes. It became so dense that we decided it was wiser to turn back and get to where the Zodiacs dropped us off.
There was a lot to discuss and revisit during the bar time recap. The total bear count was 13 which wasn’t too bad for our first day in ‘Bear land’.
day 8: 14th September, 2011: Geka Bay
The vast estuary spread in front of the ship with the two rivers flowing from each side with the fishing camp on the left side. After breakfast we headed out for a Zodiac cruise and exploration into the river system. No one on the ship had been to this location before, so it was very exciting to check out the new destination and search for a new landing. The ride in was a bit splashy due to the wind that was blowing right off the coast but once we were inside the river system, it calmed down and became very shallow. We made it further up the right-hand side river and made a landing on a sandy beach. The swampy terrain at the beachside turned into mossy crowberry tundra with stone pine bushes creating dark green patches over the red and yellow undergrowth. We spent some time walking around the hills, admiring the landscape and collecting berries.
As we headed back to the landing point we could see how strong the current in the river was. However we got into the boats, even though we were all a little muddy. The way back was challenged by the ebbing tide, and we navigated our way out of the river with a great care.
After lunch we had a lecture by Katya about ‘Seals and Walruses of the Russian Far East’, there was definitely some interesting facts for marine mammal lovers.
As we approached Verkhoturova island we heard an announcement by Nathan saying that due to the deteriorated weather conditions we would be making our way to Karaginsky Island to seek shelter. So the afternoon program was slightly changed with the first episode of National Geographic series entitled ‘Wild Russia’ screened in the lecture room. This part was about Siberia and it had some incredible footage of the landscapes and wildlife of this unique yet hardly known part of the world. Closer to the bar hour we reached some sheltered waters and could enjoy calm conditions throughout the night.
day 9: 15th September, 2011: Karaginskiy Island
The morning was beautiful with a bright sunrise over the hills of Karaginsky island.
After breakfast we had a briefing by Nathan and the team on the upcoming daily activities. We got into the Zodiacs, as we landed we were divided into three groups according to our interests. There were reasonably high hills surrounding the river valley that opened into the island. The easy walking group turned into a beachcombing party. The medium walkers went to the left side of the beach and followed the river, and then went further along the right-hand side cliff. Lastly, the long walkers unsuccessfully tried to cross the river, but found it a bit too deep for their comfort, so they turned around and walked along the accessible part of the valley.
It was a very enjoyable landing where there were a few bird species spotted, including several Ravens and White Wagtails. A dozen seals were swimming in the water around the rocks. As the drizzle ceased and the sun came out the scenery became even more spectacular. We all slowly gathered back at the landing site to return to the ship.
We were all in a very cheerful mood as we headed back to the ship for lunch. The afternoon was spent at sea en route to The Commander Islands. We had a lecture by Katya entitled ‘Introduction to The Commander Islands’. Katya had worked for two summers on Bering Island observing Sea Otters and she had developed a strong passion for the place, which could clearly be seen during her lecture. We were given a short break after the lecture and then we had a screening of the second part of the ‘Wild Russia’ series – this time about Kamchatka.
day 10: 16th September, 2011: Commander Islands: Bering Island, Nikol’skoye village; Cape Manatee
The morning started with a beautiful sunrise over Bering Island. Some were enthused to go up on the bridge or on the decks before the wake-up call to look for wildlife. We spotted our first Laysan Albatross and several Dall’s Porpoises before breakfast.
After breakfast Nathan gathered us all together for the briefing to describe our plans for the day and gave us details about the village we would be visiting. The following weekend there was going to be a celebration in the village of the 270th anniversary of the discovery of the Islands (in 1741), so the village was in the middle of preparations. Many houses were repainted, a new sewage system had been installed, a stage had been set up on the football field for artists to perform and the town itself was just generally very busy and in high spirits.
We visited a neat little museum, one of the best and most remote museums in the Russian Far East, where we were given a tour in English. Then some were left to stroll through the village, while others visited a local artist, Sergey Pasenuyk, who was a colorful character. He had some items for sale, so few left his home empty handed.
We sailed on to the south and after lunch we were all invited on the bridge and on the decks to look out for marine wildlife, which was heavily present in the area. Our expectations were more than exceeded, as Humpback Whales started appearing from everywhere. Humpbacks were feeding vigorously and occasionally breaching, several pods of Orcas passed the ship just a couple of dozen meters away.
When we reached our next destination, we set out on a Zodiac cruise along the south-west coast of the island. The scenery was incredible, with the spectacular cliffs and green valleys opening before our eyes. Flocks of Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes were sitting on the water, around the boats and flying over our heads. Curious Cormorants were almost bumping into the Zodiacs while trying to take a closer look at us. We saw a few Harbor Seals and Sea Otters as we went along, but none of them came too close to us. The greatest spectacle was saved for the end when we reached the southernmost cape of the Island, Cape Manatee and were greeted by a large group of Steller Sea Lions hauled out on the beach and on the rocks along with some Northern Fur Seals.
In the soft shades of pink and blue of the sunset we approached them closer and switched the engines off to enjoy the spectacle. The Steller Sea lions were swimming right amongst and under our Zodiacs, popping their heads up to look at us and groaning as if to express their opinion. We spent some time here and it was one of the most amazing experiences of the trip!
We headed back to the ship in the twilight, tired but very happy. Undoubtedly, we had one of the most beautiful days of the expedition. Medny Island was scheduled the following day, so there was more excitement to come.
day 11: 17th September, 2011: Medny Island
Medny greeted us with a glorious morning as we prepared to land at the abandoned village of Preobrazhenskoye. The sun was shining through the clouds, giving some mystical shades to the cliffs and water surface.
Medny Island was definitely one of the most captivating locations out of all that we had visited so far. Beautiful cliffs, covered in bright orange Lichens, Puffins and Fulmars flying around, many Snow Buntings and Rose Finches amongst the houses and Seals and Otters in the water. The morning was exceptional in every way. We had plenty of time ashore to enjoy the serenity of the place and reflect what the life would have been like for the villagers on this remote Island. The staff were all spread out around in every location to keep an eye on things, but since there was no danger of bear encounters s it was great to wander aimlessly around. We headed back to the ship just before lunch and said farewell to Commander Islands as we set sail for the Zhupanova River.
We were all encouraged to go out on deck to look for whales as we passed between the Islands and past the southern tip of Bering Island. There were quite a few Humpbacks seen around, some of them breaching, and one amazingly close sighting right off the side of the ship.
We had a quiet afternoon with Julia’s lecture on ‘The History and Geography of Kamchatka’. There was a recap on Commanders during bar time with Nathan and we learned a few more things about the wildlife, plants and history of the islands.
day 12: 18th September, 2011: Zhupanova River
The morning was quite tightly scheduled with lectures and activities in the anticipation of the day in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. Firstly, we had a long-awaited lecture by Katya on ‘Sea Otters’. She spent two years working on their ecology on Commander Islands and certainly was very passionate about the subject. Then Nathan gave a disembarkation briefing for those leaving in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and also held an expedition recap for the first leg of the journey. It was a nice overview of the expedition and the staff also prepared a slideshow as a nice memory of the wonderful days we had.
The weather was incredible again as we anchored at the Zhupanova river on the Kamchatka coast. We all got ready for a long Zodiac cruise up the river. The scenery was mind-blowing as we approached the Kamchatka coastline and got within the sight of volcanoes, the most striking of which was Zhupanovsky.
It was a reasonably short ride to the river mouth and we started our journey up the river accompanied by Seals and Gulls. The first Steller’s Sea Eagle, our main goal on this landing, appeared just few minutes into the cruise. It was a younger bird that was flying over the Zodiacs and we all marveled at the size of it. It is the biggest eagle in the world and one of the most beautiful. We proceeded up the stream, spotting few Pacific and Black-Throated Loons along the way, as well as many Gulls and big flocks of various ducks. Pretty soon we spotted another young Steller’s Sea Eagle that was sitting on a piece of driftwood on the sandy beach. Shortly after, we saw an adult bird in its full magnificent plumage up on the tree.
We went a bit further up the river and decided that it was time to turn back. On the way out we landed at the fishing camp, where we went for a stroll. The fishermen were already gone, but the builders were renovating the camp and working on the new factory building. We came back to the ship and many remained on the decks to enjoy the spectacular scenery and beautiful sunset.
day 13: 19th September, 2011: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy
We anchored in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy just after breakfast had started. The first to depart was the group meant to climb the volcano, they joined the local guides who were leading the walks. Laurie and Katya went with them to help coordinate with the local guides.
The volcano walkers had to ride for two hours to get to the base camp to the foothills of the Avacha volcano. From there a great view opened onto the two volcanoes; Avachinsky and Koryakskiy. The group divided into two and the short walk went to the Camel Mountain, whilst the six brave long hikers attempted to climb the Avachinsky volcano. The weather was changing every minute and the group experienced all four seasons in one day.
The Camel mountain walk got slowly to the top spending some time on the way to study plants. The long-walkers endeavored to climb the third terrace before the new cone of the volcano and just as they made it to the top in the complete fog and mist, the cloud blew away and the incredible view of the mountain and the valley opened before their eyes. The scenery was just breath-taking.
Shortly after the volcano walkers departed the Valley tour left for the helipad in the hopes that the helicopter would fly – the weather did look quite promising. Fortunately, it wasn’t too cloudy, so the Valley tour went ahead. Even though it was a little rainy in the Valley itself, the walk was still enjoyable. The Coldera of the Uzon volcano was a spectacular stop, where the group also saw a few Brown Bears and a Steller’s Sea Eagle. Then everyone had a nice soak in the hot pools on the last stop. It was a great excursion around some of the wonders Kamchatka had to offer.
All groups came back to the ship around 18:30. We all shared our experiences and stories. Many people went outside to see the ship pulling off from the pier in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. We also said farewell to Julia who stayed in her home town to organize tours for the group that was staying. It was a great and cheerful atmosphere with just over thirty passengers left on board. We were all looking forward to our last leg along Kuril Islands to Sakhalin.
day 14: 20th September, 2011: Atlasova Island
We finally had the privilege of hearing Laurie’s Lichen lecture that was so long awaited by many. It had great success amongst the audience and we definitely left it with much more knowledge about Lichens.
Later on Nathan gave us the briefing about our activities on Kuril Islands for the next few days until the end of the trip and also described the following landing on Atlasova island. It was a new chapter of our journey and everyone was pretty excited about the last week of the voyage.
Atlasova is a small island west of Paramushir, which holds the second highest volcano on the whole of the Kuril chain, Alaid - with the height of 2481 meters. It is also considered to be the most symmetrical volcano. The last eruption happened in 1981 with many lava floes and a lot of ash, which created a new landscape formation, a small peninsula composed of cinder cones of incredible shapes. We were about to land on the beach next to this formation.
The weather was perfect again and the volcano looked just beautiful covered with a few clouds and highlighted by sunlight. We were left to wander on our own; some went towards the ruined female labour camp that was on the island, others explored the vicinity of the lake. A few brave people climbed the tallest cinder cone, apparently finding an incredible moonscape at the top. We visited the abandoned lighthouse and explored the coastline.
Once back on board the ship everyone just enjoyed socialising and watching the sunset over Kuril Islands.
day 15: 21st September, 2011: Onekotan Island
We were woken up by Nathan to learn that there had been a slight change of plans. During the night we ran into a bad weather front on the Sea of Okhotsk side of Onekotan Island, so the decision was made to turn the ship around and go to the Pacific side. The conditions here were definitely more suitable, but since no one on the ship had been here before, we decided to wait for the morning light to assess the conditions and the possibility of landing.
The sunrise was unimaginably beautiful, with the pink sun rising from the water and many birds, including Peregrine Falcons spotted flying nearby.
The landing was an expedition landing and we were prepared to explore whatever the opportunities we were to find. We were divided into two groups, plus beach-walkers. As we climbed up the track to the top of the first hill, the beautiful scenery opened, with the lighthouse on the rocky shoreline and a vast inland area with the volcano appearing from the clouds. At this stage one group turned back and went down to explore the riverbed. But a small group of brave explorers decided to keep going into the valley underneath. After a while the track became more obvious and the group went into the valley and crossed the river towards the abandoned base. It was a peculiar feeling of exploring things anew, because obviously no one had been there for a long time. There was an old grave amongst the building of the two unknown soldiers and a machine gun operator, who were killed here on the September 21st 1945 – exactly 66 years ago to the day. It was pretty special to be there and find this lonely grave on the exact day of their death.
It was then time to find our way back to the ship. There was an obvious track, probably made by the soldiers that led to the other side and to the beach, where the explorers joined the other group, who finished studying the plants and birds of the riverbed and were sunbathing on the beach.
After arriving back to the ship we set the course to Ekarma Island, but the conditions around it were not calm enough for us to make the Zodiac cruise. So the decision was made to head on to Yankicha, with the hope that the weather will improve.
During the afternoon we watched one of the ‘Blue Planet’ BBC series, ‘The Deep’, with some incredible footage of the creatures of the deep ocean.
day 16: 22nd September, 2011: Yankicha Island
Surprisingly, the weather was behaving rather nicely and we had flat calm conditions near Yankicha Island. Because of the nice weather Nathan decided to get the operations under way as soon as possible to give us more time ashore.
We started out in four boats for the Zodiac cruise, with numerous Fulmars and Kittiwakes flying around. It was not clear if we would have been able to get inside the caldera of the ancient volcano. But after certain consideration we drove in quite successfully and immediately spotted a couple of Arctic Foxes on the beach. As we approached them it turned out to be a litter of five juveniles that were running along the waters edge, playing, displaying and collecting something from the intertidal. We watched this amazing interaction for about 15 minutes, with the foxes hardly even looking at the boats – so preoccupied with their business. They had no natural enemies on this island, so they were unafraid of humans.
We then drove on towards the geothermal area to make a landing, spotting three Sea Otters on the way. As we landed we immediately spotted another two foxes that were running around the springs. One of them decided to cuddle up in the corner just in front of the group. Everyone got some great views and pictures of the foxes. Then we tried to take a look around the corner, but the wind had picked up quite quickly, so after a while we turned and went back to the ship.
As we proceeded towards Simushir Island everyone had some time to relax, enjoy and download some photos. But as we approached our intended anchorage, we realised that the weather was not in our favour. So the decision was made to skip this landing and make it to Iturup Island as soon as we could. We watched another episode of ‘Blue Planet’ which detailed the story of the pelagic creatures this time.
As we travelled around the corner from Simushir we hit the Typhoon, and what a storm it was! With the wind speed gusting up to 65 knots, it was an impressive sight with the Nature showing its’ true force. Those who were up on the Bridge could appreciate the might of Typhoon Roke that we had sailed directly into. The Captain decided to turn the ship around and seek shelter at Simushir Island, staying in it’s vicinity for the night.
Towards the late afternoon conditions improved slightly.
day 17: 23rd September, 2011: At Sea
The day started quietly in the lee of Simushir Island. We heard Nathan announcing our upcoming plans, due to the damage done by the Typhoon, the people of Iturup Island said they could not take any visitors, so we decided to travel directly to Sakhalin and hope that the conditions improved along the way.
During the morning and early afternoon it was still pretty unsteady, so all the activities were postponed. Some people stayed on the bridge and enjoyed the scenery with some spectacular waves breaking into the bow.
Finally, after lunch and so much anticipation, Laurie gave her lecture on ‘Taiga’ (or boreal forest) in which, amongst other valuable information, she explained the difference between ‘Taiga’ and ‘Tiger’ and how they should be correctly pronounced.
Later on we enjoyed an amazing sunset as the weather improved significantly, except for an occasional roll or two.
day 19: 24th September, 2011: At Sea
We woke up to a glorious morning and enjoyed the sunshine and calm waters. It was our last full day on the ship, and it was pretty busy with lectures and other events.
After breakfast we joined Katya in the lecture room for her lecture on ‘the comparisons and differences between the Arctic and Antarctic’. Having traveled in both these regions Katya shared some interesting knowledge about what she had learned.
Later on we had a full expedition recap, it was hard to believe that it all stated just 17 days ago in Anadyr. We had seen many incredible things and had so many wonderful encounters; it was definitely going to be an unforgettable holiday for many of us. To revive the memories, the staff team put together a slideshow for the voyage. Then Nathan also went through the disembarkation briefing for the following day in Korsakov.
There was some time before the Bar hour, so Katya gave our last lecture of the voyage about ‘The Cetaceans of the Russian Far East’. It was an informative lecture covering many subjects from evolution to the diversity of the species in this region.
We all enjoyed our last dinner on board the ship and a few people stayed up late packing or just relaxing.
day 20: 25th September, 2011: Port of Korsakov
As we were having breakfast, the ship arrived into the port of Korsakov. After all the formalities were settled, we disembarked and loaded into the bus that was going to take some to the airport and others to the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to the hotel. Most of the staff except Katya stayed on the ship for few more hours to pack up the last things before the ship sailed to Vladivostok.
It was rather sad to leave the ship now when it had become our home for over two weeks, and even longer for some. But the journey was over, and we were left to sweet memories and new adventures to come.
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