1722: Sea of Okhotsk 12 Jun 2017
Day 1: Monday 12 June
Port of Korsakov, Sakhalin Island, and at Sea
Shortly before 10:00, the bus arrived at the harbour at Korsakov and everyone boarded the Spirit of Enderby for the beginning of the Sea of Okhotsk expedition. A little later, Expedition Leader Rodney Russ asked the group to gather in the Lecture Theatre and there was an introduction to the staff and ship.
Outside it was a glorious day with only broken clouds and the temperature was almost balmy. For those who gathered onto the outer decks, the first wildlife of the expedition was found with Largha Seals in the water and hundreds of Black-tailed and Slaty-backed Gulls loafing around the wharf whilst Pacific Swifts soared over the nearby town.
Whilst there were plenty of other vessels in the harbour, several huge LPG ships could be seen in the distance as they made their way to and from the vast processing plant which is located a few miles to the east of Korsakov.
Shortly before noon, the tug Dobrynya came alongside the Spirit of Enderby and after the crew had released the lines, we left the wharf and set off on our adventure. Almost immediately, new wildlife was spotted with a lone Steller Sea Lion quietly dozing on a concrete pillar which was sticking out of the sea.
After lunch, everyone had the opportunity to relax or join the guides looking for seabirds and other wildlife, although this was punctuated with a series of briefings and other activities including the theoretical and practical parts of the lifeboat drill, overview of the expedition and Zodiac briefing.
For those who spent time wildlife watching, a variety of species were found including Ancient Murrelet and Rhinoceros Auklet, however, for sheer numbers, by far the commonest species was the huge number of Short-tailed Shearwaters, with multiple rafts which contained thousands of individuals. The guides explained that these birds breed on Tasmania (with a smaller number nesting in South-east Australia) and that they came to the Sea of Okhotsk to moult, ie change their feathers.
After the first of what would be many delicious dinners in the restaurant, many people retired to bed with others joining the guides in the bar library for the nightly wildlife log.
Day 2: Tuesday 13 June
Tyuleniy Island and at Sea
The day began with breakfast at 07:00 and a little later Rodney and some of the Expedition Staff set off in a scout Zodiac to assess the conditions ashore on Tyuleniy Island. They were soon back aboard the Spirit of Enderby and everyone then gathered in the Lecture Theatre where Rodney explained that we would be able to land but conditions were somewhat challenging with a good sized swell breaking onto the beach.
Shortly after his briefing concluded, four Zodiacs were lowered and everyone was then shuttled ashore. The waves were indeed making the landing far from easy and stern landings were needed to ensure everyone got ashore safely.
It was, however, well worth the effort and a few wet feet, as the wildlife experience once we were on the island was phenomenal, with hundreds of Steller Sea Lions on the beaches along with good numbers of Northern Fur Seals. Looking careful, we could see a number of Steller Sea Lion pups as well as reasonable numbers of branded animals. Whilst this form of marking the animals certainly looked painful and invasive, it meant individuals could be easily identified for research purposes.
There was also a constant stream of seabirds flying between the sea and the island and everyone climbed up the short trail where we could appreciate the sheer number of Common Guillemots which bred on this very special island. The birds were literally packed in wherever they could find a space and even the roofs of the buildings were occupied by hundreds of birds.
Standing on the clifftop, we had a brilliant panorama with the sea-lions and fur seals below us along with thousands upon thousands of birds. As well as the Common Guillemots, there were good numbers of Black-legged Kittiwakes and the occasional Brunnich’s Guillemot and Tufted Puffin. A lucky few also saw two Horned Puffins with several Crested Auklets also spotted.
With the sun shining and only a gentle breeze, it was an amazing couple of hours but by late morning it was time to head back to the ship and continue our journey northwards up the eastern side of Sakhalin Island.
With the afternoon at sea, a couple of lectures were offered, with Olga providing the first presentation which was about Steller Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals. She described the breeding cycle of the two species and covered various other topics such as the recent marked decline in the numbers of Steller Sea Lions. Olga explained that it was not fully understood what was causing this (given that the population on Tyuleniy, for example, had increased) but the suspicion was that it was due to bycatch involving fishing vessels.
Later in the afternoon, Lisle spoke about the rich variety of seabirds we could expect to see on the expedition. His talk included photos of many species of auks (the alcid family) and he told us that more than a dozen species were possible on our voyage, making this one of the richest areas for this family of birds in the world.
Following the bar hour, dinner and wildlife log, many people headed onto the outer decks to enjoy a fantastic sunset with the sky turning a rich orange as the sun slowly set over a mirror-like sea.
Photo credit: S. Gutowsky
Day 3: Wednesday 14 June
At Sea and Pil'tun Bay
After the glorious conditions of the previous day, it was a little surprising when we awoke to thick fog, however, with the morning at sea it was an opportunity to relax and enjoy a morning lecture by Olga about the cetaceans of the Sea of Okhotsk. She described the dozen or so species we could potentially encounter on our journey including several which are extremely rare, namely the western population of Gray Whale, the North Pacific Right Whale and Bowhead Whale.
At 11:00 Rodney gave a briefing about the plans for the afternoon explaining that amongst his goals was to look for the Western Gray Whales which Olga had spoken about earlier. He added that with the benign conditions we were experiencing, he was hopeful that we might be able to cross the bar at the river entrance and make a landing, although this would entirely depend on the conditions we encountered when we arrived.
With lunch following the end of the briefing, four Zodiacs were in the water by noon and we then set off on our quest to find the whales. Cruising slowly south, we saw several Aleutian Terns and several Long-tailed Ducks but there had been no whales by the time we reached the river mouth. As a result, Rodney proposed that we continue southward for a little longer and almost simultaneously a Gray Whale and Orca were spotted.
The Orca was an adult male with a huge triangular dorsal fin and he was clearly travelling faster than the Zodiacs, so we soon gave up hoping for closer views and concentrated on the Gray Whale. Whilst this was seen several times, it was difficult to get a close view so after a while we turned for the river and heading into the entrance.
There were dozens of terns flying around, many of which were Aleutians, as well as a large group of Largha Seals which were dozing quietly on the sandy shore. Passing these, we were able to get some nice views before continuing further upstream. Although we had seen a distant Steller’s Sea Eagle at the entrance, we soon found seven birds close to the bank and many of those with cameras were able to get some photos of this majestic bird.
With the tide dropping and large mudflats being rapidly exposed, it was impossible to get ashore near the lighthouse, so we turned downstream and made a half hour landing close to the river mouth. This gave everyone the opportunity to explore the surrounding area and a number of birds were spotted including Dusky Warbler and Siberian Rubythroat.
By 14:30 everyone was back in the Zodiacs and we headed back to sea to continue our quest to find a more obliging Gray Whale and this was soon achieved with some decent looks at one feeding a little to the north of the river mouth.
It was a fantastic excursion made even more enjoyable by the sunny skies and almost balmy conditions and it was with some reluctance that we returned to the Spirit of Enderby but we needed to leave if we wanted to arrive on schedule at our next destination, the remote island of Iony.
With three hours before dinner, another lecture was offered with Sarah describing the auk species which could be found in the Sea of Okhotsk and some interesting information about their lives.
Outside the conditions remained very pleasant, with some interesting wildlife being recorded. Amongst the highlights were two more Orca, a Northern Minke Whale, at least five Long-billed Murrelets, and several Spectacled Guillemots.
After another delicious dinner in the restaurant, courtesy of Matt and Connor, and the nightly bird log, Moshe gave a presentation about some of the plants he had collected during our landing at Pil’tun Bay.
Day 4: Thursday 15 June
Iony Island and at Sea
It was a smooth night of sailing as the Spirit of Enderby headed northwards towards Iony Island and shortly after a 7:30am breakfast, Rodney made an announcement to advise us that the island could be seen from the bridge. He added that in five previous visits to this locality, he had never seen it like this as the island was usually shrouded in fog.
By nine o’clock, four Zodiacs were in the water and we set off towards the island. Getting closer and closer, it truly was a breath-taking sight with hundreds of thousands of birds. The commonest species were undoubtedly the Brunnich’s Guillemots and Northern Fulmars, with many of the guillemots perching on rocky ledges, whilst the fulmars wheeled around high above us.
This was also an opportunity to get some great looks at several other members of the auk family with our targets including the diminutive Least Auklet (the smallest member of the family) and Whiskered Auklet. There were good numbers of both around the island, with plenty of great opportunities for photos. Also present in good numbers were the Crested Auklets with flocks occasionally flying just passed the Zodiacs – Iony truly was an avian paradise !!!
Also present on the island were good numbers of Steller Sea Lions and as well as watching them on the beaches and rocks, we also had many swim close to the Zodiacs when one could smell their extremely smelly breath.
As the Zodiacs explored further, a lost Siberian Rubythroat was spotted on the rocky shore and a few moments later, a similarly out of place Ruddy Turnstone was found sitting quietly with some Brunnich’s Guillemots. Both birds had presumably been displaced on their northward migrations and had taken the opportunity to rest and feed here before continuing onwards.
After a couple of hours around this remote rocky outcrop, we reluctantly returned to the ship as it was time to continue our journey towards the Shantar Islands. With the afternoon at sea, two lectures were offered with Chris talking about some of the migrant bird species which visit the Russian Far East. This was followed by a presentation by Lisle who offered some advice and tips on how to improve everyone’s photography skills on expeditions.
Photo credit: L. Gwynn
Day 5: Friday 16 June
Shantar Archipelago
It was another tranquil night on the Spirit of Enderby and shortly after breakfast, everyone gathered in the Lecture Theatre where Rodney outlined his plans for our two days around the Shantar Islands. He explained that the principle goal was to locate the four species of seal which could be found on the sea ice around the archipelago, with Ribbon Seal being our main target.
With the briefing completed, many people headed onto the outer decks and a short while later, there was a PA announcement to inform everyone that a Bowhead Whale had been spotted behind the ship. Within moments, the Spirit of Enderby had turned and we were soon heading towards what it was quickly realised were in fact two whales. It was the fifth time the ship had been to this region and this was the first time this species had been sighted on a Sea of Okhotsk expedition.
Although initially the whales were somewhat distant, their distinctive head shape could be clearly seen and when one surfaced about 50 metres from the vessel, we were able to get some great views of one of the rarest whales on the planet. Cruising closer to the ice, a male Ribbon Seal was spotted and once again, Rodney asked the Captain to change course and we approached another poorly known and rarely seen creature. Although the seal dived into the water (from the ice flow it was resting on) when we were still several hundred metres away, it was fantastic to find this species so quickly and it was not even ten o’clock in the morning !!!
A little later, another Ribbon Seal was spotted on the same ice flow as a Steller’s Sea Eagle and both stayed until we were more than close enough for photos. It had been a truly amazing morning and start to our time around the Shantar Islands.
After lunch we entered some much more compacted ice and the vessel slowed considerably as the Captain and his officers picked a course through the ice. It was a magical experience and from time to time, we would hit a larger flow and the entire ship would shudder but this was no problem given the ice strengthening of our trusty vessel.
With several more Ribbon Seals seen, along with Bearded and Ringed Seals, it was a highly memorable afternoon but with the far edge of the ice still not visible, Rodney took the decision to turn around and we headed back out to open water in the direction we had come.
It had been an incredible afternoon with some great sightings of rarely seen marine mammals combined with some great ice cruising which was a new experience for many.
Photo credit: L. Gwynn
Day 6: Saturday 17 June
Shantar Archipelago
During the night the Spirit of Enderby repositioned to a bay off the northern end of Bol’shoy Shantar (the largest island in the Shantar Archipelago) and shortly after breakfast Rodney and some of the expedition team set off to assess whether it would be possible to make a landing. With large swells breaking onto the beach and also blocking the river mouth, they reluctantly decided that it would be impossible to get ashore, so shortly before 09:00 the anchor was lifted and we set off in an anti-clockwise direction around the island.
With broken cloud and decent visibility, it was pleasant outside and some took the opportunity to photograph the Tufted and Horned Puffins which passed by. With Crested Auklet and Northern Minke Whale also spotted, there was a nice selection of wildlife to look at.
After lunch, we set off in four Zodiacs to explore a bay on the eastern side of Feklistov Island (which is west of Bol’shoy Shantar) and over the rest of the afternoon three landings were made around this extremely scenic bay.
As the Zodiacs approached the first of these landing sites, a large brown bear was spotted on the beach but this quickly disappeared. Once everyone was ashore, however, a somewhat smaller individual was found and many people were able to get photos as it ambled around a creek looking for food. Several new bird species were also seen including Dusky Warbler, Brambling and Eurasian Nutcracker.
After 50 minutes ashore, we boarded the Zodiacs and cruised northwards along the edge of the bay. A fine adult Steller’s Sea Eagle was soon found perched on a rocky knoll allowing everyone some nice looks before we landed at another spot where once again there was access into the forest.
As before, there were several different options with some heading in to explore amongst the pine trees, whilst others walked along the beach enjoying the balmy conditions. In the more open areas, there was a nice selection of flowering plants including some deep purple Kamchatka Fritillaries, as well as some extensive carpets of mosses and lichens.
Even more impressive, however, were the huge chunks of ice which lay scattered on the beach. These came in a vast range of shapes and sizes and we were able to walk around what at times resembled a gallery of modern art sculptures. One got a real sense of the power of the sea given that many of these weighed many tons each and they had seemly just been tossed onto the beach as if they weighed almost nothing.
For those who joined the bird walk, the highlight was a Siberian Accentor which sat nicely for a few moments. This species is a real speciality of the Russian Far East and as a result was a new bird for almost everyone who saw it.
On the final landing we walked along a stony beach and were able to explore the edge of the pine forest which covered Feklistov Island. It was extremely pleasant in the sunshine and as well as being able to watch a Steller’s Sea Eagle through Chris’ telescope, many saw an abandoned eagle nest. The gigantic size of this stick structure, gave us an even better appreciation of the size of this fantastic bird.
By 17:30 we were heading back to the ship and sadly our time in the Shantar Archipelago was over. We had been extremely fortunate not only with the weather but in finding some of the most poorly known marine mammals in the Russian Far East.
Photo credit: O. Belonovich
Day 7: Sunday 18 June
Mal’minskie Islands and Aldona Bay
It was the earliest start so far on our expedition (with a 05:45 wakeup call) and shortly after breakfast had concluded everyone gathered in the Lecture Theatre where Rodney outlined the plans for the morning and Chris described the birds he was hoping we could find.
By 07:15 the four Zodiacs were in the water and we set off for the Mal’minskie Archipelago. Although the weather was not as good as it had been previously with low cloud and a light mizzle, this soon stopped and as we got closer to the islands, we began to appreciate the huge number of birds which bred here.
There were huge rafts of Common Guillemots on the sea and as we began to explore, good numbers of Spectacled Guillemots were found. Although we had seen this species around the Shantar Islands, the views here were outstanding with hundreds of individuals present. Whilst some were drifting on the water, many were perched on the rocks immediately adjacent to the shore and everyone was able to get some great photos of this species which is largely restricted to the Sea of Okhotsk.
Having enjoyed the guillemots, our attention turned to Tufted and Horned Puffins and again several individuals were found perched on the low cliffs giving us a great opportunity to enjoy both these species. There were also good numbers of Parakeet Auklets and with many people also seeing a couple of Rhinoceros Auklets, it was a fantastic morning to enjoy the alcids.
After a couple of hours out on the water and a brief landing on the main island in the group, we returned to the Spirit of Enderby which then repositioned seven miles along the coast to Aldona Bay. Once again, our landing was preceded by a short briefing and as soon as the ship was in position, the Zodiacs were back in the water and we set off for the shore.
Rodney had explained that this site was an old military base and we were able to wander around and explore. There were abandoned lookout towers, vehicles, barracks and a variety of other objects lying around and it was hard to imagine what life must have been like for the conscripts who had been sent here. Life must have been extremely tough, especially during the winter months.
With more than two hours ashore, we were able to wander around and it was interesting to see how the vegetation was steadily reclaiming areas which had once been home to the human population who had lived here. There was a nice range of flowering plants and those who joined Chris and Lisle on a bird walk saw an interesting range of species including Siberian Rubythroat, Pallas’s Warbler, Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Common Rosefinch.
By 13:15 everyone was back on the beach and after a tasty lunch of calzone pizza, many took the opportunity to relax for at least part of the afternoon, although Meghan opened the Sea Shop at 16:00 for those who wanted some retail therapy and at 17:00 Moshe gave a presentation about some of the plants he had found at Aldona Bay.
Photo credit: C. Collins
Day 8: Monday 19 June
Okhotsk Town
Following breakfast and a briefing from Rodney, there was a short delay as a result of a minor confusion over time zones but by 09:30 four Zodiacs were in the water and we set off for the historic town of Okhotsk. Crossing the bar at the river mouth, we continue upstream passing a number of decaying buildings from the Soviet era. There was also an interesting selection of wildlife with several hundred Aleutian Terns and thousands of Slaty-backed Gulls as well as a number of Largha Seals.
After receiving permission from the Border Guards to leave the landing beach, we were offered a traditional welcome of bread and salt by some of the town’s dancing troupe who were dressed in brightly coloured traditional clothes.
We then headed for the town square, where there was a large statue of Lenin, before entering the ‘House of Culture’ which was where the town museum was located. This combined some interesting historical displays (some of which related to the period when Bering and his men had sailed from Okhotsk when exploring the Russian Far East), palaeontology (including a number of mammoth tusks) and a selection of bird specimens which had been collected in the area around Okhotsk.
One of the curators gave a short presentation about the exhibits and we were then free to wander around. It was clear that this modest town had a fascinating history with some very interesting birdlife living in the surrounding forests and marshes. It was, however, hard to imagine what life must have been like when Bering had been here almost 300 years ago or even earlier when mammoths had roamed the region.
It was soon time to move on to our next activity which was a display of dancing and sports by members of the local indigenous population, many of whom were wearing traditional reindeer and sealskin clothing. After the dancing had concluded, some tried the tug-of-war, others the sled jumping or the lassoing of a pole which was much more difficult than it appeared.
Moving onwards, we were then entertained by a ‘Cossack’ group who were dressed in brightly coloured traditional dress. Their presentation combined dancing and singing with some modern tunes to some traditional songs.
Once the presentations had concluded, we were able to sample some local fish soup and flatbreads, as well as some homemade beer.
All too soon, it was time to head back to the landing site and we then headed back to the Spirit of Enderby for a delicious late lunch of chicken curry prepared by Matt and Connor. With an afternoon at sea, Olga gave a presentation about Orca (Killer Whales). She explained that there were several different eco-types which were found in the Russian Far East and whilst some were mammal eaters others ate fish. Indeed, some of the latter had learnt to take fish off hooks and as a result there was conflict with fishermen.
Photo credit: O. Belonovich
Photo credit: O. Belonovich
Day 9: Tuesday 20 June
Talan Island
After several days of early starts, many welcomed a leisurely morning and after a 08:30 breakfast, the documentary ‘Blackfish’ was shown in the Lecture Theatre. This told the story of captive Orcas in the US and made sombre viewing.
With the ship having arrived at Talan Island a little earlier than expected, we had lunch at noon and after a briefing from Rodney and Chris, we set off in the Zodiacs to explore. For the first couple of hours, we cruised in the Zodiacs around the northern coast of the island and enjoyed the spectacular scenery and huge numbers of birds which breed there. The commonest species by far were the Black-legged Kittiwakes and there were vast numbers nesting on the cliffs. These had constructed nests of vegetation and seaweed on many of the cliffs and in some places, it was almost impossible to understand how these stayed in position as the spots the birds had chosen were so small.
As well as the kittiwakes, there were plenty of auks and as on Tyuleniy the commonest species was the Common Guillemot. There were vast rafts of these floating offshore and we were able to get some great views of them on the water, whilst overhead at least seven Steller’s Sea Eagles could be seen soaring around.
With some of the photographers keen to get more shots of the Tufted and Horned Puffins, we spent part of the afternoon playing ‘cat and mouse’ with these birds and most of those who persevered were rewarded with some nice looks at these amazing looking alcids.
By 15:15, we had finished our exploration of the northern coast of Talan Island and with the wind having picked up markedly since we had left the ship, cruising the southern coast was impractical so the four Zodiacs headed for the one landing site on the island. Rodney and Olga were there to meet us (as they had been unloading some freight which the ship had brought for the researchers) and we were then free to explore.
With the wind continuing to increase in strength, Chief Officer Max radioed Rodney to advise him that the ship was dragging the anchor and as a result, everyone returned to the landing site a little earlier than planned as the ship needed to reposition. Nevertheless, there had been plenty of time ashore with some climbing up the side of the island from where there was a great view across to the ‘mainland’ whilst others stayed closer to the beach. For the birders, the main target here was Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warbler but with the blustery conditions it was somewhat challenging to see this species well but those who joined Chris managed to get some flight views of a couple of individuals as they flew through the grass.
After an early dinner, the Zodiacs set off once again and we were relieved that the wind had dropped making the experience much more pleasant than our earlier ride back to the ship. As we approached the island, small groups of Ancient Murrelets could be seen flying by and we soon found some floating on the water. At times the birds were a little skittish but everyone got nice looks and many got good photos.
As the sun set lower in the sky, the number of Crested Auklets began to increase with rafts on the water and large numbers flying overhead. On occasions, these flocks would give extraordinary displays as they whirled around in perfect coordination high above us. With the occasional Steller’s Sea Eagles flying by and the backdrop of Talan Island, it was a memorable evening but by 22:00 we were all back aboard as the ship needed to set off for Yamskyie Island off the eastern end of the Koni Peninsula.
Photo credit: S. Gutowsky
Day 10: Wednesday 21 June
At Sea and Yamskiye Islands
After the late finish of the previous evening, it was a somewhat more leisurely morning which started after breakfast with a lecture by Sarah describing her time at a remote field camp. Sarah also referred to a discussion the expedition team had had with the researchers on Talan Island the previous evening and compared and contrasted their work with her own.
She told us that the Crested Auklet at Talan had declined markedly in recent decades and there were now thought to be about 30,000 individuals compared with 1.5 million just a few decades ago. One of the researchers on Talan also regularly had to rescue tiny Ancient Murrelet chicks which got stuck in holes on the island as they made their way down to the ocean.
Later in the morning, Rodney gave a presentation about a road trip he had undertaken along the ‘Road of Bones’. Rodney spoke about the penal system Stalin had introduced under which somewhere between 2.5-3 million people had been shipped to the Russian Far East with the vast majority dying due to the horrific conditions they had been forced to endure whilst working in the gold mines or on other projects.
Rodney had undertaken his journey one September and he showed photos of some of the remote communities that existed along the road from Magadan to Yakutsk with a backdrop of beautiful autumnal colours on the trees. It was almost impossible to imagine the brutality and misery that had existed here less than seventy years ago.
After lunch and a briefing in which Rodney outlined the plans for the afternoon/evening, we continued onwards towards the Yamskiye Islands and as we got closer to our intended destination (the largest island in the archipelago) the number of auks began to increase markedly with good numbers of Crested and Least Auklets. Unfortunately, however, the fog which had been with us since daybreak showed no sign of lifting and it looked like this would somewhat frustrate our plans but as we approached the anchorage, the murk suddenly cleared and we could see the island in front of us. It was a truly incredible sight with the cloud rolling down the sides of the huge towering craggy cliffs.
Despite the best efforts of the Bridge Team, it proved impossible to anchor the ship due to the brisk wind which was blowing, so the plans to cruise before dinner were abandoned and we drifted offshore until 20:00 when four Zodiacs set off to explore.
It was still pretty windy with good sized swells but we were soon close inshore, where the waves were considerably smaller. The scenery was as impressive close up as it was from afar and the ‘show’ which Rodney and Chris had described at the briefing then began, with wave after wave of auklets flying in towards the island. There were quite literally millions of birds and they were at all elevations with some floating on the sea, whilst others were so high up above us that it took binoculars to see them. It was surely one of the most impressive avian spectacles which one could witness anywhere in the world.
As well as the birds, we also cruised round to view a Steller Sea Lion colony and a couple of dozen animals then followed the Zodiacs for 20 minutes or so giving us some great views. It almost seemed that the sea lions were as interested in us as we were in them.
By 22:00 the skies were darkening and the Zodiacs reluctantly returned to the ship. It had been an almost unbelievable evening which few other people had had the privilege to experience.
Photo credit: O. Belonovich
Day 11: Thursday 22 June
Astronomical Bay, Koni Peninsula
For many it was a relatively short night as Meghan’s morning wakeup call came at 06:45 and after the post-breakfast briefing had finished, we set off in four Zodiacs to visit Astronomical Bay.
Unfortunately, like the previous morning, the conditions were not exactly ideal with thick fog but we soon found the entrance and began cruising around the bay looking for wildlife. There were good numbers of Harlequins and Goosanders but for the keen birders, the big excitement came when a male Steller’s Eider was spotted. This species is not normally found in the Sea of Okhotsk and it was the first time it had been seen on a Heritage Expeditions trip to this area so there was both surprise and delight – it was a new species for many and a real bonus to our bird list.
Cruising onwards, a couple of Steller’s Sea Eagles were located and there were good numbers of Largha Seals in the bay, with another pleasant surprise when a lone Bearded Seal was spotted. Like the Larghas, however, this was swimming so it was difficult to get a really good look although its head popped up several times before it disappeared into the fog.
Over the next couple of hours, we alternated between exploring by Zodiac and on foot and ashore there was a great array of blooming flowers to enjoy. Although we had just passed the Summer Solstice, there were plenty of plants which were still in bud but there were also good numbers in full bloom.
It was interesting to also look at the larches which were only three or four feet high but had trunks which in some cases were more than six inches across. It was clear that the extreme winter environment meant that trees grew almost horizontally here rather than upwards.
By late morning it was time to return to the ship for lunch and the afternoon then continued with the settling of ship accounts which was followed later in the afternoon by a briefing from Rodney outlining the disembarkation arrangements and a recap of our expedition. We had been privileged to see not only some extremely rare and poorly known species but also some true wildlife spectacles. It had unquestionable been a highly successful trip around the western and northern shores of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Day 12: Friday 23 June
Magadan
We arrived in Magadan this morning, after breakfast disembarkation procedures commenced and transfers to town were available concluding this Sea of Okhotsk expedition.
Click here for 'Species List'
