28 Jun 2015

Commanders

We have spent the last few days exploring the Commander Islands, named for Commander Vitus Bering, whose ship was wrecked there in 1741. Expeditioners were fascinated by the skeleton of the now extinct Sea Cow in the little museum at Nikolskoye and then delighted to watch breaching Humpback Whales off the bow. Later we encountered a pod of curious Orca, swarming Crested and Parakeet Auklets and Tuften Puffins. It was a bonus to be greeted by a group of Steller Sea Lions when our Zodiacs cruised a haulout on Verkhoturova Island. Now our heading is north towards the Govena Peninsula where we hope to spot some of the famous Kamchatka Brown Bears.