19 Aug 2015

Gray Whale Close Encounter

We sailed from Anadyr in beautiful weather conditions on Monday to begin our third Wrangel Island expedition. Over the first couple of days we covered our standard safety drills as we crossed Anadyr Bay to Preobrazheniya Bay. The first excursion was a Zodiac cruise along some amazing bird cliffs and a walk through the tundra. This morning we were at Yttygran Island and the famous Whale Bone Alley archaeological site which served as an introduction to the fascinating cultures of this region.

Returning from our visit to Whale Bone Alley we went in search of whales when one of them turned the tables on us, providing the most incredible encounter. It is very difficult to find sufficient words in the English language to describe our experience today so I won’t spend time trying. Just take a look at the pictures below of our meeting with a particularly friendly Gray Whale that ‘toyed’ with our Zodiacs.

We are headed north tonight after a very pleasant afternoon at the thermal pools of Gilmimyl.