19 Sep 2016

Great Sightings of Brown Bears in the Russian Autumn

Our expedition continues to make its way south along the Koryakia coastline towards Kamchatka. Autumn is definitely arrived, the trees and plants are changing colours to yellows and reds the landscape is stunningly beautiful.  

We have explored many of the fiords of the Koryakia coast and a couple days ago a group of the keener (and fitter) ones headed out on a 8 hour walk that took us high up into the mountains.  The scenery was beyond words, untouched mountains stretching for miles upon miles.  We enjoyed views of Brown Bear, Red Fox and Marmot we presume were all preparing for winter, which is not far away.  

Last night everybody hiked into a small valley where we sat and waited for Brown Bear as some of the best wildlife observations are when you sit and wait and let the wildlife come to you, it doesn’t always work, but last night it did!  We were rewarded with a total of 14 Brown Bears.  It wasn’t so much the numbers but the behavioural observations.  There were 3 cubs playing, dancing (if bears dance), running across a nearby hill side and on the other side there was a younger female with two cubs escaping from the obvious unwanted attention of a big male.  Others were feeding.  

The skies became dark with an approaching storm.  The storm enveloped us last night and right now there is a strong northerly blowing and we are experiencing a following sea as we make our way south to the Commander Islands.  It is comfortable on board and most are using this transit time to catch up on photo editing and diary entries.