06 Aug 2016

Hundreds of Walrus in a Single Haul-out

Our day started with a landing on Kolyuchin Island, which is a part of the newly formed Beringia National Park.  During the Soviet period it was a strategic weather and research station providing critical information for the shipping convoys plying the all-important Northern Sea Route.  The station buildings are abandoned now but the island has not lost its allure and magic.  Nearby the remains of the station are magnificent bird cliffs where one can observe and photograph, from close quarters, both horned and tufted puffins, Brunnich’s and common guillemot plus pelagic cormorants and black legged kittiwakes.  From this vantage point you can watch out over the ocean where it is possible to see a number of species of whales and we have seen Gray, Humpback and Bowhead from here. There is also a good chance of walrus.

This morning we had walrus...and lots of them!  They were almost all males.  There was a haul-out of approximately 300 walrus and with a bit of effort we were able to climb to a vantage point overlooking the haul-out to get some stunning views and some equally superb photos of these quintessential Russian Far East mammals.  Later in this voyage we will expect to find the female walrus with their young on and around the ice at Wrangel Island.

We are now enroute North to Wrangel Island.  The ice maps are still showing some ice ahead, although nothing that our ice-strengthened ship Spirit of Enderby can’t manage.

Photo credit: S.Gutowsky