20 Jun 2012
Steller Sea Lion Escort
Our inaugural Sea of Okhotsk expedition is drawing to a close. We have travelled to our furthest north and have now turned south to follow the west coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula towards Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy.
Our visit to the Yamskiy Islands was always going to be a highlight and certainly didn’t disappoint. It is estimated that approx 6 million Least Auklets nest here. We didn’t see them all, but we did see thousands and thousands of them wheeling and circling overhead. This has to be one of the great “bird wonders” of the world.
We also spent time with Steller Sea Lions. The breeding colony here is the most northern colony of these animals, and there were about 800 in the group. As you can see below, we were escorted by many of the inquisitive sub adult males.
Our evening landing at Astronomicheskaya Bay (Estuary) must rate as one of our most scenic. It started with a spectacular bear encounter as we watc…READ MORE
Everyone enjoyed some fine hospitality and tasty caribou soup on our visit to the historic town of Okhotsk. The locals welcomed us with a concert in …READ MORE
The day was spent making three landings within the Dzhugdzhursky Zapovednik Nature Reserve where few foreign visitors ever venture. The first landin…READ MORE