29 Aug 2013

Winter Approaches

Winter has come to this part of the Arctic.

We awoke this morning off Herald Island (35 nautical miles east of Wrangel Island) to a light dusting of snow covering the island and the decks of the ship. The frosting added another dimension to this already magical location. Conditions were suitable to lower the Zodiacs, so we cruised along the coastline and encountered a group of inquisitive walrus. As we approached, curiosity got the better of them and they came closer and closer as they gained in confidence. By the end of this encounter our Zodiacs were surrounded by pink tinged and tusked bodies, their whiskers examining the humans at close range, so we all had great views. Later we made a landing on a small gravel beach, for no other reason than to say we had landed on Herald Island. Not many people can make that claim.
 
We are now sailing west to Dragi Bay on the eastern coast of Wrangel where we plan another landing, possibly our last before we head back towards Anadyr.