23 Jul 2013

Voyage Spotlight: Commander Islands Conservation Project 2014

Conservation in the Far East of Russia is severely underfunded. In 2012, Heritage Expeditions assisted local marine biologists in conducting the first ever comprehensive Sea Otter Survey in the Far East of Russia.

Due to the success of this expedition, we are planning another special cruise for 2014 where participants will have the opportunity to assist researchers in gathering valuable data on the marine mammals and birds of the Commander Islands.

Working alongside the Reserve staff, we plan to do inshore and offshore surveys for wildlife. On the inshore surveys we are going to be particularly interested in otters, Harbour Seals and of course bird colonies. Offshore we will be looking for whales and in particular Humpback, Minke and Orca. We plan to have a ship based team and also a small team of volunteers camped on Medny Island. Both teams will use Zodiacs for detailed surveys and it is planned that the Medny Island team will also cover a lot of the coast on foot. There will also be a chance for multiple landings on Bering Island by the ship based team.

There has never been a more ‘compelling' and worthwhile reason to visit these unique islands combining conservation work with exploration and discovery. Berth prices have been reduced to reflect the nature of the important work that will be taken out onboard, and start from $4250 USD pp for the ten day itinerary. For a full voyage itinerary please contact our expedition specialists team.