21 May 2012
Glorious Day at Onekotan Island
We woke this morning at Onekotan Island to an absolutely glorious day – calm, sunny and clear. Teams were deployed immediately after an early breakfast. Those not surveying took the opportunity to walk to Black Lake in the shadow of Volcano Nemo. We landed on the black sand beach of Nemo Bay and followed the benched track made decades ago by the Japanese. Evidence of their occupation is everywhere. One of the more fascinating relics was a “pill box” chipped out of solid rock overlooking the beach where we landed. Had we been landing here 70 years ago we might have been dodging sniper fire!
The barometer is high and steady. Tonight we sail north to Paramushir Island, the largest in the Kuril Chain, where we hope to find a large concentration of Otters.
20 May 2012
Whilst cruising around the Kuril Islands we have noticed a Russian Orthodox Cross on nearly every Island. These were erected last year and commemo…READ MORE
19 May 2012
We completed our survey of Simshur Island late last night. The final landing for everybody was in a large flooded caldera at the northern end of the…READ MORE
17 May 2012
This morning off Urup Isalnd we enjoyed a rare sleep-in, followed by a very interesting lecture from our Russian Historian, Leinid Kotenko, on Russia…READ MORE
