17 Aug 2019

The Mystery of Whale Bone Alley

Today we visited the most iconic of all archaeological sites in Chukotka - Whale Bone Alley. It's made from large numbers of bones, exclusively of Bowhead whales. On the shoreline lie numerous skulls, partly buried, each in exactly the same orientation. Behind them stand lines of massive jaw bones, mounted vertically. Each curves three to four metres into the sky.

The whole place is something of a mystery. Why only Bowheads? Why are all the bones mounted so precisely? Was this for practical or sacred purposes? We don't even know whether all the bones are of whales killed here, or brought from other locations. What we do know is that the builders must have been very skilled whale hunters and, whatever the purpose, it was sufficiently important for them to put a huge effort into its construction.

This stretch of coastline is full of surprises. At our final landing of the expedition, Bukhta Gilmimyl, the waters of a beautiful but ice-cold river are warmed by steaming hot springs bubbling out of the tundra. Some of us try a plunge in the river itself but it's tricky to avoid one part of your body freezing while another cooks! So, for convenience, the hot waters have been diverted into a pool where the temperature is just perfect. What a wonderfully relaxing way to conclude our final 'Wrangel Island: Across the Top of the World' voyage for the season, immersed in warm natural spring water surrounded by a vast wilderness of mountains and lush tundra.

Image from file (c) S.Blanc, Heritage Expeditions