1124: Siberia's Forgotten Coast 27 Jun 2011
Trip Log
Voyage # 1124
In the Wake of Bering - 'IN SEARCH OF THE SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER'
27th june - 10th july 2011
27th June, 2011: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy
We rose late to a grey morning. Later this afternoon we would meet with our ship, The Spirit of Enderby, but first our tour guide Adam made an excursion into the port town of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. We saw the local market, famous for its fish and then drove on to the Orthodox church and square by the sea with its impressive statue of Lenin. Nearby was a statue of St. Peter and St. Paul – the patron Saints of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, who lend their names to the town.
At lunchtime we made our way to the ship to be greeted by the crew and expedition team. After a delicious lunch there was a briefing by our Expedition Leader, Rodney, who introduced the ship and explained some safety information. Then we were all invited to the top deck to watch our departure from the wharf, as we set sail on our adventure.
Quite a few people remained on deck as we sailed through the beautiful Avacha Harbor, surrounded by hills and cliffs; it is considered one of the best natural harbours in the world because it is so sheltered and has such a beautiful coastline. There were many bird species seen, including Spectacled Guillemots, Ancient Murrelets and many Tufted Puffins.
We had our first bar hour before the dinner, and the very first reading of the bird list; due to the rolling sea conditions, dinner did not have a great attendance and everyone was so tired that shortly afterwards most called it a day, full of expectation for the following morning.
28th June, 2011: Zhupanova River
Waking early, the weather looked promising with good visibility and very little wind. After a quick but delicious breakfast we had a briefing with Rodney about Zodiac safety and the upcoming landing. Five boats departed for a cruise along the river and landed at the fishing camp, where we dropped off a few people who wanted to stay behind and enjoy a walk. The rest set out to look for the Steller’s Sea Eagle and various waterfowl. On the lagoon to one side of the river we were immediately attacked by numerous, but harmless midges and spotted our first Sea Eagle – a young bird, sitting in the grass. Also, about a hundred Largha seals were hauled out on the sandy banks in the stream and we got some very good views of them.
Travelling upriver, we found three eagle’s nests one after another, the first one being uninhabited. However, at the other two we managed to observe the occupants quite close, drifting past them with our engines switched off and without disturbing the birds. There were also a few other adult birds in the vicinity and we enjoyed some very good looks at these magnificent animals. The Steller’s Sea Eagle is the largest eagle in the world and it is endemic to the Russian Far East. On the way back we were surprised to see many more young birds sitting along the banks – about twenty eagles in total made for an incredibly successful day!
We landed in the fishing camp and went for a stroll around the beautiful wetlands, starting just behind the camp. Many of our group managed to see Long-toed Stint and a Musk Rat. With so many eagles and seals all around, this morning may count as one of the best Zhupanova experiences seen. And as we returned to the ship, the weather improved and we witnessed volcanoes appearing out of the fog.
In the afternoon Katya gave a lecture entitled “Introduction to the Commander Islands” in which she outlined the major events in the human and natural history of the place. By the end of the day, everyone was pretty exhausted so most of us went to bed soon after dinner. It was going to be a long day at the Commanders.
29th June, 2011: Commander Islands - Medny Island
We woke to find ourselves steaming towards Bering Island of the Commander Island group. The morning promised to be good with a very slight breeze and glassy calm seas with just a slight swell.
Right after breakfast we entered an area known for its high concentration of cetaceans – a whale hotspot in the region. Here, a deep oceanic trench comes close to the coast of Bering Island, creating a gradient from over a thousand meters deep to less than a hundred. It creates an upwelling of nutrients and makes the area highly productive. As soon as we approached, we started seeing groups of Humpbacks and Baird’s Beaked whales. The numbers were not striking, but visibility and lighting made the encounter really special, with several whales blowing just a few dozen metres from the ship. As we turned from Bering Island and set course for Medny, we sighted a couple of Orcas and a Laysan Albatross.
The afternoon began with a Zodiac cruise to Cape Matvey – a beautiful rocky point, crowded with wildlife. Before even reaching the coast we spotted a Minke whale, but it didn’t cooperate for us! As we sailed further inshore, we were surrounded by Horned Puffins sitting on the water, Cormorants on the rocks and Harbour Seals in the water. We also had some good sightings of Sea Otters, including some females with pups. On the rocks nested many Horned Puffins and Pigeon Guillemots, and some of our party managed to get good looks at the Rock Sandpiper.
We were incredibly lucky with the conditions and the sun was shining, with not a single ripple on the water surface – the Commander Islands are very seldom blessed with such weather.
Next we landed in Paschanaya Bay at the abandoned Border Guard station (and former village) Preobrazhenskoye. While some of us explored the empty houses and desolate village, others went along the beach or up the hill to observe the plants and wildlife, which was all around us: Puffins and Fulmars nesting on the cliffs, Arctic Foxes barking all around, and Rock Ptarmigan for those who made it up the slope. Many species of flowers were in full bloom, creating a beautiful carpet.
The day was absolutely superb. Medny Island could not leave anybody indifferent to its magic, and we had - by any measure - the best of it. Returning to the ship at about 7pm we were all exhausted, but in high spirits.
30th June, 2011: Commander Islands – Bering Island
The morning greeted us with a pre-breakfast Zodiac cruise to a little island called Ariy Kamen, which is a big sea bird breeding colony. Most of us were brave enough to get up early and join the cruise, even though it was rather foggy outside. We loaded four boats and departed for the island, invisible in the fog. Our expectations were exceeded with what we saw when the rock slowly loomed out of the fog: thousands of birds crowded on beautiful outcrops and hillsides, flocks of Crested Auklets and Common Guillemots flying around. We enjoyed many species, including some endemic ones, like the Red-legged Kittiwake and Red-faced Cormorant. Quite a few Parakeet Auklets were sitting on the rocks along with Pigeon Guillemots, which provided some very nice photographic opportunities. A Rock Sandpiper was a good sighting for those who didn’t get decent looks of it the day before, and even a Wren was spotted. As we headed back to the ship, a few Northern Fur Seals swam past the Zodiacs.
Back in our floating home we enjoyed a well-deserved breakfast and then readied ourselves for the next landing. Alas it wasn’t to be: the wind was blowing from the SSW, which created difficulties for landing at the north west cape of Bering Island. A scout boat was sent to see if a landing might be accessible: unfortunately, the surf together with the tide did not look safe and the decision was made to abandon our plan. So, instead of landing we enjoyed a lecture by Katya, who has lived and worked on Bering Island observing Sea Otters. She told us everything we ever wanted to know about these fascinating animals, including some inside information about current research projects and population status.
After lunch we landed at Nikolskoye village. Here there was something for everyone: an extremely interesting museum; wetlands across the bridge for the bird-watchers; and an artists’ studio for those interested in Sergey (a colourful local character), his art and some good company. Others just strolled around the village to see the sad remains of what was once a prosperous settlement. There is still some development going on but the village basically just survives.
Two and a half hours flew by and we barely noticed. Sailing away from Nikolskoye, we passed through a very rich whale-watching area, where a few Humpbacks were seen, as well as many Dall’s Porpoises and even a couple of Sperm Whales.
By the time the bar opened, most people were still enjoying themselves on the bridge or on the decks. We were sad to leave the Commander Islands but an even more exciting prospect awaited: the main mission of our trip – our search for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper was about to begin!
1st July, 2011: Karaginsky Island
Enjoying the scenery over breakfast, Adam gave a lecture about Georg Steller and his legacy before Cristof Zockler gave us an introductory lecture on the endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Even those on our expedition who were not ornithologists were fascinated by the story of this unique wader, which is probably enjoying its last chance at survival. After this introduction, we were all excited to begin our search – the opportunity to participate in a scientific effort to save this unique and endangered species was indeed thrilling.
After lunch, Rodney outlined our plans for the afternoon. We were going to land on the southern part of Karaginsky Island and split into groups, led by experienced birders to look for the Sandpiper in suitable habitats. We duly landed on a sandy beach, the sun shining brightly and promising a great walk; there we split into four groups and started out into the tundra. It was an incredible afternoon for birding! We were blessed by the weather again and this area was a waterfowl paradise with small lakes, lagoons and a river nearby. We saw numerous Dunlins, Mergansers, Long-tailed Skuas, Lapland Buntings and Divers. The group that went to the river even saw some Red-necked Stints. But there was no sign of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper today.
After a couple of hours the weather had deteriorated slightly, so some people decided to go back to the ship to warm up while many stayed until the last Zodiac, enjoying various birds and tundra plants.
The bravest stayed until 7pm, and came back just in time for a great dinner from Brad and Nicki. Our Israeli friends had a little Shabat celebration, which was really nice. After dinner Adam held the daily reading of the bird list and then most of us went straight to bed, as it had been a long day.
2nd July, 2011: Verkhoturova Island, Cape Conspicuous
We were woken by Marie’s sweet voice, announcing cheerfully that it was 5.30am and that another beautiful day awaited us.
First on the agenda today was Verkhoturova Island, north of Karaginsky, which is noted for its bird cliffs and a haul out of Steller’s Sea Lions.
We made a landing on a gravel beach and faced a steep climb to the top of the bird cliffs. It was a great chance to get a magazine quality shot of some of these birds. On top of that, our keen birders spotted a flock of Steller’s Eiders amongst the reefs. It was a new and exciting tick for many, including most of the guides. We spent an incredible couple of hours above the bird colony and everyone marvelled at the beauty of the unspoiled landscape. Many practiced their photography skills or went for a walk on the grassy slopes. On the way back quite a few people spotted a Red Fox of an unusual silvery variety, which was a treat even after what we had seen.
Next we set out for a Zodiac cruise along the coast towards the Sea Lion rocks. And undoubtedly they were there: about forty-five non-breeding animals were hauled out. We had a beautiful encounter, getting close enough to the animals to get some decent shots and views without disturbing them. Not a single animal was alarmed as we slowly drifted past them and then made a wide loop around to avoid them catching our smell.
Later in the afternoon, back at the ship, we prepared ourselves for the next landing. Anchored off the Koryak mainland at Cape Conspicuous (Primetny in Russian) this was meant to be our bear-watching hotspot. And it did not let our expectations down. We started with a Zodiac cruise along the coast, immediately spotting our first bear – a female with two cubs – as we approached the coast. We had some amazing views as the female took her cubs along the shoreline and up the hill. Again, it was a pleasure to see the animal relaxed and not in the least worried by our presence. We then proceeded along the coast and spotted quite a few more of these magnificent animals. As well as bears we also sighted King Eiders and Arctic Hare. Due to the number of bears in the area and especially on the beach, the decision was made to abandon our original idea of landing in the gully and to proceed instead with Zodiac cruising past a shipwreck of an old fish trawler, now inhabited by gulls. We went down the coast a few more times and spotted a couple more bears; the total number was eleven, including young.
It had been an incredible day filled with excitement and special experiences. We returned to the ship happy, but exhausted. The bar opened as soon as Marie came back and we enjoyed some drinks and excited discussion before going to dinner. Just after this we were informed that the next morning was going to be a very early start as well, so everyone went to bed as soon as possible.
3rd July, 2011: Tintikun Lagoon, Pakhachi village
Another great start to the day – almost no clouds in the sky and not the slightest breeze. Tintikun lagoon is a unique place, where the magic of the wild Koryak coast can really be felt. The lagoon has a narrow and shallow entrance so today’s Zodiac landing involved a walk for about twenty minutes, while the drivers took the boats up the creek.
After seeing some birds on the way up, we reunited with the boats and drove around the lagoon on an astonishing cruise. The scenery was beyond words with snow-clad mountains appearing from out of the clouds and beautiful slopes covered with dwarf birch and pine.
We made several short landings on the sides of the lagoon to enjoy the scenery and look for bears. Unfortunately, our ‘bear luck’ seemed to be running out and we saw only two in the distance. However, as if to compensate, the clouds suddenly lifted off the mountains above the lagoon and a rainbow appeared above the turquoise surface of the water. We could barely drag ourselves from this magnificent place, but eventually it was time to go back. Back on the Enderby we weighed anchor and steamed towards Pakhachi, where we were to pick up some Russian scientists who are working on a Spoon-billed Sandpiper recovery project.
Pakhachi used to be a large fishing village of up to 5000 people but when stocks of herring ran out the industry collapsed, and only about 400 people remain in the village. There is still a limited fishing industry, but the desolation and the level of degradation is awfully evident. The village is one of the saddest sights in Russia’s remote places, however people there seem to be content with their existence.
On the other hand it is a very special place for birding. The Slaty-backed Gull colony is considered the biggest in the world, with almost 20,000 pairs nesting there. There were also quite a few Aleutian Terns around and huge flocks of very shy Common Eiders on the sand islands. Many Largha seals also popped out of the surf to check us out.
Completed by a beautiful sunset, the day turned out to be perfect again. We were all tired and happy when we got to the ship and enjoyed a late dinner and early bedtime.
4th July, 2011: Anana Lagoon
This was to be a big day in our search for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. With our Russian ornithologists Evgeny and Elena onboard, some serious searching could now begin. We were all divided into several teams; each one with its designated area for the search. The Enderby was to stay at anchor at Anana Bay all day, giving us the freedom to explore the area and look for the elusive bird.
First of all a scout boat was sent to explore the area, which has not been visited by scientists in many years; the ornithologists deemed the habitat suitable, but a little dry, so our hopes were raised for possible success. A plan was formed.
The first three groups departed at 9.45am and were to spend the whole day on the tundra. They were led by Evgeny and Elena, Christof and Chris. The entrance to the lagoon is crossed by a bar, where tidal flows meet the river; and with the wind picking from the other side we had a bit of fun crossing the bar, but once through, it was deep enough to drive at full speed.
The rest of the teams were to depart an hour later. They were given a triangular search area between two river arms.
All the groups did a great job of scanning their areas but unfortunately our efforts were not rewarded with success - the tundra was rather bare and dry (though this made it absolutely perfect for walking!). Tired, but happy with an exciting day, we returned to the ship in the evening.
5th July, 2011:
We woke to a truly glorious morning. Several Gray Whales were spotted blowing in the distance, sea birds flew around and the lagoon, with its long spits covered in crowberry tundra, looked very promising.
A scout boat was again sent out to explore the area and make a plan for the day. Returning for breakfast, we could hear the excitement in their voices: the place looked like fantastic Sandpiper habitat, and even a few bears were spotted on the shore.
At the briefing we were divided into groups again to maximize our efforts in looking for our quarry. Three groups were to search the spits while the rest would enjoy a small walk in the tundra and a climb on a hill, from where we could get a stunning view of the surroundings.
As the Zodiacs departed, the non-searching groups got ready for their trip. It was to be a long day. We stopped in the middle of the river to enjoy the beautiful crowberry tundra and then climbed a rocky hill. Reaching the top we were stunned by the view that opened before us: amazing tundra and hills all around, sea birds nesting on the cliff just below and three Gyrfalcons flying around – the birds were quite obviously nesting there too. While we sat enjoying the view (attacked by clouds of mosquitoes) we heard an exciting message on the radio – Chris’ group had found a Spoon-billed Sandpiper! After all the anxiety and uncertainty, after months of careful planning and hours of exhausting searching, we had finally succeeded! Everybody was cheering and congratulating one another! It was certainly the most exciting news not just of the day, but of the whole voyage. The walking group returned to the ship for lunch where we heard more news – our searching parties had found three more birds and a nest with three eggs in it.
While they continued searching, the rest of us set out on a Zodiac cruise to see a group of Gray Whales close by. There were some very good sightings and we spent quite some time hanging out with these magnificent animals.
When all parties had returned and were enjoying the bar, some border guards came to inspect our ship. It cast a slight shadow on the day, because the inspection lasted for three hours but nothing could possibly spoil this the best day of the expedition! It had been a huge success and great joy to find another breeding site for this incredibly endangered bird.
Tired and excited, we went to bed with the prospect of another early morning to follow: we would be heading north to look out for walruses and Snow Sheep.
6th July, 2011: Petra and Pavla Bay, Anastasia Bay
Yet another glorious day. Not a cloud in the sky, sun shining and unimaginable scenery around.
We enjoyed views of a few bears as we sailed into Pavla Bay – a beautiful fiord, one of the most beautiful locations along the Koryak coast. We were meant to look out for walruses in the morning because we were passing a well-documented haul out on Bogoslov Island, but unfortunately only one animal was spotted in the water (and also one dead on the beach).
It was going to be a long day so we started it with a bit of exercise by taking a mountain walk from Pavla to Petra Bay. Because of the late season, the walk turned out to be a bit more challenging than expected, with people practicing their snow-walking techniques!
As the walking group disappeared over the horizon, the rest of our party set off for a Zodiac cruise along the coast; they were rewarded with a great encounter, a bear and some Largha seals at the head of the fiord. Zodiac safely returned, the Enderby was shifted to Petra Bay to meet the walkers on the other side - it was such an exciting experience with all that snow on top of the mountains.
After lunch we took the Zodiacs to Anastasia Bay to look around another walrus haul out and to search for a few more appropriate Spoon-billed Sandpiper habitats. It was a very long boat ride across the shallow bay but we were rewarded with beautiful tundra and riverbanks inhabited by many birds (including Steller’s Sea Eagles) and a few Largha seals at the entrance.
Dividing into two groups on both sides of the bay we searched once more for our rare bird. Though the habitat looked promising there was no sign of the Sandpiper, though there were plenty of signs of bears. As we set out for the ship, we were blessed with another breathtaking sunset: mountains in the background and rays of sunshine breaking through dramatic clouds.
The following day we were going to the village of Menypilgino to observe some Spoon-billed Sandpipers and to pick up some nests and chicks, which we were to transfer to Anadyr. Looking forward to all of this, we called it a day to get some well-deserved rest.
7th July, 2011: Maynipilgino village
We enjoyed a nice lie in and woke to a serene morning at the village of Maynipilgyno: it looked so neat and pretty with its colourful little houses on the spit, against a background of mountains.
The morning was spent lazily observing some Gray Whales blowing around the ship, while our team negotiated the formalities with the border guards and our ornithologists made a plan for the day.
After an early lunch we headed out for shore, divided into two groups and aimed for some known nests of Spoon-billed Sandpiper. The first group set out early, landing at the village and walking on the tundra for about 2km to a nest. The other group loaded into four boats and set out for a long drive to the farther end of the spit, where two nests had been observed by our scientists.
Both groups got to see the bird before returning to the village, where a cultural performance was being prepared – there was a yaranga (traditional Chukchi house) and an ensemble of young girls dressed in traditional celebration clothing. The performance started as soon as we landed, and the dancing was genuine and lively. Everyone really enjoyed themselves; watching these traditional dances in the environment in which they had developed was something really special, and we all felt we learned a little about the Chukchi culture. As the dancing finished, there followed a demonstration at the yaranga in which an elderly Chukchi woman showed us how they used to make fire before the modern era. We were then invited inside to see how these people used to live.
It was a great evening. As we returned to the ship we passed numerous Largha Seals, swimming side by side with a small pod of Beluga Whales and many Gray Whales all blowing and popping their heads out of the water just outside the spit.
Before heading to bed, the expedition staff ensured that the eggs and chicks of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper collected today were made ready for transportation to Anadyr where they would be an essential part of a captive breeding program.
8th July, 2011: Maynipilgino village
The day started even earlier than planned: we were woken for a briefing before breakfast. Our activities looked very promising and we were to be divided into two groups again to accommodate everyone’s desires. The first group to start were the birders who went upriver to land on another spit and look for some nests of Emperor Geese. The other group loaded into Zodiacs a bit later and went for a long cruise around the river mouth to look for Grey Whales and Largha Seals. The whales were blowing and turning and flapping their fins just a few metres away from the boat – an incredible sight! They were not in the least afraid of our presence, which made the experience even more valuable. We spent three enjoyable hours playing with them and then headed back to the ship to have some lunch.
Meanwhile our birding group had found their Emperor Geese, as well as spotting a few White-billed Divers.
And after a breathtaking morning we still had an amazing afternoon! The whale-watching group landed on the spit to continue observing, while the birders remained in the field to be picked up later.
Eventually we had to call it a day and everyone was collected: we returned to our floating home to enjoy a beautiful evening sharing stories.
But before we could go to bed one more excitement awaited: late in the evening the ship approached the mouth of the Pika River and to our amazement we observed that the whole stretch of the beaches under the cliff were crowded with walruses – thousands of them.
We couldn’t pass up such a chance – a Zodiac launch was announced. The evening was magical beyond words: Gray Whales blowing in front of the rookery, a beautiful sunset behind us and the quiet bliss of the incredible wilderness all around – no one could be left untouched by its spell.
9th July, 2011: Pika River
Today was the earliest morning yet – anyone who wanted to participate in the Zodiac cruise had to wake up at 4.30am. But it was worth it! We were lucky with the weather again and for about an hour and a half we circled around the edge of the rookery, watching the animals hauling out. Quite a few walruses swam around and Grey Whales were still everywhere to be seen.
Then we approached as close as possible without disturbing the animals, anchored one boat and tied the others to it, turning the engines off, and just waited and observed. It was a moment of pure happiness when whales dived right under our boats and curious walruses approached as close as a few metres.
One can never have enough of such experiences and we would have loved to stay there for hours, but time was pressing if we were to reach Anadyr in time. It had been a fortuitous decision to stay at this anchorage last night: three hours of peaceful whale and walrus watching made for a true culmination to our journey – the best ending possible and our last magical memory.
With some free time after lunch we had an Expedition Recap and slideshow, recalling every magical day since setting sail from Petropavlovsk all those days ago. After this, Evgeny Syroechkovsky (one of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper team) explained a bit more about their project and the importance of our expedition for the conservation of the species. There were more chicks hatched onboard than there were on land – by the end of the voyage we had fifteen chicks and four eggs on our hands. Evgeny thanked Rodney and Heritage Expeditions for organising this trip and making it such a success: it was very touching and Evgeny and Christof gave Rodney a Spoon-billed Sandpiper T-shirt as a memento – he was now a member of an elite SBS Group!
After a farewell dinner we all went to pack and relax before tomorrow’s departure.
10th July, 2011: Anadyr
After some to-ing and fro-ing with the authorities and weather we were finally delivered ashore safely and on time. The last of our group observed the expedition crew bringing the SBS team ashore, with chicks and incubators safe and sound.
Back on solid ground again we were very sad to say farewell to the ship and our fellow voyagers. This had been an unforgettable journey, very special in so many ways and difficult to put into words: it was one of those experiences never to be forgotten.
