1534: Jewel of the Russian Far East 31 Aug 2015

Monday, Aug. 31st 2015
Anadyr
Coordinates: 12 a.m. 44°42’ N, 177°35’ E
Weather: sunny, calm, 9°C
Fauna and Flora: Beluga Whales, Vega Gull, Black Legged Kittiwake

This was the day of arrival. Some of us came with the Professor Khromov into the Bay of Anadyr last night while others arrived from Nome or Moscow by plane in the afternoon. We used the time to explore Anadyr and get used to the Russian way of shopping, finding out that coffee-shops are closed on Mondays in the Far East. On our strolls we passed the beautiful Orthodox church and had views of the harbour area with its many colourful cranes. We boarded the ship group by group, using various floatable vehicles to cross the bay and reach the barge to our ship. Once aboard we made ourselves comfortable in our cabins before meeting in the lecture room for a first general briefing and to be introduced to the expedition team. After the delicious dinner many enjoyed the twilight on the outside decks and later the bright moonlight.

Tuesday, Sep. 1st 2015
Egvekinot
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 66°11’ N, 179°06’ E
Weather: sunny, calm, 11°C,
Fauna and Flora: Humpback Whales, Orcas, Short Tailed Shearwater, Black Legged Kittiwake, Vega Gull, Pommarine Skua, Arctic Blueberry, Mountain Avens, Crow Berry

Long before breakfast we went through a large Humpback Whale feeding area and could spot many small groups in the distance. Here and there single individuals breached in front our lenses. The spectacle was overlooked by hundreds of Short Tailed Shearwaters and gulls.
After breakfast we enjoyed the nice weather and views over Kresta Bay. Later we reached Egvekinot, a remote mining settlement. Here we completed our practical Life Boat drill after yesterday’s safety introduction. Straight after lunch we went ashore, firstly to the local museum, housing artefacts of the history, biology and geology of the region. There we joined a little guided tour and learned about a Soviet mining company. Tin, uranium and other elements were the main focus of their activity in the area. Next we boarded a bus to go north and visit the well marked Polar Circle. At this landmark we could see the ruins of some stone houses built with the bare hands of Gulag prisoners. Everybody went across the Polar Circle mark and took photographs before the bus returned to the town on the dusty gravel road. The landscape we went through was beautiful, with dark, jagged mountain peaks pointed into the blue sky, while the valleys were covered by rich autumn coloured tundra.

©E.Lindner

Wednesday, Sep. 2nd 2015
Gavrilla Bay
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 63°28’ N, 179°48’E
Weather: overcast, moderate breeze, 7°C,
Fauna and Flora: Crested Auklet, Least Auklet, Common Guillemot, Northern Fulmar, Gray Whale, Arctic Crowberry, Oyster Leaf, Ground Squirrel, Brown Bears

The morning was spent at sea and the ship rolled a bit in the open water, so not all felt like eating breakfast. Some of us first had to grow sea legs! Those who already had them joined Katya for an historical overview on the Kamchatka region from the 17th century until today. After the more or less peaceful takeover by Cossacks, who traded with the Chukchi people, the Soviet Union era erased almost all their language and culture. The political change in Russia in the 1990s was yet another big challenge for the Chukchi people.
Shortly after this presentation, Samuel introduced all birds of the auk family that we might see on this voyage. Soon we could identify Least Auklets from Common Guillemots and Crested Auklets from Horned Puffins by ourselves.
After lunch Rodney held a Zodiac briefing and talked about our next landing site, before we went on our first (and rather rough) Zodiac outing. We went ashore in Bukhta Gavrilla, just south of the buildings of a former weather station. Some of us got wet feet due to the heavy swell during the landing and a ground squirrel welcomed us ashore, performing beautifully for our lenses. Right at the landing site we found a depression in the ground that might have been the sleeping hole of a Brown Bear. Here and there we also found fresh bear droppings on the ground. It wasn’t long before the first bear was spotted in the distance, as well as a group of cranes resting in the tundra. We walked across beds of crowberries and cranberries and had to watch out for squirrel burrows. These small mammals were even active in the garbage at the abandoned station. They rushed through and underneath piles of rusty, hollow barrels and we could see their tracks everywhere. We also found more bear tracks, another sleeping depression and more droppings. Far in the distance we could see another bear …

©E.Lindner

Thursday, Sep. 3rd 2015
Pika River & Meinypilgyno
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 62°30’ N, 178°05’E
Weather: overcast & drizzle, light breeze, 11°C,
Fauna and Flora: Walrus, Pelagic Shag, Least Auklets, Black Legged Kittiwake, Gray Whale, Harebell, Arctic Poppy, Marsh Five-finger, Exuberant Wormwood

We arrived at the entrance of Pika River in the early morning, but the mist and drizzle made it difficult to make out the coastline. A scout Zodiac went out straight after breakfast to see what might be awaiting us. They found many walrus hauled out at the landing site so we opted for a Zodiac cruise. We came across many small groups of Pacific Walrus and some got pretty curious, surfacing closer and closer to the boats. Some larger groups seemed to want to play hide and seek with us and it was wonderful to watch this natural play. The main group of more than one hundred animals remained hauled out under a steep sedimentary cliff and we could hear them calling and burping from quite a distance. Just as loud were the hundreds of kittiwakes that were calling and flying around their nesting sites in the dark volcanic dykes in the cliff.
Some miles further west was the settlement of Meinypilgyno. Its sea side is sheltered by some elongated islands that create a narrow lagoon in front of the village. The tidal current created wild waves in front of the only entrance to the lagoon, and on our way through this gap we spotted a couple of blows from Gray Whales, which we hoped we would see again later. As we arrived at the village we were welcomed by locals who guided us towards the tiny local museum and around the settlement. The museum housed a lot of Chukchi artefacts telling the story of their local history with pieces from daily household life, instruments for the hunt or traditional clothing. Some artefacts seemed very old, but we were told that no archaeologist has been there to study the finds so far.
After the museum visit we were invited to the cultural house, where the children had prepared traditional souvenirs and a programme of Chukchi songs and dances for us. All were nicely dressed in traditional clothing from the youngest to the oldest. To return to the ship we had to pass through the narrow, wild mouth again, but before we reached it we encountered a single Gray Whale. Its brothers and sisters were awaiting us outside the narrows and two of them even followed us through the wild water into calmer seas where we spent about an hour watching and photographing them.

©E.Lindner

©E.Lindner

©E.Lindner

Friday, Sep. 4th 2015
Bukhta Natalii & Bukhta Pavla
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 61°12’ N, 172°22’E
Weather: overcast & drizzle, light breeze, 10°C,
Fauna and Flora: Marsh Five-finger, Shrubby Alder, Siberian Mountain Ash & Dwarf Birch, Arctic Warbler, Larga Seal, Crested Puffins, Horned Puffins.

We started the morning with a hike in Bukhta Natalii, close to an old fish factory and border guard station. The landscape differed a lot from the last days with small alder trees and willows covering the slopes and very lush vegetation. Despite the grey sky, autumn colours dominated the landscape in all nuances of green, yellow and red. As soon as we left the landing site we found the first remains of the former fish factory. Rusted engines and piles of thousands of unused tins were strewn about. The vegetation had conquered the place again with willows and fireweed covering the ground. We continued on past the buildings where once herring and salmon were dried to see the derelict houses. The rusty border guards’ tower overlooked the area and afforded us a good view over the landscape. We harvested bushes of crow berries, blueberries and lingonberries as we explored the area. Bears had also been foraging in these bushes as we found a lot more droppings and sleeping depressions they had left behind.
During lunch the ship repositioned to Bukhta Pavla. Twenty five brave hikers set off into the mist and rain to stretch their legs on the tundra for a few hours. On their return they reported seeing a Brown Bear mother with two cubs and also some Ground Squirrels. The remainder of our group used the Zodiacs to explore the shorelines of the fjord. We had nice encounters with Larga Seals and Pelagic Cormorants and when possible we landed to walk amongst the beautiful rhododendron tundra. Once we were back aboard, the ship repositioned again to the next fjord to pick up the cold and wet hikers from a cold and wet beach. The day ended with yet another delicious dinner and a short recap on wildlife and plants seen during the day.

©E.Lindner

©E.Lindner

Saturday, Sep. 5th 2015
Laguna Tintikun
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 60°05’ N, 168°37’E
Weather: partly cloudy, light breeze, 11°C,
Fauna and Flora: Brown Bear, Larga Seal, Orca, Humpback Whale, Common Merganser, Harlequin Duck, Slaty Backed Gull, Raven, Kamchatka Pine, Shrubby Alder, Lapland Cornel

This morning we were awoken by the Chief Mate calling “whale, port side!” We rushed up onto the decks to see three Orca nearby. Once outside, we noticed that the ship had attracted hundreds of gulls that were flying overhead or landing all over the decks and fighting for the best positions. Fulmars and yet more gulls followed us as we made our way south along the Koriakian coastline.
After lunch we anchored in front of Laguna Tintikun and were dropped ashore at the mouth of a short river to hike along a bear path near the coast while the Zodiacs moved up-stream in the shallow waters. We started out walking through a lush meadow, but soon the vegetation changed into dry berry-lichen fields with stands of alder and pine. At the entrance of the lake we boarded the Zodiacs again and cruised along the shoreline until we reached a little spit with running water. Here we found the promised thermal water pool and also had our first close Brown Bear encounter. He was very shy and left us to enjoy the pool, so that brave swimmers could enjoy both the dip in the 10°C cold water and the 35°C warm water of the tiny, natural spring. We continued to hike up to the head of the lake and watched large groups of Slaty-backed Gulls sitting on the beaches, contrasting dramatically with the yellow-green forest landscape around them. Deep bear tracks marked the ground and lots of dead fish ringed the beach. Mushrooms were hidden under grass and shrubs and then we spotted another bear high up on the hillside. We trekked further east to where the crew had prepared us a picnic of crackers, cookies, cheese and soft drinks. Most popular of all however was the tea and coffee made with clear Kamchatka water, boiled over an open camp fire! While we enjoyed our tea, two bears showed up at the hot spring across the lake and one of them even took a dip before disappearing in the vegetation. What a marvellous bear story!

©E.Lindner

©E.Lindner

Sunday, Sep. 6th 2015
Koryakskiy Reserve/Bear Gully & Verhoturova Island
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 59°51’ N, 166°04’E
Weather: overcast, drizzle, fresh breeze, 12°C,
Fauna and Flora: Brown Bear, Mountain Pine, many lichens

We set out very early today to investigate a place named ‘Bear Gully’. It was pretty windy when we boarded the Zodiacs so we got a pretty wild ride as we checked out an old shipwreck that was sitting on the rocks. After circling it a few times we went on to the landing site, where we spotted a mother bear with two cubs that ran away as we approached. We landed and hiked up a little valley. Beautiful lichen tundra grew between the dominant Mountain Pine bushes where we sat quietly for a time hoping for wildlife to approach. A mother bear with cubs was spotted in the distance and warblers and ravens filled the silence with their calls as the wind increased.
While we made our way to Verhoturova Island we attended a lecture from Elke about vegetation adaptations. We learned about the different gradients that influence the presence of the single plant species and composition as well as the reason for their growth forms and reproduction strategies. Then it was time to check out our new found knowledge on the island. Many of us went ashore and to stretch our legs. On the tundra above the beach, alder and rhododendron were the dominant plants, but squeezing themselves well into the ground so that they would be sheltered by the rest of the vegetation were many different lichens, dwarf birch and cloudberry. Slaty-backed Gulls were playing in the brisk wind, where small passerines struggled a little. Our time enjoying the view and the tundra was, as always, over too soon and we returned to the Spirit of Enderby.

Monday, Sep. 7th 2015
Karaginsky Island
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 58°35’ N, 163°31’E
Weather: overcast, drizzle, fresh breeze, 10°C
Fauna and Flora: Short Tailed Shearwater, Black Legged Kittiwake, Northern Fulmar, Crested Auklet

In the morning we awoke in low visibility as the ship made the most of the shelter of Karaginsky Island. We had hoped to go ashore, but the coastline was completely exposed to the incoming waves and would have made landings rather dangerous. The weather forecast was for even stronger winds, so we decided to head southwards.
In the morning we joined Samuel to learn about the history of Vitus Bering's expeditions. He told us how time consuming his expeditions had been, starting all the way from St. Petersburg to Okhotsk, with equipment and workers crossing more or less uninhabited land. Their ships were built on site and they sailed out into unknown seas to explore the eastern edge of the Russian empire. Bering sailed as far as the entrance to the Arctic ocean before he returned to St. Petersburg and started out again. In the end he and his men discovered the Alaskan coast and the Aleut Islands.
Katya and Olga gave a talk later about the history and the wildlife of the Commander Islands, named in honour of Commander Vitus Bering, who died at the age of 60 on Bering Island. It was there that his ship and crew were stranded after sailing from the Alaskan coast, thinking they had already reached Kamchatka. The lecture was ended prematurely though when a larger than usual wave rolled the ship over and tipped people out of their chairs, so most decided to retreat to their cabins. As predicted the winds increased as we left the shelter of Karaginsky Island so our course was altered for a time so it was a little calmer for lunch in the restaurant. As soon as we resumed our course however the rock and roll started again. It was time to rest in bunks or sit down with a good book.

Tuesday, Sep. 8th 2015
Bering Island: Nikolskoye, Northwest Cape
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 55°20’ N, 165°20’E
Weather: overcast, drizzle, gentle breeze, 11°C
Fauna and Flora: Red Legged Kittiwake, Laysan Albatross, Harlequin Duck, Steller Sea Lion, Fur Seal, Arctic Fox, Big Monkshood, Eared Dwarf Gentian, Scouring Rush Horsetail

The bad weather delayed our arrival at the Commander Islands, so Samuel gave a presentation in the morning about German naturalist Georg Steller, who found and described a lot of new animals and plant species during Vitus Bering's voyage. Steller survived the shipwreck and reached Russia, but unfortunately died at the age of 37 on the way to St. Petersburg. We had also time for birdwatching, so many of us saw our first Laysan Albatross and the Red Legged Kittiwake on this voyage.
At 10:30am we were cleared to go ashore at the main town on the Commander Islands, Nikolskoe which has approximately 600 inhabitants of both of Russian and Aleutian origin. We went along the coast road until we could see the monument to Vitus Bering and his vessel. Close by we found the museum and had a guided tour through the exhibits. The skeleton of the Steller's Sea Cow and a bust of Virus Bering were the most popular items. After our visit we had time to stroll around the town. Some of us spotted Harlequin Ducks and Sea Otters along the shoreline while others went along the main road between the houses. A lot of buildings, including the school and kindergarten, had recently been renovated and we noticed lots of playgrounds so decided there must be lots of children around. After a bumpy and wet ride back to the ship, the captain repositioned towards the Northwest Cape. Here we went ashore straight after lunch and enjoyed a nice walk through the high meadows. Our walk took us to a wooden platform above a sandy beach where hundreds of Fur Seals and some Steller Sea Lions were hauled out. What a view! Close to a second platform we could also observe Red Eyed Shags and Horned Puffins. It was a real marine wildlife paradise!

©E.Lindner

©E.Lindner

Wednesday, Sep. 9th 2015
Bering Island: Bukhta Lisinskaya to Bukhta Gladkovskaya
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 54°49’ N, 166°28’E
Weather: overcast, gentle breeze, 11°C
Fauna and Flora: Red Legged Kittiwake, Laysan Albatross, Harlequin Duck, Steller Sea Lion, Bering's Sea Otter, Arctic Fox, Orca, Baird's Beaked Whale, Big Monkshood

We had a calm night again with the ship anchored in Lisinskaya Bay. After breakfast five Zodiacs were launched and we took a three hour cruise along the coast. Along the way we found numerous Sea Otters living in the kelp and looking at us curiously as we passed by. Hundreds of cormorants inhabited the small rocks along the shoreline in this incredible landscape. Here and there waterfalls tumbled down richly vegetated slopes and in two bays we spotted Arctic Foxes. Horned Puffins flew overhead and on one island we found a large colony of Red Legged Kittiwakes. We noted that their song was higher pitched than those of their black legged cousins and admired them despite the loud concert they were determined to give. The roof of their colony was inhabited by numerous Crested Puffins, but we could not hear them calling above the sound of the kittiwakes. At the end of the Zodiac cruise we landed for a short time. The tundra was rather high and lush so it was a challenge to walk amongst it, but it was a good place for a little quiet time if you didn’t want to join the bird photo hunt.
The wind had intensified when we returned to the ship so we decided to stay on the sheltered western side of the Commander Islands to avoid the swell of the northeast coasts. It was time for some whale watching as we cruised along admiring the landscape. Later, two Orca were spotted along with a good number of albatrosses. Then we saw a group of Baird's Whales in the distance and through our binoculars could see some breaching. The chefs offered hot chocolate on the sunny and warm front deck as we observed the seas and skies. Just before the bar opened a small group of Humpback Whales crossed our path, with some playfully showing off their flukes.

©E.Lindner

Thursday, Sep. 10th 2015
Kamchatka: at Sea & Bukhta Olga
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 54°29’ N, 161°41’E
Weather: clear sky, gentle breeze, 10°C
Fauna and Flora: Kamchatka Sea Otter, Gray Whale, Kamchatka Brown Bear, Steller's Sea Eagle

The morning began with a stunning sunrise close to the Kamchatka coast. In the far distance the 3,521m high Kronotskaya Sopka volcano looked out over the coast of the Kronotsky Peninsula. The morning programme began with Elke talking about plate tectonics in general which zoomed in to local happenings. We learned that the area we were in was also geologically very special. We had already moved across the American plate, along the zone where the American and the Pacific plates glide together and at noon we anchored in front of the Volcanic arc, where the Pacific plate is sub-ducted and melted down. This area is related to Hawaii, since the peninsula includes rock from ancient sea mounts that many million years ago produced today’s Hawaiian hotspot.
Katya later talked about the Sea Otters. There are three different groups from California via the Aleutian Islands down to the Kuril Islands. Hundreds of years ago they were under threat due to hunting by both Russian and American hunters when 2,000-4,000 animals were killed each decade for their fur. Today the Aleutian population suffers from the hunting pressure of Orca whales, probably because the big whales have switched their usual fish or Sea Lion diet for Sea Otter because of declining stock.
Early in the afternoon we anchored in Olga Bay where the Kronotskaya posed majestically with his snow covered flanks in the sunlight. After lunch we went ashore after stopping to view some Gray Whales as we approached the coastline. After landing we met some local rangers and divided into two groups heading in different directions as we looked for wildlife. Some of us met Steller's Sea Eagles and others saw Brown Bears on their beach walk. Bear tracks mixed frequently with the tracks of hiking boots and tyre treads. Two bears appeared while we were at the ranger station. One was successfully fishing in the river and not bothered at all by our presence. We followed him back to our landing side were he delayed the last two Zodiacs return to the ship. This special day ended with a beautiful sunset behind the chain of volcanoes and a yummy dinner in the restaurant.

©E.Lindner

©S.Blanc

Friday, Sep. 11th 2015
Kamchatka: Zhupanova River
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 53°41’ N, 159°06’E
Weather: clear sky, gentle breeze, 12°C
Fauna and Flora: Kamchatka Sea Otter, Steller's Sea Eagle, Larga Seals, Stone Birch, Down Alder

We awoke to another stunning sunrise and a great morning and after breakfast we were ready for our final outing on this voyage – a Zodiac river cruise. To get to the river we firstly had to negotiate the labyrinth of the water covered estuary where shallows interchanged with deeper water where our inflatable fleet could move. The Zodiacs got stuck a few times and the drivers had to wade through the water, pulling or pushing the craft through the shallows. We finally reached the river where the first Steller's Sea Eagle awaited us and continued upstream to see a large group of hauled out Larga Seals. A helicopter flew overhead and startled them so they rapidly returned to the water. We continued on and came across three more eagles around the corner. One was posing on a sand bank while another adult flew over, checking us out so most people got good close up photographs. Those who did not manage to capture that one did not have to wait long until a juvenile eagle settled on a branch over the river and offered us another audience. Throughout our journey the majestic snow covered peak of the Zhupanovskaya volcano (1,707m) was a constant backdrop above the alder forest.
Before we returned to the ship we had a short tour of a salmon farm at the river mouth. It was interesting to discover that the owner of the farm also owns the river! They fish here five days a week for just a few weeks of the year and during that time many thousands of tons of salmon are landed.
Back aboard the Spirit of Enderby we started to pack and prepare to disembark, occasionally taking a stroll on deck to admire the Karymsky volcano (1,468m) in the distance which had started to smoke. This volcano is one of the most active in the area and regularly blasts steam and ash high up in the sky, making a good show for us to observe until it got completely dark. In the afternoon we assembled in the Lecture Room for a disembarkation briefing and an excellent slide show of our voyage.

©SBlanc

©E.Lindner

Saturday, Sep. 12th 2015
Kamchatka: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy
Coordinates: 8:00 a.m. 53°02’ N, 158°36’E
Weather: overcast, light breeze, 10°C

This morning we arrived in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. It was still dark when we took the pilot on board and we could see lights on the coast and anchored vessels all around the Gulf of Avachinskaya. What a busy place! We were back at civilisation. Behind the city towered the beautiful volcanic cones of Koryakskaya Sopka (3,456m) and Avachinskaya Sopka (2,741m). On the other side of the gulf the snow covered Vilyuchinskaya Sopka started to shine red in the early morning light. We tied up at the pier during breakfast and said farewell to our floating home, boarding the buses that would take us into town. What a wonderful voyage it had been!