1532: Across the Top of the World 17 Aug 2015

 
 
Day 1
Monday, 17 August , 2015
Anadyr

We all arrived into Anadyr, the capital of Chukotka autonomous district, from various directions. Some enjoyed a short charter flight from Nome, others came all the way from Moscow. Those of us who arrived from Nome had a chance to go across the river with Katya and spend some time in the town of Anadyr. It was a very interesting few hours and Anadyr, while a small and cozy place, has a lot to offer for those who are interested. The museum was certainly a highlight for many, especially the indigenous and historical display, as well as a very modern interactive Polar Bear exhibition. All who arrived from Moscow went straight to the ship on the barge, which did three runs to ferry everyone across.
Once we were comfortably established on the ship, we had an introductory briefing from our expedition leader Rodney and then a wonderful dinner prepared by our chefs, Ralf and Connor. Soon afterwards we went to bed for a well-deserved sleep.

 
Day 2
Tuesday, 18 August, 2015
 Preobrazheniya Bay

We woke up after a sleep-in to find ourselves speedily approaching Preobrazheniya Bay. The morning began with a number of briefings, including an introduction to the expedition and we had a lifeboat drill straight after lunch.
Then later in the afternoon we went out on a Zodiac cruise to the bird cliffs of Cape Kikilin. The weather played in our favour and it was astounding! The mighty cliffs reaching high into the bright blue sky, covered with thousands upon thousands of birds just blew our minds. We followed the cliff slowly, watching the birds going about their daily lives and enjoyed great views of Black-legged Kittiwakes, Horned and Tufted Puffins, Common and Brunnick's Guillemots and a number of other seabirds mainly from the auk family. It was so calm – which we were told is a rarity in this particular location – that we were able to go around the corner and admire the views of the rocky coastline all the way to Cape Bering. On the return trip the lighting was phenomenal as the cliffs were lit by the setting sun, with birds flashing their black bellies in the foreground. The air traffic was heavy with birds moving back and forth along the cliffs and out to the ocean, busy with their breeding season duties. We also encountered huge flocks of Crested Auklets congregating on the water near the cliffs before going back to the colony.  We made a short landing at the head of the bay on the beautiful crowberry tundra where some enjoyed the berries, while others admired the plants as we took the chance to stretch our legs in this exquisitely scented sunset tundra. Then we all reluctantly went back to the ship to a delicious meal and bed.

©SBlanc 

 
Day 3
Wednesday, 19 August, 2015
Yttygran Island

We woke up to a calm but rainy morning at Yttygran Island. The first item on the agenda was landing at the famous site of ‘Whale Bone Alley’ – an archeological site consisting of the skulls and jaw bones of many Bowhead Whales. Katya explained to us at the briefing that it was a gathering and butchering place for marine mammal hunters from nearby coastal communities and probably a ritual site as well.  Once ashore we divided into teams.  Some went to the top of the saddle while others stayed lower near the bones and scree. Beringia National Park rangers were with us to explain in more detail the significance of this site. We spent a leisurely two hours ashore so everyone could see the things of interest to them. These included the Rough-legged Buzzard for the hill-climbers; ancient whalebones for the slow walkers and close up encounters with the Pikas and even the sighting of an Ermine for the wildlife-spotters.  Once we had all reassembled at the landing site we decided to go whale watching while the weather was good. As we started out in the Zodiacs, Rodney said he wanted to try to go the opposite way around the island from his usual plan, based on some local intelligence and his intuition. It was a long way around, but the gamble paid off! As we turned the corner, we saw a lot of Largha Seals and some Gray Whale spouts. We started a slow and cautious approach and saw some whales feeding and a calf playing near to the mother, but then something quite unexpected happened. One of the whales turned back, approached the boats and started playing with us! He rubbed against the Zodiacs, stuck his head out of the water to be petted and when touched, drew even closer, sprayed us with his blow and even pushed the boats around, but always very gently. It was special beyond any words!!! Despite it being the same population that breeds in Baja, California, where they show such behavior quite often, Gray Whales are hunted in Chukotka, so they are usually wary and cautious. But this whale obviously forgot all the rules and was obviously happy to see us. There was not a single person who left there without a big smile on their face and some even had tears in their eyes. We had touched a whale, looked him in the eye and been spouted at,  how much more amazing can the day get? Overwhelmed with excitement, we returned to the ship.

After lunch we landed near the Gilmimyl hot springs in the Senyavina Strait. Some parties went to greet the friendly locals – Chukchies Ivan, Faina, Vladimir and their offspring, while others went directly to the hot pools.  The cultural exchange went well and we were shown the yaranga, and given some fish, bread and tea – which was all very good. The tundra walkers spotted some cranes before joining the rest of the group in the hot pools.
It was an incredibly satisfying day with so much to remember so no doubt there were some sweet dreams once everyone had retired for the night. ©SBlanc
 

Day 4
Thursday, 20 August, 2015
Cape Dezhnev

Despite the bad weather predictions received from Uelen village the night before we woke to a beautiful morning at Cape Dezhnev. Katya gave a presentation about the old Eskimo settlement of Naukan which was forcedly relocated from this site in 1958. After we landed we wandered around the remains of the village, admiring the old yarangas. Many of us made it to the light-house, while some just strolled through the village reflecting on the lives lived here. Now that all the people are gone from the village, the place was teeming with Ground Squirrels. Many of us enjoyed photographing these rather tame animals in the beautiful weather. After a couple of hours we returned to the ship and sailed further north-west towards Uelen village. Unfortunately their weather predictions had come to pass so we had to abandon the landing and hope we could visit on the way back. A couple of lectures filled the afternoon and a few more Gray Whales were sighted.
©KOvsyanikova

 
Day 5
Friday, 21 August, 2015
Kolyuchin Island

Another calm beautiful morning, this time at Kolyuchin Island. Before breakfast Rodney took a boat to check the known walrus haul-out on the south-eastern side of the island. The walruses were not home, so we stuck to the original plan. We landed below the old Polar weather station and climbed the hill to find bird cliffs right below our feet. It was a sight to see! Horned and Tufted Puffins, Common and Brunick's Guillemots and Kittiwakes were eye to eye with us. It was a paradise for photographers and an absolute joy for any nature lovers. We spent a good two hours on top of the cliff and exploring other areas of interest on the island. We checked out the abandoned weather station buildings, including one in which a Polar Bear had camped out a few years ago (evidence to that was his fur on the floor). Some of us ventured even further and discovered fields of cloudberries.
After we returned to the ship we set course to Wrangel Island. Sailing was very smooth and we were surrounded by a number of Humpback Whales while we were near the Chukotka coastline. After lunch Katya gave a presentation on the future of the Polar Bears in the changing world and then Irina talked about Arctic Foxes and her research on Wrangel Island. It was our first glimpse into the amazing world of Wrangel Island and we were excited to hear about this special place.
©SBlanc 

Day 6
Saturday, 22 August, 2015
Wrangel Island; Doubtful Bay

We made good progress overnight and woke up to see Wrangel Island out of our windows. Preparations were made for our first landing planned to take place once we had met up with the rangers in the afternoon. Firstly we were given an ‘Introduction to Wrangel’ presentation by Katya, in which she gave an overview of the island's history and natural history. Just before lunch we had a compulsory safety briefing/lecture on safety when in Polar Bear country. The method has been developed by Nikita Ovsyanikov, Katya's father and Irina's husband, who has worked on Wrangel Island for over three decades studying the behavior of Arctic predators. The key message of the lecture was to use your brain rather than a rifle to keep both humans and Polar Bears safe. The short lecture was followed by Rodney’s briefing about our upcoming time on Wrangel. He outlined our plans, hopes and intentions, depending on the weather. After lunch we set out for our first landing at the abandoned village in Doubtful Bay. We were met on shore by a group of rangers, who were to accompany us during our time on Wrangel. We went together as a group up the river in search of a piece of mammoth tusk, which according to the rangers had recently washed up in the river bed. Almost immediately we were met by a Snowy Owl and a curious Arctic Fox, who came quite close to us near the buildings. Then we continued on along the riverbank to the mammoth tusk, looking at some tundra, reindeer antlers and a Musk Ox skull along the way. As we went down into the river, two large flocks of Snow Geese flew overhead and landed nearby. They let us approach quite close to them and we got good looks at the geese with their young. Then we split up and some went back to the village and landing side, while others proceeded to the old airstrip and barracks in the tundra.  There they found a dead Wolverine and some nice flowers nearby. Finally, we all got back to the ship and left the group of five that were going on the Overland excursion with Katya.
 

 
 
Day 7
Sunday, 23 August, 2015
Wrangel Island; Dream-Head, Ptichiy Bazar

This morning we awoke to find ourselves off the north-west coast of Wrangel Island near Dream Head. The sun was shining brightly, with only few clouds in the sky and a light veil of mist. We could see several Polar Bears resting along the coastline. Right after breakfast we set out on a Zodiac cruise and spent more than two hours exploring the length of the beach. We cautiously approached two bears that were resting on the tundra and had good views of them before moving on to attempt a better look at another group, but they did not welcome our visit so we decided to leave them alone.
After lunch we sailed towards the Sovetskaya River and Lake Kmo where we landed and divided into three groups to explore the tundra and stretch our legs. Some decided to remain close to the coast while others gained some altitude to view the stunning scenery.
After dinner we embarked on another excursion, this time a Zodiac cruise along the foot of the bird cliffs at Ptichiy Bazar. We watched numerous Brunnick's and some Common Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Black Guillemots – the most common species of the cliffs. On the west side of the cliffs we spotted a number of Polar Bears resting on the tundra. Three of them got up and approached the Zodiac so we got some great photographs of the curious trio. The end of another beautiful day on Wrangel Island!

©ABreniere
 

Day 8
Monday , 24 August, 2015
Wrangel Island; Komsomol Lake

This morning we sent a scout Zodiac to check out the area around Lake Komsomol, where we planned to land. The hut situated on the shore of the lake used to belong to hunters but is now a researchers' field camp. We had seen three bears before the landing, but the rangers confirmed their presence, two of which ran away as they approached while the third was found resting right in the hut! A female looked out of the small cabin as if it was her own, forcing us to abandon the landing attempt. The weather also deteriorated slowly, as was predicted in the forecast. During lunch we recovered the first Overland group and dropped off the second group, who were scheduled to traverse the island in the opposite direction.
By this time the wind had picked up quite considerably and the scout team put in the water to check out Nakhodka Island on the northern tip of Wrangel returned to report that it would not be possible to cross the bar into the lagoon.
So unfortunately we had to wait to see what the following day had to bring and hope for the weather to calm down.

 
Day 9
Tuesday; 25 August, 2015
Herald Island

We woke to a foggy morning off Herald Island. During breakfast we received our instructions to prepare for a Zodiac cruise. We set out towards the island in the cold, admiring mysterious and dramatic cliffs of various colours, which spiked high into the foggy skies. As we travelled we spotted some walruses in the water. We quietly approached them and then held the boats still, while walruses came closer to check us out. They were curious, but wary at the same time. Everybody got pretty good looks at them, as encounters on the water are always better than on land. Then we cruised around the headland and saw more walruses hauled out on the beach and in a small cave. Three Polar Bears were resting on the beach nearby and watching the walrus, hoping to turn them into lunch. It was a quintessential Wrangel scene: rugged and cold surroundings, Polar Bears waiting ashore while the sea is full of walruses swimming around the haul out. This was just as wild and pristine as one imagines this region to be. We also reflected while looking at the beach and Polar Bears on the fate of the four members of Karluk expedition, who met their death on this narrow strip of land.
We went a little further along the coast to the bird cliffs, which were also breathtaking. There is something very special in the cliffs of Herald Island that makes everything look a little surreal and epic. Full of wonder and inspired by what we had seen, but getting steadily colder in the chilly wind, we returned to the ship for a warm up and next adventure.
Unfortunately the weather got the better of us when we got to Dragi Bay. It was very foggy and the swell from the east was breaking roughly on the beach making a landing or even a Zodiac cruise impossible. We went further along the coast to the south, hoping for another chance to land at the Clark River. During this time we watched a documentary filmed by Nikita Ovsyanikov which covered his twenty years of research on the life of Polar Bears. It was very interesting with a lot of unique footage. Later Irina gave a lecture on her favourite subject – Snowy Owls. Irina gave many interesting insights into the life cycle of this magnificent bird which she has studied on Wrangel Island since 1990.

 
Day 10
Wednesday, 26 August, 2015
Leaving Wrangel Island; At sea

The plan was to explore the southern coast of Wrangel Island, but the weather still did not improve. It was blowing 30 knots from the north and together with the swell from the east was creating a very dramatic, but not very workable environment. As a result the last landing had to be abandoned. Now getting the Overland team off the island and the rangers back on it became a recovery mission. The ship moved as close as possible to the Doubtful Spit base and while the staff was busy with the Zodiac operation, Michael gave a lecture on Arctic food webs. Once everyone was back where they were supposed to be, we bade farewell to Wrangel and watched as its rusty tundra and steel-blue mountains dusted with snow disappeared into the mists of the storm. Later Katya gave a lecture on cetaceans before we tucked into our lunch. The roll of the ship did not affect our afternoon programme which began with a documentary on the Karluk expedition. Irina then talked about interactions between Arctic Foxes and Snowy Owls on Wrangel. It was yet another fascinating insight into Irina’s life-long study.

 
Day 11
Thursday, 27 August, 2015
At sea; Kolyuchin Inlet

At breakfast Rodney informed us that we were near Kolyuchin Island and that the walruses were back at their haul-out. Unfortunately the weather was still not suitable for a Zodiac cruise, so we proceeded to Kolyuchin Inlet for our afternoon landing at Belyaka spit.
First ashore were the hardcore birders and hikers group lead by Samuel, who were disembarked before lunch to have as much time as they could to explore. The rest of us landed after lunch in weather that was not ideal, with strong winds blowing across the open tundra. Fortunately the sun soon started to shine through the clouds and the wind, while still strong, was not so bad and the day turned out to be absolutely glorious. Belyaka Spit is a vast open low tundra area with some dune lakes, wetlands and human-made mounds from ancient marine hunters' dwellings and food storage. It is a paradise for birds, particularly migrating waterfowl and waders. Even though the breeding season was largely over, a lot of larger birds were still around. We took off to explore the tundra. Some went over to the lighthouse and hunters/researchers hut nearby, others explored the lakes, some beach-combed along the sea shore. All of us were blown away by the colours of the tundra, the beautiful lighting, birds flying over our heads and just the general sense of space and freedom here. A highlight for many was seeing a number of Yellow-billed Loons flying overhead, calling or foraging on one of the lakes. These magnificent birds which are endemic to this area have a very haunting call.

 
Day 12
Friday, 28 August, 2015
Kolyuchin Island

In an attempt to get some more wildlife sightings, Rodney juggled and re-juggled the itinerary, taking the weather into consideration. Because of the strong winds earlier on, the swell had built up considerably, which affected a lot of the landing spots he had in mind. He made the decision to return to Kolyuchin Island to see the walruses at the haul-out rather than go on to Vankarem village and his gamble paid off! The day started with a Zodiac cruise close to the haul-out before breakfast. Some groups of walrus in the water were quite curious and came right up close to the boats. It was breathtaking to see these magnificent animals so close, hear them and watch them coming up to us and then diving under the surface when they thought we were a bit too close. The swells were wrapping around the corner, so both boats and walruses were going up and down quite substantially, but this only added drama of the scene. We spent a good time with the walruses and then returned to the ship for breakfast.
 
Later we landed on Kolyuchin Island, this time near the hunters' huts, in which the researchers were now stationed. We walked up the hill and over the cloud berry covered tundra to an area above the walrus haul-out where we could observe the animals without them being aware of our presence. It was very special to watch them going about their business and we all enjoyed our time on the top. There was also a pair of Peregrine Falcons flying around some bird cliffs nearby. We returned to the ship for some rest after our eventful morning and then attended some lectures and downloaded our photographs. In the afternoon we were treated to a couple of documentaries and a great lecture by Samuel on one of the most prominent naturalists, Georg Steller, who worked in Siberia in the XVIII century and made a dramatic voyage on the second Kamchatka Expedition under Vitus Bering. Just as we were going to bed there was an announcement on the miraculously resurrected PA system that there was an Aurora (Northern Lights) out on the port side of the ship. At first the lights were quite faint, but later the colours started to deepen and we watched an awesome display. What a way to finish an incredible day!

©SBlanc 

©SBlanc

 
Day 13
Saturday, 29 August, 2015
Ratmanova Island; Lavrentiya

After a lot of strategizing, Rodney managed not only to get us the incredible wildlife encounter the previous day, but also squeeze in both Ratmanova Island and a cultural visit that was scheduled on our itinerary. We approached Ratmanova Island at about 4am in beautiful light and marveled at the beautiful cliffs and astonishing number of birds, especially puffins, guillemots and auklets. We had great views of both Diomede Islands, as well as Cape Dezhnev on the Russian side and Cape Prince of Wales on the US side too. The swell had still not abated so conditions did not permit a Zodiac cruise. Instead we enjoyed the beautiful views from the ship and cruised along the coast, bird watching, enjoying the scenery and even spotting the remains of the old Eskimo site on the south-west corner of the island.
 
Some of us stayed awake to enjoy the glorious morning over the Bering Strait, while others enjoyed a second nap before breakfast at 8:30am. Before lunch, Katya gave us a lecture on the indigenous peoples of Chukotka, in anticipation of our cultural landing in the afternoon. Rodney then invited us down for a briefing on the upcoming activities.  Again the swell prevented us from landing as planned at Uelen village, but due to local connections the team managed to arrange a cultural program at a short notice in Lavrentiya, a Soviet era town situated on the shores of Lavrentiya Bay. We landed there shortly after lunch and went to the central square to meet our contacts. There we split into two groups, with one going straight to the museum while the other stayed next to the culture hall building, enjoying tasting local foods which had been prepared for us and browsing the souvenirs on offer from local vendors. It was a unique opportunity to try dishes such as reindeer stomach in seal fat, whale skin and blubber (mantak), rosewort salad, jam and pie made with wild tundra berries and many other exotic dishes. The museum was small, but very interesting and incredibly rich in unique items relating to the culture and history of the Chukchi and Eskimo people. There was even part of mammoth skull on display. The curator herself was no less interesting. Elizaveta Dobrieva is a very enthusiastic Eskimo woman who was born in Naukan village which no longer exists. A living history herself, she gave us some some insights on the life of indigenous people. Both groups rejoined at the central square and after an energizing ball game between local children and the ship team we sat down to enjoy a cultural performance.
The local ensemble known as ‘White Sail’ passionately performed their best dances for us for over 40 minutes. Elena was on stage with the group, dressed in the traditional kamleika and headband loaned to her by the locals as she translated the names of the songs. Everybody enjoyed this genuine and lively performance and joined the dancers for a 'free dance' at the end of the performance. It was great fun! Night time treated us to another brief but bright Aurora which flickered in the sky  opposite the enormous near full moon.


©SBlanc

©ABreniere 
 

Day 14
Sunday, 30 August, 2015
At sea

We finally enjoyed a sleep-in as we spent a relaxing day at sea. In the morning Rodney entertained us with two presentations. The first was about the snowmobile expedition that he, Katya and a couple of friends did in Chukotka over a couple of years. The second one was about the logistics of the expeditions Heritage undertakes in the Russian Far East. It was very interesting to hear about what it takes to run these voyages and certainly a revelation to many of us.
After lunch we watched two video presentations. The first from Irina, which outlined the life of Snowy Owls in the tundra and their interactions with Snow Geese, Arctic Foxes and other wildlife. The second video was made by Katya on each of the Chukotka snowmobile trips and illustrated Rodney's earlier talk with some action footage. After the presentations we spent some time settling accounts with Agnes and Elena. This was followed by a briefing about disembarkation and a recap of the expedition. It was good to have this time to reflect on the wonderful trip we have almost completed as seen through the eyes of the staff in a fantastic slideshow compiled by Samuel and to thank each other for great camaraderie. We then reconvened in the bar to enjoy a final round of drinks aboard the ship. The day ended with a glorious buffet feast which seemed a fitting way to celebrate the end of a great expedition.

 
Day 15
Monday, 31 August, 2015
Disembarking in Anadyr

It was quite sad to be leaving the ship which had been our home for two weeks. The morning was all laid out like a battle plan, over which the team had worked for days. The barges scheduled, we were all lined up and prepared with our suitcases packed and airplane tickets at the ready. We reluctantly prepared to return to the ‘civilized’ world after the serenity and wonders of Chukotka and Wrangel Island. Who knows whether we will see these places again? We will however take back enduring and very warm memories with the seeds of appreciation sown for this wild enchanting land…

©SBlanc