1623: Sea of Okhotsk June 2016
Sea of Okhotsk
Expedition #1623
Sakhalin Birding Extension
With some time free between the Spirit of Enderby arriving in the port of Korsakov and leaving again for the Sea of Okhotsk expedition it was arranged for the birders leaving the ship, and those joining it, to team up to target some of the island’s endemic and special birds.
Starting at the port the birders made their way along the coast to one of the world’s largest LPG plants where, in a slightly security-tight area, they found Black-browed Reed Warbler, Spotted Nutcracker, Oriental Greenfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Stejneger’s Stonechat, Black-backed Wagtail, Temminck’s Cormorant and had superb views of displaying Latham’s Snipe. Moving on along the coast to a site that Chris and Lisle had up their sleeves, lunch was taken among a bounty of singing Black-browed Reed Warblers and Black-faced Buntings, whilst a fly-over Eye-browed Thrush provided a little distraction, but not as much as a group of 20+ hauled out Largha Seals did. With a little time and patience, and a lot of effort from the guides to make sure everyone saw the bird, they also achieved excellent views of the normally ultra-skulky Sakhalin Warbler, a relatively recent split from Gray’s Grasshopper Warbler and a Sakhalin endemic.
Moving across the road and into an idyllic forested valley they encountered two Eastern Buzzards being mobbed by a Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Large-billed Crows, whilst closer to Earth they found the endemic and ordinarily-tricky Sakhalin Leaf-Warbler with fair ease with one bird coming within a few feet of the ecstatic crowd. Another leaf warbler, Arctic Warbler was found in the valley before it came time to leave for the next site: a town park.
Some town parks are devoid of life, but this is not the case in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk where Gagarin Park is an excellent birding spot. Over their time there, which was a mere couple of hours, they found stunning Narcissus Flycatchers, slightly more drab Asian Brown Flycatchers, Japanese and Coal Tits, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Russet Sparrow, and eventually everybody had walk-away views of the extremely difficult Rufous-tailed Robin, otherwise known as Swinhoe’s Robin. Overall the day had been a roaring success, with both endemics found and even bonus great views of Rufous-tailed Robin.
Day 1: Port of Korsakov and at Sea
The expedition began in earnest today, with the entire group congregating at the port in the morning ready to board the ship. After being shown to cabins the expeditioners sipped Ginger Ale in the bar and chatted through their hopes for the next couple of weeks. As the ship moved off from the wharf, the bar was deserted and the ships decks became a vibrant meeting place for all onboard.
Around the port Temminck’s Cormorants, Pacific Swifts, Brunnich’s Guillemot and a Black-eared Kite saw the group off. Moving through the bay and away from Korsakov the birders tallied Rhinoceros Auklets in their hundreds, Short-tailed Shearwaters in their thousands and even a handful of Harbour Porpoise and Minke Whale. After a series of briefings and safety drills the bridge and decks once again became watching posts where Pacific Fulmar, Ancient Murrelet and Dall’s Porpoise were spotted, whilst Short-tailed Shearwaters reached numbers above 10,000 individuals – quite the spectacle!
The first spectacular dinner of the expedition was presented in the evening, prior to ‘The Chris and Lisle Show’, otherwise known as the species log where the birders and other naturalists gathered to exchange notes on sightings, species and numbers for the day.
Day 2: Tyuliney Island and at Sea
With instructions from Rodney that this morning’s landing would be entirely dependent on the weather conditions we were faced with on arriving at Tyuliney Island (or Seal Island), it was with anticipation that most expeditioners gathered on the bridge of the ship to watch a small team of staff scout the landing site to see if it was at all possible to land in the swell, chop and generally messy seas we had been dealt. Unfortunately the news came back negative, our first landing of the trip was a no go, however from the ship we enjoyed views of Steller’s Sea Lions, Northern Fur Seals, Common and Brunnich’s Guillemots, Rhinoceros and Crested Auklets, Glaucous-winged and Black-tailed Gulls, and lots of Black-legged Kittiwake and Pacific Fulmar.
Moving away from Tyuliney the weather failed to cease throughout the day, and it was a bumpy but not uncomfortable day spent at sea. For those that spent time on the bridge, the rewards were great with highlights including Aleutian Tern, Great Northern Diver, several Laysan Albatross and at dusk even a handful of Fin Whale giving great views not far off of the ship. Alongside the watching there were also lectures on seabirds and human history of the region to attend, as well as more meeting and greeting and passengers getting to know one another over cups of tea and coffee.
Day 3: At sea and Pil’tun Bay
With some distance left to run to the destination for the day, Pil’tun Bay on the east side of Sakahlin Island, the ship trundled along the coast whilst a number of passengers kept a keen look out for anything of interest. Fortunately they were rewarded with good looks at Red-necked Phalarope, Brunnich’s Guillemot, Crested Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Arctic Skua, Black-throated Diver and even a Fin Whale.
Arriving off of Pil’tun Bay five Zodiacs were launched and the first off-ship activity of the expedition was under way. The target here was to see Gray Whales which come here each year on their lengthy migration, with some heading east and south-east to Mexico, and others thought to head south into the South China Sea. Fortunately for all we managed to find three Gray Whales which were followed at a respectful distance for a short time, allowing superb looks at these graceful and peaceful giants. Other wildlife was of course plentiful with hundreds of Aleutian Terns, many flocks of Black and White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Harlequin Duck, and even some of the longipennis race of Common Tern.
Back at sea the ship headed further north still toward the island of Iony and the evening was spent getting great looks at new species like Long-billed Murrelet and Horned Puffin whilst old favourites flanked us as usual.
Photo credit: MKelly
Day 4: Ioney Island
Little more than just a group of rocks laying in the middle of the Sea of Okhotsk, Ioney is home to tens of thousands of seabirds and thus presents quite the marvel for the few visitors that Heritage Expeditions brings here each year.
Departing the ship and beginning our Zodiac cruise among fog so thick each Zodiac could barely see the others we eventually found some clear air and started to see some birds. Once we reached the islands it became quite apparent that this is a very special place. Brunnich’s Guillemot occupied every space they could whilst Common Guillemot were scattered among them. Spectacled Guillemot were also seen by a few people, whilst everybody enjoyed the bounty of auklets, with Parakeet, Crested, Least and the endemic subspecies of Whiskered all being seen extremely well. The Whiskered Auklets here are of particular interest as they are often touted as being distinct enough to warrant species status in their own right. Featuring more numerous and longer whisker plumes than the other two races they are particularly engrossing birds. Moving to the offshore islets a Mongolian Plover stole our attention aside some Harlequin Duck and a Red-necked Grebe, whilst a Common Sandpiper flitted about. Passerines wayward and lost included Brambling, Grey Wagtail and Taiga Flycatcher. The real stars of the show though were the bountiful, curious, inquisitive, enormous and intimidating Steller’s Sea Lions. Occupying every metre of rock available we saw huge males, large females and tiny pups. Exploring a few caves, we were met with the barks, roars and rumbles of sea lions at every turn, showing all why the legends of cave-dwelling sea monsters were so convincing.
Back on the ship, and after another hearty lunch, the afternoon was spent cruising through the north-western Sea of Okhotsk toward the Shantar Archipelago with our first sightings of ice on the horizon. The day was completed by a handful of Minke Whale.
Photo credit: SBlanc
Photo credit: M.Kelly
Day 5: Shantar Archipelago
The Shantar Archipelago is an area known primarily for its outstanding marine mammal diversity, with an Arctic-type fauna at a relatively low latitude. In this shallow corner of the sea where a large river flows in there are populations of Bowhead Whale, Beluga, Ribbon and Bearded Seals, and of course the Russian Far East specialty, the simply gorgeous Ribbon Seal.
Waking early, a handful of eager watchers were rewarded with hundreds of Tufted Puffins, many Horned Puffins and other auks including Crested and Parakeet Auklets, Brunnich’s and Common Guillemots and Spectacled Guillemot. Mammals were represented on the early watch by our first Largha Seals of the day and at least twelve Minke Whale including some very close individuals. After breakfast though is when the day began in earnest with the ship entering the ice.
This year we were fortunate to find a large amount of ice around the Shantar Archipelago and it certainly translated to some good sightings. We spent the remainder of the day travelling on transects into and out of the ice, spending time both within the ice and along the edge. For some it was their first experience of ice cruising, others were old hands. Along the way we found several colossal and much desired Steller’s Sea Eagles looking regal upon ice piles, with one even wow-ing the crowd by taking to the air and snatching a large fish from the sea right in front of us – extremely impressive! Other birds of note included the cute and attractive Kamchatka Gull, a putative split from Mew Gull which is certainly very different looking indeed, whilst Spectacled Guillemots passed us by in the stretches of open water. The day was not about birds though, but mammals, and seals in particular. Throughout the day we racked up impressive numbers of Ringed Seal, several Bearded Seal, many Largha Seals and, the ultimate and enormously desired target here, the most beautiful pinniped of them all, the regal Ribbon Seal. Some had travelled to the Russian Far East with the sole intention of seeing this species, and it was with great delight that we found three individuals in the morning and several more in the afternoon, including one obliging male that gave us incredible looks before slinking off into the icy depths.
With a landmark day completed, we celebrated dutifully in the bar before dinner and enjoyed a stunning clear sunset surrounded by light ice, open water and stunning views of the archipelago at twilight.
Photo credit: L.Gwynn
Day 6: Shantar Archipelago
After yesterday’s success with our target animals, mainly the ‘ice seals’, we decided to hang around the area with the aim of trying to get better views of Ribbon Seal, or perhaps bumping into one of the near-mythical Bowhead Whales that inhabit the area.
By breakfast at 7:30am, and after a stunning sunrise over the ice, we had amassed an impressive diversity of life including three Ribbon Seals, many Largha Seal, a couple of Bearded Seals and a couple of dozen Ringed Seal. Interestingly, the Ringed Seals in the Sea of Okhotsk appear to be quite different to those found further north in the Arctic, and certainly compared to those in the Atlantic Arctic. Here the species is much more tapered in the body, slimmer, longer-necked, on average much paler, and appears larger, making identification and separation from Largha Seal quite difficult. Mere pondering, but there could be a surprise waiting for us when someone does some genetic work on these seals…
After breakfast and for the rest of the day well into the evening we travelled back and forth along the ice edge looking for life, of which we saw plenty. On the bird front we totaled many hundreds of Parakeet and Crested Auklets, Horned and Tufted Puffins, both large Guillemots, dozens of Spectacled Guillemot, a single Pigeon Guillemot, and most welcome of all a modest estimate of c.20 Steller’s Sea Eagles, including one attempting to catch a fish and another with prey consisting of an unidentified bird – extremely impressive! As for the mammals, we lucked in with many more of Ringed, Largha and Bearded Seals, but in a bizarre twist of fate the many more Ribbon Seals we’d hoped to find amounted to just one further individual Ribbon Seal. With a lot more ice than normal in the area we suppose the seals remained in inaccessible corners of the archipelago. Still, we did have a run of luck with cetaceans with two Minke Whale being seen well along the ice edge and, most welcome of all, two stunning male Orca hunting along the ice edge. All in all, a wonderful day spent among the ice of subarctic Russia.
Photo credit: M.Kelly
Photo credit: L.Gwynn
Day 7: Mal’mynskie Islands and Aldona Bay
The weather beat us this morning, there is simply no other way of putting it. Arriving off of Mal’mynskie we were met with heavy swell, messy seas and driving rain, not to mention the strong wind, making a landing or Zodiac cruise absolutely impossible. Fortunately we did manage to find a bit of shelter in Aldona Bay, on the coast of mainland Russia, allowing us to get off of the ship and stretch our legs for a while.
Aldona, like several other stops on the Russian Far East expeditions, is an old military base from the Soviet era, left almost intact and appearing to have been left in a hurry. All around, vehicles, buildings and guard posts lay abandoned and reclaimed by nature. It is quite surreal birding among a Soviet military base, to say the least, but given the time since these places were abandoned the natural wealth has once again returned to the area, meaning the birding can be quite good. Unfortunately we were still plagued by heavy rain and generally unpleasant weather but we managed to make a wet landing regardless. Once on land we scoured the scrub, woodland and base for a few hours turning up gems like Siberian Rubythroat and some really rather cute Dusky Warblers. Far and away the highlights of the afternoon though were an obliging Siberian Accentor and an unbelievably cooperative Pallas’s Leaf Warbler – truly brilliant. Along the shore we found Ringed Plover, Eurasian Skylark and Steller’s Sea Eagle whilst others found a Siberian Chipmunk.
Despite the weather, an enjoyable day was had and we polished off the birding with at least twenty Spectacled Guillemots giving arms-length fly-bys as we returned to the ship where some delicious Salmon, roasted pork or vegetable curry was waiting – yum!
Day 8: Town of Okhotsk
After a week dedicated to seeking and seeing wildlife of various descriptions it was about time for a bit of culture to be thrown in, and we certainly got our fair share in the historic border and frontier town of Okhotsk. Sitting on the north-western shore of the Sea of Okhotsk, the town features a fascinating maritime history, including laying claim to the original starting point of Vitus Bering’s expeditions in these waters.
The Zodiac ride in to the river beside the town was eventful in itself with new trip birds like Vega Gull and Black-headed Gull, and eleven Steller’s Sea Eagles. Once in the town itself we spent the afternoon perusing its various sites, from the obligatory statue of Lenin to the town natural history museum. The museum was fascinating and provided quite the insight into the local fauna and flora, as well as its history. We were particularly surprised to find locally collected specimens of Spot-billed Duck, Mandarin Duck, Great Grey Owl, tantalizing Black-billed Cappercaillie and Siberian Crane which, apparently, pass through in small numbers seasonally.
Moving into a square near the town centre we enjoyed various cultural displays, concerts and shows including displays from both the local indigenous people and the Slavic settlers. Good local food and sweet tea was enjoyed, the passengers and staff danced with locals throughout the afternoon, others sang, and we enjoyed dance shows performed with considerable precision and admirable talent.
It was a shame when we finally had to depart the town and leave our warm and welcoming hosts behind, but after goodbyes and final entertainment with the local kids we made our way back out into the estuary. Here the numbers of birds had risen considerably and we spent some time photographing the twenty-five Steller’s Sea Eagles that had congregated on the mudflats, as well as sitting in awe as we watched thousands of longipennis Common Tern and Aleutian Tern whirl around in the sky, watched keenly by the dozens of local Largha Seals and Vega Gulls. The eagles put on quite the show and allowed remarkably close approach, but soon it was time to head back to the ship for a short period socializing in the bar before dinner. The bird list with Chris and Lisle was completed afterwards, and it was soon bedtime for most onboard.
Photo credit: MKelly
Photo credit: K.Ovsyanikova
Day 9: Talan Island
Arriving off of the picturesque island of Talan at around midday there was a buzz of excitement among the passengers. Something strange had happened and a rare sight indeed had been seen – the sun! It was with the sun on our backs that we made our way ashore on Talan after lunch.
Opting to first of all cruise the island in the Zodiacs we spent a couple of hours perusing the coastal wonders of the island. We were excited to find several Steller’s Sea Eagles, including two nests with chicks, whilst the alcid or auk presence was diverse with Parakeet, Crested and Rhinoceros Auklets, Brunnich’s, Spectacled and Common Guillemots, Tufted and Horned Puffins, all in great numbers. The photographers and birders were in heaven, whilst everybody enjoyed seeing huge numbers of birds up close and personal. After we’d had our fill of seabirds we made a short landing on the island where some went to the puffin colony and had super views of Tufted and Horned Puffins at their burrows as well as Crested Auklets, whilst some of the birders went with Chris and Lisle to try and find one of the trickier residents of the island. It was only after considerable effort and trying that they managed to find and score stonking views of a Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warbler, but they were well rewarded indeed.
After returning to the ship for dinner most of the passengers returned low to the water once again and took to the Zodiacs for an evening cruise around the island. This proved a wise decision as even better views of a lot of species were obtained, including the localized and special Spectacled Guillemot swimming beneath the bow of the Zodiacs giving unprecedented views. The highlight of the evening for all though was a quite special encounter with several hundred Ancient Murrelets. These birds are often skittish and unapproachable so it was with significant surprise that we were able to drift among them for unparalleled views and photo opportunities. Cutting the engine, drifting, and hearing hundreds of Ancient Murrelets calling around you is a once in a lifetime experience. Add to this of course the flocks of thousands of Crested Auklets and all of the aforementioned seabirds and this made for a special evening indeed. The beautiful sunset just added to the experience and no one could be seen without a wholly content smile on this evening.
Photo credit: M.Kelly
Photo credit: S.Blanc
Day 10: Yamskie Islands
The Yamskie island group lays off of the coast of the northern Sea of Okhotsk, east of Magadan, and featured as our destination today for one special reason: alcids! Literally millions of alcids.
After a morning at sea in dense fog having seen just a handful each of the usual suspects like Horned and Tufted Puffins, Brunnich’s and Common Guillemot and a bonus pair of Fork-tailed Storm Petrels, it was with great excitement that we started to see birds from the islands as we approached in the clearing fog. Slowly, mile-by-mile, the numbers of birds increased until out of the fog we emerged into bright sunshine to be faced by a most spectacular island. After an early dinner we boarded the Zodiacs and made the very short dash to the vicinity of the island, thanks in no small part to Chief Mate Max and the Captain’s skillful positioning of the ship close to the island. The fun was just about to begin.
We spent the next 5 hours cruising beside the island watching as the number of birds slowly increased as the light faded. We began in bright sunshine with absolutely phenomenal views of the spectacular Spectacled Guillemot as they swam around the Zodiacs and posed for photos on the rocky shore. Next up were small groups of gorgeous Harlequin Ducks which posed dutifully for the cameras, only to be showed up by the ever increasing number of alcids. Turning back to the more open water we were faced with a now incredible concentration of birds with starling-like wheeling and twisting murmurations visible all along the horizon and now over the island itself. Looking up at the ridges of the island revealed swarms of auklets that looked more like large groups of mosquitos than birds. Though puffins and guillemots were present in their thousands, impressive in itself, the real draw here are the breeding colonies of Crested, Parakeet and the stunning tiny Least Auklet. Around the island the auklets carpeted the sea, on land they filled every available inch of space, and overhead and to the horizon they filled the air thick. Among them were lesser numbers of Ancient Murrelet, but for the photographers the auklets were the absolute prize at the end of the journey we had undertaken from Sakhalin here to the furthest point of our journey.
The sun finally lowered in the sky to the horizon line casting the sky in pastel tones of pink, purple, blue and silver, wildly dotted with millions upon millions of auklets. Words literally cannot describe the spectacle here, and it is made even better by the knowledge that less than c.300 people have ever seen it. Watching a trio of Steller’s Sea Eagles wheel through the huge swarms of Black-legged Kittiwake, we finally made the dash back to the ship as the light faded. Arriving back, Chris and Samuel were already on the back deck of the ship eating amazing white chocolate and boysenberry crème brulees, having abandoned the birding in favour of dessert some time before the last of us arrived ‘home’. What a day – one of the absolute greatest bird spectacles on Earth.
Photo credit: MKelly
Photo credit: K.Ovsyanikova
Day 11: Astronomic Bay, Koni Peninsula
Today was the final full day, and final landing of the expedition. Unfortunately our adventuring had come to a close, much to everyone’s dismay, but there was just enough time for one more landing and a few more surprises in this surprise-laden corner of the globe.
The very early risers were rewarded with the first Brown Bear sightings of the day with a female and cub, and a lone male, seen before breakfast. After we had eaten and boarded the Zodiacs we made our way to shore where two further bears were found, though at some distance, along with hundreds of Common Goldeneye, hundreds of Goosander, several Pacific Eider and even a surprise King Eider – and a stunning drake at that. Surprise of the early morning though came from the seven or so Bearded Seals and 100+ Largha Seals inhabiting the bay.
Overall the morning was a well-enjoyed, well-deserved and roaring success. Three walks went ashore and all three encountered stunning wildlife, amazing vistas and pristine untouched Taiga forest. Between them they saw eleven Brown Bears, Brown Shrike, Hazel Grouse, Willow Ptarmigan, Pallas’s Leaf Warbler, six+ Steller’s Sea Eagles, two Osprey and lots more besides. The highlight of the morning though, as was agreed by all, was merely the opportunity to make a landing in bright sunshine on a perfect calm day and to enjoy a last foray into the wilderness and desolate beauty of the Russian Far East.
Once back onboard the ship we enjoyed a superb buffet carvery style dinner and many assorted desserts which tightened lips and waistlines. Unfortunately the expedition had come to an end and the departure from Magadan loomed, along with the long journeys home for most.
