1726: Chukotka - Where Russia's Day Begins 10 Jul 2017
Day 1: Monday 10 July
Anadyr
By the afternoon our team had all arrived to Anadyr, some of us from Moscow and others on a charter flight from Nome. First impressions of Anadyr were of a cold and grey frontier town beset by rain and wind, but after meeting with some of the locals, we discovered that the people were what made it a successful port town. We drove to the beach in Ugolnye Kopi town, past local fishermen and the piles of coal waiting for shipment. At the beach we were met by the barge Neva, which is the name of the main river that runs through Saint Petersburg, situated on the other side of Russia, and a polar opposite to its namesake found here. The tired and faithful Neva ferried us aboard Professor Khromov/Spirit of Enderby late in the afternoon. After settling in, we all met in the lecture room for introductions to our Expedition Leader Rodney and ship staff, and then we were invited to the top deck to see the ship depart the wharf for our expedition to the remote north. The pilot accompanied us out of the harbour, peeled away, and we began our journey to the north. Quite a few people remained on the decks for some sea watching.
Later we enjoyed the delicious dinner prepared by our chefs, Edward and Matt, followed by the very first meeting of The Bird Club by Chris and Lisle. Then, unable to fight jet lag anymore, we went straight to bed, full of expectations for tomorrow.
Day 2: Tuesday 11 July
Egvekinot
We woke up to find ourselves in the calm waters of Kresta Bay, surrounded by spectacular rusty green mountains. The ship was speedily heading up north, and the gentle rolling that we felt overnight has ceased. The weather looked promising with a gentle breeze and the sun occasionally peeping out. Later in the morning the ship came to anchor in Egvekinot Bay, and we had a number of briefings about Zodiac use, onboard safety and the upcoming landing. After all the instructions had been given we had a lifeboat drill practice and enjoyed taking selfies while inside the lifeboat. And finally, after lunch, we went out on our very first Zodiac cruise to the small Soviet town of Egvekinot that had just celebrated its 70th birthday last year.
We split into two groups, one went straight to the museum and another was taken by a big shaky Ural truck to the Arctic Circle just north of the town, marked by a big metal arch. Afterwards the groups swapped. One of the groups was lucky to see lots of ground squirrels, many birds and spectacular ruins of the Soviet Empire. At the museum we had a very interesting excursion on the sad history of Egvekinot and saw beautiful traditional ivory and bone carvings made by Chukchi people.
After strolling through the town with its shaggy buildings and shiny white church, the groups met at the beach and were ferried back onto the ship by the Zodiacs. 
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 3: Wednesday 12 July
Konergino
Early in the morning the ship sailed off south along Kresta Bay, and by breakfast time we were already anchored near the Konegino village. The morning was calm but a bit rainy, and just before the breakfast those of us who didn’t sleep in saw a group of walruses that passed the ship by. After a briefing on the upcoming landing, we went out on a Zodiac cruise to Konegino – a small Chukchi village of reindeer herders.
The villagers met us on a beach in traditional Chukchi clothes made of reindeer pelts and fur, and we were all invited to step over a fire and to have a bite of reindeer meat as part of welcoming ritual. We were taken to a local club, where we had a presentation on the history of Konegrino and an amazing concert with traditional Chukchi singing and dancing. We were treated to traditional food of reindeer herders, unique and delicious, and strong black tea, the favourite Chukchi drink. Lots of delicacies were eaten, and many photos were taken.
After these ceremonies a local vezdekhod driver Vasiliy made a tour for us on his uncommonly huge and unbelievably strong vehicle. It was definitely a unique experience.
Sadly, soon it was time to go. We reluctantly proceeded back to Zodiacs, taking a small group of villagers with us. Once we all were back onboard our ship sailed off towards out next destination, Presbrazhenya Bay.
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 4: Thursday 13 July
Presbrazhenya Bay
We woke up to a calm morning in Presbrazhenya Bay area, surrounded by cliffs wrapped in a veil of fog. After the briefing on our day activities, we set out on a Zodiac cruise to the bird cliffs on Cape Kikilin. The winds earlier on had created the slight swell, so our excursion was a bit bumpy but nonetheless fascinating. The spectacular cliffs were covered with countless numbers of birds, and the air was busy with heavy traffic of birds moving back and forth. We followed the shore slowly, watching the private life of Brunnich’s and Common Guillemots, Tufted and Horned Puffins, Pelagic Cormorants, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and other seabirds.
On the way back we made a landing at the head of the bay, where the waters were calm enough. Here we enjoyed the walk across the beautiful open tundra with its fresh fragrant air and beautiful flowers. Some of us saw Snow Buntings and Arctic Ground Squirrels, while others found whale and walrus bones.
Back aboard, we had a lecture on cetaceans by Grisha where he told us a little about his recent research and showed the mammal species that we hope to see over the next few days.
Day 5: Friday 14 July
Yttygran Island and Gil’mimyl Hot Springs
The ship sailed off soon after midnight, and in the early hours of the morning we were already anchored just off the green and sunny Yttygran Island. After a briefing, the Zodiacs started to ferry us ashore. We landed at ‘Whale Bone Alley’, a world renowned archaeological site with whale jaws and skulls organized into an alley along the shore with scree structures used as meat pits. We explored the saddle covered in sappy green grasses, watched birds, pikas and ground squirrels.
Later on we met again at the beach and, as the weather played in our favour, we set out on a whale watching cruise. What a wonderful experience we had! Our destination was a shallow strait that is known to be very good for Gray Whales as well as to Chukchi people who hunt them. After some searching and waiting we saw several whales quite close and some more in the distance. We got a great view of whales’ blows, backs and tails. Having watched the whales for a while we continued towards a small island where there were a couple of hundred walrus on the beach. Others were in the water and we had an amazing experience of these High Arctic animals.
Happy with whale and walrus sightings, we returned to the ship for lunch as the ship cruised to Gil’mimyl Hot Springs in the Senyavina Strait. There everyone got to find things for their interest: some joined Tania to visit the local Chukchi family, some went birdwatching into the tundra with Chris and Lisle, while others went directly to the hot springs.
One of the ground squirrels we met was especially cuddly and obviously enjoyed posing for us.
Finally, relaxed and a bit sleepy we went to back on board.
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 6: Saturday 15 July
Lorino and the Beringia Regatta and Festival
During the night we sailed to Lorino village to visit the Marine Mammals Hunters Festival that takes place every year at one of the Eskimo villages. In the morning we found ourselves anchored just off the village.
The weather was surprisingly serene and warm, and after the late breakfast a scout Zodiac with Rodney and Tania went ashore to make inquires about the festival program and permissions. When the arrangements were made, we joined them ashore at the festival.
We stayed at the village for almost the entire day, with just a short visit back on board for lunch. We had many different experiences and many stories to tell, as well as photos to show to each other afterwards. We enjoyed an amazing concert with people from all over Chukotka performing traditional singing and dancing, including a splendid professional band called Ergyron. At the stalls many of us bought unique souvenirs hand-made by local people, including amazingly beautiful ivory and bone carvings. Locals offered their delicacies to everybody on the festival: whale and walrus meat, sea cucumbers, and mantak – thin slices of whale skin with blubber. It’s interesting to understand that Eskimo and Chukchi people eat that kind of food in their everyday life and, what is more, it is their main food allowance.
Just before dinner we, happy and satisfied with all done, seen and eaten, returned back on board for the rest of the day.
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 7: Sunday 16 July
Cape Dezhnev
The ship sailed overnight from Lorino straight to Cape Dezhnev. The early morning was beautiful though foggy. At the briefing Rodney told us about the sad history of Naukan village, and old Eskimo settlement that existed for thousands of years before being forcedly relocated by Soviet authorities in 1958.
Zodiacs departed for Cape Dezhnev at 4:30 am, and as we followed the coastline we admired the mighty cliffs covered with thick fog. The upcoming landing was one of the most difficult landings of this trip, but fortunately the weather allowed us to land just a bit south of Cape Dezhnev, at the Naukan village. We went up the creek and slowly wandered through the village. Walking among the old abandoned yarangas, we were trying to imagine the life people used to have here. The light wind carried a bitter-sweet scent of absinth, the fog was gradually becoming denser, and the ruins of yarangas were teeming with ground squirrels. We walked up the slope to the lighthouse and spent some time there, enjoying the absolute silence, the warmth and the beauty of this very special site.
Later we all went back aboard and the ship began sailing north, towards Wrangel Island. After lunch Helen opened the Sea Shop, there were souvenirs including books, magnets, toys and clothing. Two hours later we were invited to a very interesting lecture about Wrangel Island by Rodney and got useful information on the history, flora and fauna of this magnificent land. He named some books about expeditions to this part of the world so now we can find out some more facts of the history of Wrangel Island. The rest of the afternoon was spent at sea sailing north, and we saw a good number of Gray Whales plus several flocks of migrating Red Phalaropes.
Day 8: Monday 17 July
At Sea
We made good progress overnight and in the morning we saw ice for the first time. The fog tried to hide all the beauty of the landscape but the sea was calm and glassy. We sailed north until we met a big ice sheet, and then the ship began moving around it, navigating through ice using the ice maps. Just after lunch we saw our first Polar Bear: a young bear was walking by the edge of a big ice sheet, stopping to sniff the air from time to time. After a while we saw two more Polar Bears: an adult bear walking on ice and diving into the water soon after we spotted them. We also met Bearded Seals and Phalaropes for the first time, and skuas became much more abundant than before.
After breakfast Andrew gave a lecture about sea ice.
By dinner time the ship entered the waters almost free of ice and gained speed, moving further towards the Wrangel Island.
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 9: Tuesday 18 July
Wrangel Island
This morning it was sunny and glorious. We were surrounded by spectacular ice pieces reflecting in glassy water, and the misty mountains of Wrangel Island could be seen on the horizon. Many of us went out on the decks to enjoy the view before breakfast. After breakfast, while the ship was navigating her way through the ice sheets to Wrangel, we went out for ice watching again and had plenty of amazing sightings.
Today we explored Bruchaya lagoon and Checherina spit. What an amazing land full of mystery, sun and spectacular scenery. Around midday we finally arrived at Wrangel Island and, after a hurried lunch, set out on a long-awaited Zodiac cruise to the shore. On our way there we saw a group of walruses lying on a big ice sheet.
After coming back on board we went straight to bed, looking forward to another landing on Wrangel Island tomorrow.
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 10: Wednesday 19 July
Wrangel Island
Our first landing of the day took place in a picturesque lagoon where the monument to the crew of the ship Karluck, which was crushed by ice near Herald Island in 1914, stands. After a brief landing to look at the epitaph and a brief description of some of the endemic species of plants by Moshe, we piled back into the Zodiacs for a cruise along the cliff faces adjacent to the beach. The stunning cliffs provided ample opportunities for bird watching, while they dived and swooped from the cliffs. A sighting of an Arctic Fox rounded out the wildlife portion of the cruise, however the towering cliffs with the mist rotoring off the tops made for a stunning vista. As the fog rolled in we made our way back to the ship for lunch.
After lunch we returned to the beach where the monument is situated for our second landing. Following a brief photo taking session, we split into three groups: some went with Lisle, Floris and Uliana on a longer walk across the tundra to the ranger’ base, others joined Chris on a shorter walk, while some preferred to stay on the beach. The views were breath-taking, with gorgeous tundra covered in a soft carpet of flowers, lichens and mosses. A flock of moulting Snow Geese with goslings was seen. All three groups met at the ranger’s hut where we were shown some walrus and bear skulls, as well as the inside of the buildings, which was interesting to gain an insight into the life of a ranger on Wrangel Island. The group moved down to where the river flowed into the lagoon to rejoin the Zodiacs and head back to the ship. We lifted anchor and began sailing for Kolyuchin Island.
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 11: Thursday 20 July
At Sea
Today we spent the entire day at sea, sailing further south towards Kolyuchin Island. There was still floating ice in the water, and the weather was quiet with glorious sun. After a late breakfast we attended Moche’s lecture about the fascinating tundra of Wrangle Island. Later on we watched the documentary “Life on the Field of Bones”, where Nikita – a specialist in Polar Bears – shares his experience of living and doing research on the remote Wrangel Island.
Many of us could be found on the decks or on the bridge today sea watching.
Just before dinner we spotted dozens of whales in the distance, and some of them were identified as bowhead whales – an incredibly rare sight for this region.
So Rodney decided to change course a little to have a better look at the whales. As we came closer, we saw dozens of Humpback and Bowhead Whales, blowing, breaching, and flapping their flukes. The whales surrounded us from every side, and it was just a fantastic show!
After dinner the show continued and till late evening we all were outside admiring the view!
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 12: Friday 21 July
Kolyuchin Island
We arrived at Kolyuchin Island the previous evening, where we anchored overnight. After an early breakfast two scout Zodiacs were sent to the island to check for the Polar Bears and walrus haul-outs on the southeastern shore of the island. The way was clear, and soon we landed at the island and climbed up the hill to the abandoned Soviet polar weather station. We strolled among the ramshackle houses, old rusty equipment and personal items of people who used to live here. But the highlight of the island was bird cliffs just below our feet. We watched hundreds of Horned and Tufted Puffins, kittiwakes and cormorants, Common and Brunnich's Guillemots minding their own business, quarrelling, feeding their chicks, and sitting on eggs. It was a great sight to see and just a perfect spot for photographers and all wildlife-lovers.
Full of excitement, we came back inside for lunch. Later on, after the briefing on our afternoon landing, we set out on a Zodiac cruise to Belyaka Spit in the Kolyuchin Inlet. It was the last landing of this expedition, and the longest one. Until the early hours of the evening we were wandering across this enormous spit with its wetlands and small lakes. Everyone found something special for them. For some it was the long sandy beaches and vast expanses of flat open tundra. For others it were the grassy mounds that once used to be the marine hunters’ dwellings, the old burial sites with human bones, or the lighthouse with a small hut nearby. And of course it was a paradise for birdwatchers. According to the local ornithologist Alexey, the breeding season was especially early and successful this year. We saw lots of birds, including many different waders, Emperor Geese, Long-tailed Ducks, Northern Pintails. We spent a few wonderful hours on the spit. By 6 p.m. we were all onboard and had an amazing, gorgeous dinner made by Matt and Ed.
Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions
Day 13: Saturday 22 July
At Sea
Today we had a relaxing day at sea, heading back south towards Anadyr. The swell has abated by the early morning, and the sea was calm when we woke up after a sleep in. Right before breakfast we passed by Ratmanova Island, or Big Diomede, the easternmost Russian land. Then we listened to a great lecture by Grisha on the communication systems of cetaceans. Later on Andrew, our specialist in geology, invited us to his lecture “Glaciers: Movers and Shapers”, which was incredibly interesting. After lunch we had again a couple of lectures. One of them was Lisle’s talk on photography, where he shared tips and tricks to get the most from your images. Afterwards we had a presentation by Rodney about two unique and challenging snow-mobile expeditions across Chukotka that he did with Katya and two of their friends in Chukotka.
Day 14: Sunday 23 July
At Sea
Another lazy day at sea as we make our way to Anadyr across the Anadyr Bay. It was not an easy day in terms of big waves and we spent most of the day in our cabins trying to cope with the seasick.
In the late afternoon we spent some time with Helen for the settlement of our onboard accounts. When it was over, we had a briefing on tomorrow's disembarkation and getting to the airport. It was followed by an Expedition Recap, when we reflected on our experiences throughout our fantastic journey. We shared our impressions and stories and thanked each other for the great time we had together. Lisle presented a great slideshow of expedition photos, and we once again recalled the great moments of this unique journey.
Later on we all met in the bar for our very last drinks onboard the ship. It was a very special evening with a touch of sadness. The day culminated with a delicious farewell dinner, a great way to celebrate our amazing journey.
Day 15: Monday 24 July
Anadyr
The day started early, and after the breakfast we were all lined up and prepared, ready to be picked up by the barges. Soon we all made it back to the solid ground and civilized world. It was very sad to leave the ship and the beautiful land of Chukotka and Wrangel Island behind. This was an incredible adventure and one of those experiences never to be forgotten.
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