1736: North East Passage: The Northern Sea Route - Eastbound 29 August 2017

Photo credits: The images for the log have been compiled by the staff on this expedition, with thanks to Cath Stone-Thorpe, Elena Lappo, Julia Mishina, Kim Wilson, Peter (Spider) Anderson, Chris Collins, Olga Belonovich, John Ryan, Lindsay Thorpe and Grigory Tsidulko

Day 1: Tuesday 29 August
Murmansk

Having arrived from many different corners of the world, everyone congregated at the reception of the Azimut Hotel in central Murmansk shortly after lunch where Chris and Olga from the Expedition Team met them for the short transfer to the wharf.

Here we were met by Expedition Leader Rodney Russ and two Russian Border Guards who inspected everyone’s passports before we were permitted to walk the short distance to our home for the next four weeks, the Akademik Shokalskiy.

With the ship only scheduled to sail at 21:00 (due to the tides in the Kola Channel which leads out to the ocean), there was time to unpack with a briefing also held in the Lecture Theatre. Rodney and Cruise Director Julia introduced us to the ship, the expedition team and also spoke about safety aboard. A little later, the practical part of the safety drill also took place and everyone collected their life jackets and got into the two lifeboats. 

Once these mandatory activities had concluded, there was ample time to explore the ship and some went for a short walk on the wharf where it was possible to see the ‘Lenin’ which is now a floating museum, but had previously been the world’s first nuclear icebreaker. 

After the first of many delicious meals prepared by our chefs Lindsay and Cath, many headed outside for the sail away. As the sky darkened, we slowly left the city of Murmansk behind us passing many of the wharfs which had been the end point for the Arctic shipping convoys during the Second World War. Our journey along the top of the world had finally begun.

Day 2: Wednesday 30 August
At Sea towards Franz Josef Land

It was a restful night with a gentle southerly wind and by morning we had left land well behind us as we headed in a north-north-easterly direction towards Franz Josef Land. 

After breakfast, the first activity of the morning was the collection of passports and landing fees which was followed by a briefing from Rodney. Rodney outlined his goals for our expedition explaining that we had over 5,500 nautical miles to travel from Murmansk to Anadyr. He provided an overview of what he was hoping to achieve over the next four weeks and showed us a recent ice map which indicated that the ice was now well to the north along much of the route we were planning to follow.

For those who spent time on the bridge or outside looking for wildlife, the most noteworthy sighting was a small pod of White-beaked Dolphins that briefly appeared on the port side of the ship. A selection of seabirds was also seen with our first Northern Fulmars, Black-legged Kittiwakes and Herring Gulls of the expedition. Good numbers of Common Guillemots were also spotted with the occasional Brunnich’s Guillemot amongst them.

Following lunch, the first of two lectures were offered with Chris speaking about some of the birds we could potentially see over the first couple of weeks of our expedition. He explained that almost all the birds which were found in the Russian Arctic were migrants and once they had finished breeding they would be heading south. As a result, whilst he anticipated we would see a good selection, the numbers and range of species would be lower than in the peak of summer. By the time Chris had concluded, the weather had changed somewhat with the visibility restricted by fog. A little later, however, there was a somewhat unexpected announcement to advise everyone that a Purple Sandpiper had been found perched on one of the Zodiacs. This wading bird had presumably been migrating south and was either tired, disorientated or both and had landed on our ship for a rest. Remaining in its preferred location for a couple of hours, it gave everyone their first opportunity to see this high Arctic breeder.

The second lecture of the day was by Grisha who described some of the marine mammals we might encounter on our journey. Grisha covered both whales and seals telling us not only how to identify them but adding some interesting facts about their lives.

After dinner, some people joined the naturalists for the first of the nightly Bird Club meetings but for many it was an opportunity for an early and relaxing night.

Day 3: Thursday 31 August 
Crossing the Barents Sea

During the night, the wind direction changed somewhat and by the time breakfast was announced, the ship was moving a little more than it had done previously. Nevertheless, most people headed to the restaurants for a hearty breakfast before enjoying a relaxing morning about our trusty ship. With the weather slowly worsening, Rodney took the decision to delay the planned briefing on the use of the Zodiacs. We were only due to arrive at Franz Josef in a little over 24 hours, so with some people feeling somewhat queasy and the weather expected to improve, it was the logical decision to make.

Following a tasty lunch of Chicken Enchiladas and salad, the first activity of the afternoon was a lecture by Olga about Belugas Whales and Narwhals. Olga explained that both these species of Arctic whales were possible along our route, although it was much more likely that we would encounter Belugas Whales than Narwhals, mainly because their population was several times larger.

Olga showed a couple of short videos including a recently filmed sequence which showed how Narwhals appeared to use their tusks to disorientate fish when hunting. She explained that the tusk was only found on male Narwhals and was actually an extended tooth even though it could be several feet long.

Outside the weather continued to improve and several small pods of White-beaked Dolphins were spotted. Birdlife, however, was somewhat limited with the commonest species being the Northern Fulmar. Whilst the majority of these were pale morph birds with white heads and bellies, there were also several intermediate and darker phase birds too.

At 17:00, Expedition Leader Rodney gave the second presentation of the day which was an introduction to Franz Josef Land. He explained that there were almost 200 islands in the archipelago and provided us with a summary of the early history of the islands explaining that there had been ten major expeditions between 1874-1914. Indeed, the first of these (an Austro-Hungarian expedition led by Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht) had discovered the archipelago with a number of the subsequent expeditions attempting to use the region as a starting point for attempts on the North Pole. Rodney added that all these attempts had been unsuccessful, with several ships being lost and many participants dying.

At 18:00 the bar opened for pre-dinner drinks and after another excellent dinner prepared by Lindsay and Cath, the final activity of the day was the nightly Bird Club meeting.

Day 4: Friday 1 September
Tikhaya Bay – Franz Josef Land

During the night, our trusty ship continued in a NNE direction and with the frontal system moving away from us, it was a smooth night aboard. 

Shortly after breakfast, everyone congregated in the Lecture Theatre for the mandatory briefing about the use of the Zodiacs on Akademik Shokalskiy. Rodney explained that as we would not be visiting any wharfs or ports between Murmansk and Anadyr, these would be our only way of getting ashore, so it was important that everyone understood how to use them.

After this had concluded, he introduced us to our planned landing for the afternoon at Tikhaya Bay. Rodney explained that this had been the site for the first Soviet base on Franz Josef Land and whilst this had subsequently closed, some of the Rangers who looked after the Arctic National Park were now based there.

Once the briefings had finished, many people headed to the Bridge and we able to get our first views of Franz Josef Land as it gradually appeared out of the murk. Birdwise, the most commonest species continued to be the Northern Fulmars but as had been the case earlier in the day we also saw the occasional Brunnich’s Guillemot and a new species for the trip, the diminutive Little Auk. A lucky few also had a brief view of a Minke Whale before it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

As we proceeded into the Mayers Gat which separates Bryus Island from Northbruk Island, we could see our first glaciers and icebergs of the expedition. Some of the glaciers were vast with a front which was several miles across and also stretched off inland for a considerable distance. 

 

Continuing onwards towards Tikhaya Bay, several spouting whales were spotted and whilst the first individual was a Humpback, there were then several sightings of the much rarer and infrequently seen Bowhead Whale. With some of these surfacing reasonably close to the ship, it was a fantastic opportunity to see these extraordinary creatures which use their huge bulbous heads to quite literally break through the ice from below to allow the whales to breathe.

By 16:00 we had arrived off the old Soviet base which has now been converted into a station for the Russian Arctic Park and two Zodiacs were soon readied and the shuttle to shore began. Everyone was soon on the beach and we were able to explore around and inside some of the buildings. Many people headed to the Post Office and Shop where cards were hurriedly written to be sent on to family and friends throughout the world but there were also some souvenirs to peruse.

As well as visiting the store, we were also able to explore around the base and it was fascinating to see this relic from the Soviet era. Indeed, to complete the image from the past, the Hammer and Sycle flag was gently wafting in the breeze from one of the buildings.

Whilst the wildlife was somewhat limited, there were opportunities to see Little Auks coming and going between their colony on the scree slopes above the base and the sea and a lucky few also had a close encounter with an adult walrus which came into the shallows only a few metres off the landing site. It seemed utterly oblivious to our presence and after lying there for a few moments, it continued onwards.

By 18:30 the last Zodiac was returning to the ship and we then cruised across the bay to Rubini Rock. This was a truly amazing basalt monolith which was a jumbled mass of hexagonal lava tubes. Many of these were twisted and the geology was really impressive, however, with thousands upon thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes nesting on these strangely shaped cliffs, there was plenty of wildlife to look at too.

As we slowly swept round the bay, dinner was announced and everyone came inside. It had been a highly memorable first day of exploration.



Day 5: Saturday 2 September
Wilczek Land and Champ, Hayes, Alger and Hall Islands – Franz Josef Land

The day began at 05:30 with an early morning wake-up call and half an hour later, two Zodiacs were in the water for the short shuttle to shore for our landing at Fort Haller on Wilczek Land. It was only a short walk to the grave of Bentsen who had been one of two individuals who had wintered here in 1898 during the expedition led by Wellman and Baldwin.

Their stone hut and storeroom was less than one hundred metres away from the grave and it was hard to imagine what it would have been like to spend the winter months here.

Walking in the other direction we came to a memorial put up in the 1960s by a Soviet expedition to commemorate the Wellman and Baldwin expedition. There were a number of scratch marks which went several metres up the wooden pillar (which formed the major part of the memorial) which had undoubtedly been caused by Polar Bears. One could really get a sense of the huge size of an adult bear.

By 07:30 we were back aboard Akademik Shokalskiy and shortly after breakfast, Evgeny, one of the Rangers who had joined us the previous afternoon, gave a presentation about some of the Russian explorers who had come to Franz Josef Land. Evgeny spoke about the expedition led by Georgiy Sedov which had initially started on Novaya Zemilya and then landed at Cape Flora on Northbruk Island in Franz Josef Land. The plan had been to push on to the North Pole but the expedition had faced many challenges including running out of coal. As a result, the expeditioners had been forced to power their ship on the blubber of seals, walrus and Polar Bears!!!

The crew had then overwintered at Tikhaya Bay (which we had visited the previous day) and this had been problematic as many of the team had developed scurvy and they had also been short on food. The following spring two of the party plus Sedov had set off for the Pole but Sedov died not long after their departure so the others had returned to Tikhaya Bay and the expedition had then been abandoned.

By late morning, we had arrived at our second landing site of the day at Cape Triest which is on Champ Island. Once everyone was ashore, we walked as a group to admire some extraordinary spherical rocks. There were a number of these of varying sizes with the largest being at least a couple of metres across.

As well as enjoying the geology, there were also some interesting plants and lichens including some nice examples of Purple Saxifrage which is the most northerly flowering plant in the world. Despite it being early October, several of these were still flowering.



Whilst we enjoyed lunch aboard Akademik Shokakskiy, the Captain repositioned the ship to Cape Ostantsovy, a peninsula on Hayes Island where Rodney had seen good numbers of walruses on his previous visit. As we approached the area, there were several individuals on ice flows and whilst the animals were in a different position to before, there was indeed a haul out ashore so five Zodiacs were quickly readied and we then set off for a cruise. As we approached the slumbering mass of animals on the land, a group of a dozen or so individuals swam out rapidly towards us. It was difficult to be sure if they were being curious or aggressive but we backed off somewhat to give them space. Nevertheless, the views were fantastic with many hundreds of photos taken in a matter of moments.

Continuing onwards, we rounded the peninsula where there were several dozen individuals sleeping on various ice flows. Once again, it was a great opportunity to enjoy some brilliant views of these Arctic animals.

All too soon, it was time to return to the ship as Rodney wanted us to experience a fourth activity of the day at Cape Pology on Alger Island. This was where the Baldwin expedition had set up their main base, Camp Ziegler, and the Zodiacs soon had everyone ashore where it was a matter of walking only a few metres to the remains of the buildings. Although these had been a reasonable distance from the sea one hundred years ago, there had been considerable erosion since then and some of the original buildings had fallen into the sea.



Ranger Evgeny had told us at the briefing just prior to the landing that during the recent mid-summer period there had been a historical survey to recover some of the artefacts that Baldwin and his men had left behind. It was clear that with the buildings having been constructed on what was now soft sand that without urgent action they would soon disappear as they were only a matter of metres from the sea.

After viewing the remains, many people went for a wander in the surrounding area which was essentially a polar desert with relatively little plant life growing in the sandy soils. The area was, however, peppered with ice shattered rocks and some of these were impressive examples of this phenomenon whereby tiny amounts of water penetrate a rock, freeze, expand and eventually lead to it splitting apart.

Once dinner had concluded, Akademik Shokalskiy was approaching Cape Tegetthoff on Hall Island and with reasonably flat seas; Rodney decided we would make our fifth departure of the day from the ship. Despite the conditions, it was still a moderately tricky landing with the Expedition Staff spinning the Zodiacs just off the beach and everyone disembarking via the stern.



With the light fading quickly, there was only time for a quick walk to the remains of a hut which had been used on the Wellman expedition of 1898-1899. The geology here was also equally impressive with some stony pinnacles immediately adjacent to the landing site.

By 22:30 and with the light rapidly fading the last Zodiac returned to the ship. It had been a long but highly successful day with many activities crammed in over sixteen hours allowing us to see a great range of history, wildlife and geology of Franz Josef Land.

Day 6: Sunday 3 September
Bell Island – Franz Josef Land

It was a relatively short night (after our after dinner landing the evening before and an hour time change) and after a 07:00 breakfast, everyone congregated in the Lecture Theatre for a briefing from Rodney about our planned landing at Cape Flora. He explained that we were privileged to have the opportunity to visit this location but that it could be challenging due to a combination of the swell, large boulders at the landing site and a steep climb off the beach.

To ensure that it would be safe for everyone, the Expedition Staff set off in a scout boat to assess the landing; however, they were soon heading back to the ship as three of them had been soaked to the skin attempting to get ashore. As a result, we reluctantly abandoned the landing and Rodney asked the Captain to set a course for Bell Island.

It was a twenty nautical miles journey and by mid-morning we had arrived off the landing site, however, with thick fog the Zodiac drivers were initially reliant on their GPSs to get between the ship and the shore. Compared with what the Expedition Team had experienced at Cape Flora, the landing was relatively straightforward and we were able to follow a short trail across the boulder beach to a hut, known as Eira Lodge. This was still in excellent condition and had been constructed during the Benjamin Leigh Smith expedition in 1881. Benjamin Leigh Smith had been looking for George Washington De Long (from the Jeannette expedition) but his ship, also known as the Eira, had become stuck in ice at Cape Flora and as a result, the hut had actually not been used for its intended purpose.

Whilst the focus of our landing was the hut and its associated history, there was some interesting birdlife with about one hundred Pomarine Skuas in the area. Many of these were loafing around a large meltwater pool which was a little beyond the hut but occasionally they would all take off and we were able to enjoy some great views as they flew by. 

It was then time to head to Alexander Land to drop off the two Rangers who had accompanied us since we had arrived at Tikhaya Bay and with the journey being over fifty nautical miles; it took the rest of the afternoon. Nevertheless, it was a highly productive time with some great views of many of the table top mountains which dominate Franz Josef Land and had so clearly been weathered by ancient ice. We also passed some impressive glaciers and at one point had to negotiate our way around a huge mixed field of brash and sea ice. 

At least five Ivory Gulls were spotted as we cruised close to the ice, however, for many the wildlife highlight of the afternoon was multiple sightings of Harp Seals. These were generally travelling in small groups of ten or so individuals and as the ship approached they would dive to get out of the way. Despite this, there were good opportunities to see the distinctive patterning of these High Arctic animals.

As soon as we had arrived off the base on Alexander Land, we said farewell to Rangers Dema and Evgeny and they went ashore by Zodiac with Rodney, Julia and Olga. When Rodney and the staff returned to the ship, however, they were accompanied by several Border Guards and everyone was required to do a face-to-face inspection to ensure their passports and visa were in order. This process was soon completed and we then set off on our journey around the northern coast of Franz Josef Land.

After dinner, many people headed to the Bridge to enjoy the views, look for wildlife and watch as the Captain and his Officers navigated around and through the sea ice. Sadly it was time to continue our journey eastwards but we had enjoyed a fantastic time in Franz Josef Land and been able to appreciate the geography, history and wildlife of this magnificent archipelago.



Day 7: Monday 4 September
At Sea towards Vize Island

During the night the crew of Akademik Shokalskiy continued navigating us around the northern part of Franz Josef Land and at 23:45 we reached what would be the most northerly point on our expedition when the latitude was 80˚ 58.78N. 

By the time breakfast had concluded, we were clearing the last of the islands in the archipelago and the Captain set a course for Vize Island. The weather had deteriorated markedly overnight and we could really appreciate how fortunate we had been during our time visiting the islands. With seven landings, one Zodiac cruise and several ship cruises we had gained a thorough insight into the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

As we gradually pulled away from the protection of the land, the wind and swell which were coming in from the south made the movement increasingly less and less comfortable. During the morning, the conditions were sufficiently moderate for Elena to give a presentation about the indigenous mammal hunters of the Russian Arctic.

Elena explained that these people killed whales, seals and walrus for food and clothing and showed photos and a short video about this.

By the time lunch was called, the movement of the vessel had increased markedly and the number of people in the restaurant was significantly less than usual – many were taking the sensible option and remaining safely in their beds. As a result, Expedition Leader Rodney decided to defer the afternoon programme and we had a relaxing afternoon aboard.

Whilst some looked for wildlife from the Bridge, the number of species (and individuals) had declined noticeably from earlier in our expedition with just the occasional Northern Fulmar, Brunnich’s Guillemot and Little Auk being sighted.

In the late afternoon, Rodney made an announcement to advise everyone that at about two o’clock in the morning, the ship would be approaching Vize Island. Rodney explained that this extremely remote sandy island had been discovered on the Sedov expedition and was named in honour of the oceanographer on that expedition. Vladimir Vize had speculated that due to the ocean currents in this region that it was likely there would be an island somewhere and the expeditioners had set out to search for it and had found it.

Rodney added that there was a manned weather station here and as the team who were based there operated on UTC time, it was possible that they would still be up when we passed by. Rodney explained that due to the inclement weather we were experiencing, it was highly unlikely we would be able to get ashore but he planned to make a PA announcement when we arrived so anyone who wanted to see the island could do so.

A little later, the bar opened and this was followed by another great dinner prepared by Cath and Lindsay. With the movement of the ship having moderated somewhat during the afternoon, the number of absentees was significant less than at lunchtime.

Day 8: Tuesday 5 September
Golomyianyi and Domashniy Islands – Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago

This morning was started for us very early, at 02:00 ship time, when Rodney make a call from the Bridge that we were nearby Vize Island – the island in the north of the Kara Sea and was named after Vladimir Vize who suggested (based on currents and other oceanographic parameters) that the island was suppose to be at that location. Unfortunately, it was dark and foggy, but still we could see the island and waves crashing on it making the landing impossible. Therefore we carried on to our next destination – Golomyianyi Island. The next wake up call was from Julia at 08:15 for some of us it was very early wake up due to the 02:00 Vize Island wake-up, and also another time change for one hour forward. After breakfast Grisha gave a lecture on adaptations to cold where we learned how animals who live in the Arctic comfortably survive in such a difficult environment. 

At 11:30 Rodney made a briefing to let us know what are our expectations, hopes and wishes for the next three days at Severnaya Zemlya were. After lunch we landed at Golomiyaniy Island. We had about 1 ½ hour to walk around the weather station. The station is named after Ushakov, who is buried on the next small island – Domashniy. There were about seven people on the station – two groups of meteorologists: one of them had just arrived on Mikhail Somov to change the family who was living and working their since 1990s. 



Everybody was back on board and Akademik Shokalskiy moved to Domashniy Island. It was already 19:00 ship time when we landed on the island, near the colony of ivory gulls. The sunset was shining between dark grey sky and blue sea colouring water and white Ivory Gulls into orange and red colours. Everybody enjoyed the close look at the Ivory Gulls and went for a walk around the sandy spit. Some of us climbed a small but snowy and very steep hill to see Ushakov’s grave. There were also two other monuments in memory of scientist and explorers who worked on Severnaya Zemlya. Back on board at 20:30 to enjoy drink and chat in a bar and a late tasty dinner at 21:00. 



Day 9: Wednesday 6 September
Skokalskiy Strait and Marata Fiord

Most of us stayed late last night, we were making our way through the ice in Red Army Strait. The night was calm and nice; the ship was slowly moving through the ice, pushing it from our way or crashing it under the bow. But about midnight Rodney decided to turn back – the dense white ice in front clearly showed us that there were no way we can get through. We turned back and sailed south of the October Revolution Island into the Shokalskiy Strait. After breakfast at 08:00 we watched the first series of “Across Russia” by Jonathan Dimbleby. It was an interesting movie starting with Murmansk which we have left week ago. Later in the afternoon Chris gave a lecture on “Amazing Birds”. Even those of us who were not “birders” were very much impressed with the lecture and definitely will pay more attention to birds during this trip, and some of us may even became a real “birder” like Chris and Doctor John. At about 12:00 we were officially sailing Akademik Shokalskiy through the Shokalskiy Strait heading to the Marata Fiord. We cruise the fiord, looking at the glaciers and icebergs and then anchored at the entrance of the fiord and run Zodiacs for the brief landing. It was a beautiful landscape, covered with snow. Some of us went for a long walk following Grisha and Julia, who are our border, we were not allowed to go beyond them. We enjoyed the landscape and curved clouds – it was a wonderful peaceful evening. 

Back on board at 18:30 for a chat and drink in the bar, then dinner and afterwards a cocktail party. Everybody could enjoy special “Severnaya Zemlia” cocktail like “Ivory Gull” or “Polar plunge”! Clocks were changed again one hour forward and “late” breakfast was at 08:00 which actually feels like 06:00.



Day 10: Thursday 7 September 
Telmana Fiord – Severnaya Zemlya

This morning we woke up and looked around, we were among mountains and glaciers, the biggest glacier we could see was the Tyan-Shanskogo glacier. We were in Telmana Fiord, which was named by Ushakov’s expedition after German communist Ernt Telman, who was killed in Bukhenvald in 1944. This morning Rodney gave us several options: long walk and short walk starting at 09:30. Those of us who went for a long walk enjoyed the hike up the ridge and amazingly beautiful views onto the fiord, icebergs and mountains, those who stayed for a shorter walk enjoyed the same beauty but from the lower altitude. The luckiest of short walkers saw a Snowy Owl! We all came back to the ship for lunch and afterwards Rodney gave us another two options: long walk or Zodiac cruise off the glacier. Long-walkers this time went up hill with Grisha and Elena. It was good exercise and a nice view! The weather improved and we had a shining sun in the sky! The other group was in the Zodiacs. The sea was a bit rough and splashy and the colours of water and ice and glacier were exceptional. We went right to the glacier, cruised along it, passing a couple of magnificent icebergs and then returned back to the ship. On our way we spotted a single Harp Seal playing in waves. Back on board for bar-time and another exceptionally tasty dinner. We are on the way to Cape Chelyuskin, where we will start another magnificent day of our expedition. 

Day 11: Friday 8 September
Cape Chelyuskin and Maliy Taymyr Island – Severnaya Zemlya

The morning was started with a very early wake up call at 06:00 we were at Cape Chelyuskin. While the weather was not the very best, some of us wanted to get wet and cold and went for the Zodiac cruise off the Cape. We were not able to see much, lots of old drams and other military rubbish, it did not look pretty. Everybody saw the stone which symbolises the most northern point of the Eurasian continent. Also, nearby there were a pyramid made from stones by Amundsen. 

After the Zodiac cruise, and back on board we had breakfast, the ship set sail to our next destination – Maliy Taymyr Island. This island was first discovered and mapped by Ushakov’s expedition, but named during the tsar Nikolay II time after his son “Ostrov Tsarevish Alexey”, and at the Soviet time it was re-named Maliy Taymyr. Before our landing we watched one other series “Across Russia”, everybody enjoyed the movie and was very much looking forward to the next series. 

After lunch the scout boat with the staff was sent on shore to check the landing site for Polar Bears. Polar Bears were not present and we all landed into the former weather station. It was a very interesting walk, we went through the old building, there were lots of books on the shelves and toys and weather station equipment. It was interesting to walk through and explore those things. Some of us went for a walk along the lagoon and saw a few birds; others just enjoyed a walk through the flat tundra gently covered with the first snow. 



Day 12: Saturday 9 September
Pronchishcheva Bay – Taymyr Peninsula

All day we spent in Pronchishcheva Bay on the Taymyr Peninsula. We enjoyed a late breakfast at 090:00 – thanks to Rodney! Everybody slept as much as they wanted and woke up in a very good mood, but hungry. After breakfast we went for a Zodiac cruise and had an absolutely fantastic encounter with the Polar Bear near the walrus. The bear was young; it was eating something right near the walruses and probably hoping that one of the walrus would die. It was a very close view, but at the same time very accurate, neither bear nor walruses were disturbed. At the end of our visit the bear fell asleep right near the walruses. Then we saw several ducks in the water and Arctic Fox on the beach and made a brief landing to the abandoned weather station. Obviously some mammoth tusk collectors used this station recently, because there were quite a few very fresh vezdekhod tracks. We came back on board for lunch and right after lunch there was another landing at the same weather station. We were divided into two groups: the first stayed local to the weather station and around it, and had a closer look onto the buildings, observing local birds and some of us even saw Beluga Whales! The second group went for a longer walk around the lake, the beginning of our journey was steep and a bit difficult, the group divided into two other groups, one slowly walking with Chris and Dr John back to the weather station, while the second went with Rodney and walked around the lake. There was a herd of eight reindeer observed not far from our landing site. At 18:00 everybody was back on board for a drink and chat in the bar and another wonderful dinner! Captain lifted anchor at 21:00 and we sailed towards the New Siberian Islands. 



Day 13: Sunday 10 September
Laptev Sea

Today we spent all day at sea. The sea conditions were very good and flat. We were crossing the Laptev Sea where there was very few wildlife seen. We had a series of lectures today. The first one was the next movie of the “Across Russia” series. Then Olga presented a lecture on the Laptev Sea and the Latev brothers, the sea was named after the brothers Dmitriy and Khariton Laptev. They were two leaders who successfully explored and mapped the Laptev Sea coastline during the Great Northern Expedition. 

After lunch Grisha gave a lecture on walruses, we found out a lot of knew information about these animals, their biology, behaviour and predators. Everybody was touched to tears with the short movie Grisha showed us on how a walrus female takes care of her young. Before bar time Rodney gave an introduction to the New Siberian Islands – he told us about our goals, expectations, destinations and plans for the next few days. 

Dinner was early at 19:00 tonight because there is an early start planned for tomorrow and also because clocks will go forward one more hour. 

Day 14: Monday 11 September
Stolbovoy Island and Maliy Lyakhovskiy Island – New Siberian Islands

This morning we arrived to Stolbovoy Island. The sea conditions were good and Rodney gave us two options: Zodiac cruise or landing. Most of us chose a landing and before breakfast we were on shore and went for a walk with Grisha, Lindsay, Chris and Dr John. It was a very nice walk in the tundra, with a scramble across a large pile of drift wood, and walk around the shore of the large lake, there were eight Long-tailed Ducks on the lake. The group which chose the Zodiac cruise explored the cliffs and shoreline from three Zodiacs, at the beginning of our journey the water was quite calm and we enjoyed the view of the cliffs where there were still a good number of kittiwakes present, but when we drove out from the shelter of the cliffs the wind and waves increased and we were surfing waves on the way back to the ship. We came back to the ship for breakfast and an on board program. We watched another series of “Across Russia” and then Elena gave a very interesting lecture on indigenous people – reindeer herders. We learned the difference between lifestyle, culture and tradition of different reindeer herders. 

After lunch we approached Maliy Lyakhovskiy Island. It was very shallow therefore captain anchored Akademik Shokalskiy far away from shore, the Zodiac journey to the island was long and splashy. When we arrived at the island we drove into the lagoon where we split into two groups: one went for a walk along the shoreline and the others to the other side of the lagoon in the tundra. The journey back to the ship was foggy and again splashy, but still it was lots of fun. It was a wonderful day, tired but happy we went for late dinner.

Day 15: Tuesday 12 September
Great Lyakhovskiy Island – New Siberian Islands

After a gentle voyage overnight, the ship anchored early on Tuesday morning, two miles off Great Lyakhovskiy Island. Another delicious breakfast at 07:00 and most passengers boarded Zodiacs for a two mile ride, in slightly less bumpy conditions than the day before, to visit Kigilyakh Meteorological Station. This station is one of the oldest in the Arctic. Yuri, the head of the station, his wife, Anna and two Victors were kind enough to show us their deep freeze, dug many metres into the permafrost, half way down the hill, and the weather station. The deep freeze was a corridor and a couple of rooms, one lined with wonderful ice crystals.

Not everyone got to see these things, many headed off to the headlands and hills behind. The eastern headland topped with a lighthouse and lookout, marked the western end of the Laptev Strait and the western headland was lower, where large granite boulders made a natural sea wall.

The area surrounding the station contained something of a retirement farm for rusty barrels and other waste. In amongst the barrels were many interesting details, antlers, Russian respirator masks, electronic boards, wire and many Lemmings. 

A coal fire burned in an out-shed, and a landmark wind generator stood still. Some of the disused storage tanks, the really big ones, had been seemingly converted into useful outbuildings in the deserted military base 1.5km inland from the meteorological station.



The hillside leading to the meteorological station was covered in mounds about 2.5m high, these are the result of permafrost expanding and pushing up. Beside one of them were some bones, mostly Mammoth, a long bone, a scapular, two teeth, a vertebra and a rib. The long bone was probably Tibea or Ulnar; the scapular seemed too small to be Mammoth and the rib also – unless it was only a fragment.

From the lookout to the east, some watched snow moving across the whole landscape, towards the blue sky on one side, like two days in one. The snow came and went throughout the morning, making constant dramatic changes to the light and dark of the sky, ocean and landscape, the driftwood and hills shining. Yuri and Anna say that by 21.9.17 they expect the island to be under 2m of snow.

On the beach there were a few of the Isopods – dead and alive – which we saw so many of on the last landing. These are locally known as Sea Beasts or Sea Cockroaches.

Other wildlife seen was Snowy Owls, six to seven white and perhaps two greys. Herring Gulls, Glaucous Gulls, Snow Buntings (about 24) a Rough-legged Buzzard and Arctic Foxes were also seen. 

We were back at the ship by midday and enjoyed fajitas for lunch. The sea shop opened at 14:30, many passengers purchased postcards, books, t-shirts, socks, gloves etc., and some very cute stuffed marine mammal toys.

The bar beckoned at 18:00, followed by a delicious choice between tender roast beef, salmon or vegetarian dinner. Bird Club followed with the treasurer remembering to take her fabulous treasure box with treasure in tact.

Day 16: Wednesday 13 September
Bunge Land

We made the overnight trip northwards to Bunge Land (Zemlya Bunge in Russian), enjoying another delicious breakfast at 08:00 while still approaching land.

Bunge Land, in the language of the Yakutian people is known as Ulakhan Kumalch – The Land of the Great Sand. This sand is made up of Loess (the end result of glaciers grinding across rock). The ground was harder and easier to walk on than at the last landing, since winter is setting in and the ground is freezing. 

This landing was on a very old Polar Research Station. Once again there were many many old steel barrels. Amongst the buildings was evidence of an infirmary – pills still in bottles embedded in the sand, an anaesthetic gas bottle and a child’s bed.

Also there were the remains of fox traps – a large heavy log, which would be propped up in amongst some supporting timbers. The stick, close to the ground end push’s the log up at an angle, attached to a string, which was then attached to bait. The fox pulls the bait, the bait pulls the string, and the log falls on the fox.

We did not see any Polar Bears this time, but we saw some older prints, made more distinct as they held a little of the snow which fell lightly from time to time. We also saw Snow Buntings on this landing.

By contrast, our second landing was just sand spit, six miles to the west. Since the ground was shoaling, the water was very shallow and a long way out, we made a two mile trip in the Zodiacs to a strip of sand, so low, we couldn’t see it when we started out. It was a very short landing as we needed to be away by mid-afternoon, but the walk was worth it for the long flat sand bars and enormous, ever changing sky, now dark grey and with shafts of light hitting snow falling in the distance.

Some Grey Phalarope were sighted on the spit and seven Stellar’s Eiders. On the Zodiac trip back we saw Pomarine Skuas chasing down kittiwakes, trying to make them give up anything they had caught.

Back on the ship, we watched the final episode of Dimbleby “Across Russia”, it was really interesting. At 15:00 the anchor came up and we began heading southeast away from the Siberian Group towards the Medvezhyi Islands.



Day 17: Thursday 14 September
At Sea towards Medvezhyi Islands

Today was spent at sea; there were some bleary eyes, as we had been woken in the night to view the first of the northern lights for the expedition.

In the morning, we attended a lecture from Grisha about marine mammals and sound. As usual, it was really interesting covering the amazing adaptations and abilities of whales and others to hear and communicate from great distances. The ability of some scientists to recognise individual marine mammals by ear, and the way that knowing a new song, so long as you still know some of the old ones it is a good recipe for success with females, if you are a whale.

Of course sound is the logical tool for communication under the water, since sound travels faster in water than in air, and the chemical resonances required for smell or taste travel far more slowly, while water can be full of particles and sometimes too dark (at depth) to see through. This makes noise pollution a big problem for whales and dolphins.

After this and a short break we then had a lecture from Olga about Killer Whales. We learned many things. Killer Whales fall into two brackets diet wise. Some feed on marine mammals and others on fish. The fish eating ones can be identified by the grey saddle just behind the dorsal fin, if this saddle has a black strip in it, they are definitely fish eating, if not, they are either mammal eating or fish eating. Olga also dealt with the problems of captivity and the live catching of whales for oceanariums. There was some footage of the methods used where the juvenile whales are caught, leaving the rest of the family milling and calling to them. It wasn’t easy to watch.

Killer Whale family units remain together for ever. The females, who live longer than the males, are an important part of the family, long after they stop breeding, at about 40-50 y.o. In fact, it has been shown now that where the grandmothers in this matriarchal society live longer, the other individuals live longer. Olga showed us some wonderful footage of mother Killer Whales (they are actually the largest dolphin) teaching their children different hunting methods, including the method of beaching themselves in order to catch seals and penguins.

After lunch, there was a movie in the lecture room “The Big Year” which allowed us a humorous insight into the minds of some of the staff, who are, predictably on a ship like this, fanatically interested in birds. Rodney gave us a briefing about what to expect at the Ostrova Medvezhil - Bear Islands, and then a jigsaw appeared in the bar, which had many hands hovering to fit just one piece.



Day 18: Friday 15 September
Pushkareva and Chetyrekhstolbovoy Island – Medvezhyi Islands

It was doubtful that our next landing, on Pushkareva Island would be possible, because of winds and seas potentially making a landing too difficult, but we were awoken at 05:30, the weather had eased and at 06:30 many of us were in Zodiacs to go ashore for a quick walk across the tundra to a lovely beach on the other side. Since there were bears in the vicinity, it was necessary to stay together, but it was a lovely walk. We came across a little mound, on the top of which two bears had obviously been resting, keeping an eye on their domain. Once back in the Zodiacs, we toured along under the 3M cliffs to see what we could see. We had an absolutely amazing opportunity to look a mother and two cubs that were curious about us, but completely relaxed up above us on the shore. We got so close in Zodiacs that photography was possible for all cameras. The five Zodiacs hovered very quietly below with happy and amazed passengers staring up at these beautiful animals. Further along the cliff face, another lone bear, probably a male, loped along the edge. About twelve bears in total were counted on that island.



Breakfast was waiting for us when we got back, hot and tasty. While we ate, the ship began moving south and east to Chetyrekhstolbovoy Island (Four Pillars Island), each of the pillars has a name. Apparently there used to be four pillars together on the eastern corner, but one finally fell into the sea. Two of the remaining pillars are called Monk and the one further out is called Single or Lonely. 

There was a plan to make a hike to the pillars in the afternoon, starting at an old station, now falling into the sea and moving over the tundra and then over huge boulders. Unfortunately or fortunately? there were quite a few Polar Bears in the vicinity, with one sitting in the doorway of a dilapidated building all morning. Walking through the station therefore would have been dangerous for the passengers and also could disturb the bears, potentially dangerous for them as they are generally low on fat stores by autumn (they feed most successfully off the ice), so they do not want to be wasting energy running or even swimming away.

After lunch a Zodiac cruise was planned, there were many bears to see from the boats, some lucky passengers got to see one peeking out from a cave it had dug in the cliff side – possibly it was waiting for us all to go past.

In the end it was possible to have a short walk and explore further west along the spit. Another old set of buildings, set on the beginning of the rise on the western end of the island. Further up the hill was a lighthouse as well as a small accommodation house. On the spit was beached driftwood, some remnant foliage and interesting vestiges of past inhabitants.

Back to the ship for drinks and dinner, we began moving towards Wrangel Island – our next stop.



Day 19: Saturday 16 September
At Sea to Wrangel Island

With northerly winds the seas had built a little and since we were heading east, they were coming from beam (side) on, and then a little ahead of beam on, so the ship was pitching a little. This made the lecture room a little unpopular so we had a quiet day at sea. One jigsaw completed another begun. There was a briefing from Rodney regarding Wrangel Island in the afternoon when sea conditions had eased. Clocks went forward for the last time. Tomorrow Wrangel!

Day 20: Sunday 17 September
Wrangel Island

The ship arrived at Wrangel Island in the morning. The wind had backed from northerly around to the west. Landing to pick up the Rangers and have a walk ashore was quite bumpy. We had a stern landing, divided into groups, some heading off for a long walk, some for a medium and some exploring around the base. We picked up three Rangers, Uliana, Gennadiy and Alexi. Alexi is the manager of the whole station; Uliana monitors the Snow Geese and Gennadiy stays year round on the station doing whatever has to happen there to keep things going.

Back on the ship for lunch, we moved across the bay to a more sheltered position. On shore was a plaque marking the 180 degree longitude so it was possible to have feet in yesterday and today. Once again, we divided into groups, one going for a long walk up and over the 200m high hill to look at the Mammoth River. This is the largest river on Wrangel. The hills were topped with fresh snow, the scenery was fantastic. Medium walkers went a shorter way up the hill and the beach combers were lucky enough to walk along as far as Devil’s Creek, where a Paleo Eskimo habitation site 2800 years old, has recently been examined by archaeologists. There is not much of that site to actually see, but to imagine what it may have been like at that place 2800 years ago, when Wooly Mammoths were still grazing the island, was very special. There have been no other findings of ancient habitations on Wrangel.

Flora sited: Saxifraga flagellata (Spider Plant) was spotted by our passenger, Ruth, who unfortunately couldn’t show it to Spider the Zodiac driver.

Although the weather had eased somewhat when we had all come ashore, it had picked up when it was time to return to the boat. Reactions to this were mixed, some loving it, some wishing they were dry!

Northern lights began to show again in the night sky. Some lucky passengers, realising there was more to come after they seemed to die down at around 21:30, saw an astonishing astral fireworks display from 23:00 till 23:30.

Day 21: Monday 18 September
Wrangel Island

Day dawned on Wrangel Island, sunny and magnificent. The ship had moved in the night, around an exclusion zone of 20 nautical miles, to Clarke River. This is further east and protected from the westerly winds. There was almost no wind however. We were able to take the Zodiacs into the shallow Clarke River, where we broke through a very thin layer of ice to push to shore in fantastically calm conditions. 

Alexi the Station Manager described it as “one day in seldom days”, the sky was blue, the day clear and relatively warm. Slow walkers had a ramble up the river bed, then out onto the tundra and across to the sea cliffs. Here there is significant erosion as the permafrost melts, the same issue we have seen all through our trip, with buildings falling at the waters edge and soft, unfrozen earth running away to the sea. Medium and long walkers headed further inland and along the cliffs.



In the afternoon we headed northeast to Dragi Bay. Ashore there is a monument there to mark the place that the disastrous Kolychin expedition spent their winter. Only Ada Blackjack, an Inuit woman, who had only gone along to earn some money to keep her children, survived. When Ada joined the expedition she was told there would be more Inuit with her, but she was misled. However, in spite of having no help, she kept the remaining two men alive for as long as she could, hunting, cooking, nursing, but they died before a rescue party arrived. The story can be found in the book Ada Blackjack, written by Jennifer Niven.



That night, after yet another kitchen masterpiece from Cath & Lindsay, the northern lights began to dance again. Having petered out by about 21:30 most went to bed, but some tell us that later, they were even better than the night before. By nearly midnight huge snowflakes interrupted the performance. Most had gone to bed very tired and ready for a 05:30 wake up call for another landing on the wonderful Wrangel Island.

Day 22: Tuesday 19 September
Wrangel Island

Our third day at Wrangel Island. Overnight we had cruised around or over the top of Wrangel Island and come to anchor near Pitchy Bazar. Sea conditions remained very comfortable with a dying westerly swell. Overhead conditions were overcast. 

Rodney woke us at 05:00 and the agreed plan was that there was continental breakfast available from 05:30 to 06:30 and Zodiacs to shore would start at 06:30. With everybody (who wanted to be) on shore we were given three options again. 1. A longer walk up the valley with Elena and Olga 2. An intermediate walk with Christopher Peter, or 3. A beach walk and hut inspection with Rodney and Grisha. 

The sunrise over the hills gave some surreal lighting as we headed off on our various walks. As the author was on the beach walk the log entry pertains very much to that. We ambled along the beach to the lagoon where Alexander (Director of the Park and one of our Guides) talked about the early Soviet history. From there we walked towards the small field hut which is used by the Park Staff. Four of the passengers were struggling a little bit so Rodney took them back to beach and walked back to the landing, while the rest continued to the hut. Grisha radioed Rodney to say that they had seen a bear near the hut, but that it was walking away to the north. Rodney’s group saw it come over the hill and instead of heading north it came towards them. It approached them; it was a younger bear and very curious. Rodney persuaded it to move away. It went and sat down about 30 metres away and watched us. Grisha’s group came from the hut and those that wanted to got (or should have done) some great photos. After about 10 minutes the bear renewed its interest in the group, this time Alexander fired a couple of flares and the bear wandered off along the cliff top. 

The other two groups made their way back to the landing. With everybody back on board we headed towards Doubtful Bay. Brunch was served and folk relaxed, that was until Dr John announced that he had seen a flock of sheep on the shore near Cape Thomas. The sheep turned out to be 181 Polar Bears… this was a sight that I doubt whether anybody else had ever seen anywhere in the world. There was a dead Bowhead Whale on the beach and it appears that nearly every Polar Bear on the island had heard about it and had come to the feast. Rodney asked the Captain to alter course and approach as close as possible and then anchor. Five Zodiacs were launched and we went for a closer look/experience. Words are inadequate to describe the scene, I am not even going to attempt suffice to say it was incredible. The thousands of photographs taken will tell the story of a unique event, unlikely ever to be repeated. 



With everybody back on board, the Captain continued towards Doubtful Bay. We took advantage of the two Rangers enthusiasm and knowledge of the island. Genadiy gave a presentation on his work and life on the island and Uliana gave a talk on Musk Oxen. Lindsay and Kath served up hot savoury scones at 16:00 to tide the hungry folk over till dinner time. 

We arrived back in Doubtful Bay at 17:00; Rodney dropped one Zodiac and ran the Rangers back to their base. Alexander the Director of the Park is hitching a ride back to Anadyr with us. Once the Zodiac was back aboard and lashed we headed south towards Kolyuchin Island. 

Day 23: Wednesday 20 September
At Sea and Kolyuchin Island

After a very long day yesterday, breakfast wasn’t scheduled to 08:00, the slower start to the day was certainly appreciated by most folk. Sea conditions were very pleasant, just about impossible to tell that you were at sea. Grisha gave an excellent presentation on Polar Bears, he discussed the different ideas of their origins, looked at their current distribution and population estimates before telling us what we know about their breeding biology. He finished up with some of the conservation issues. 

We had a lecture scheduled from Alexandra, Director of the Wrangel Island Reserve at 11:30 but that was postponed because there were good numbers of whale blows sighted. Both Bowhead and Humpback Whales were recorded but despite the abundance of blows seen we weren’t able to get a really good view of them, they were all just too far away. 

We came to anchor at Kolyuchin Island during lunch. Rodney announced that they would be doing a scouting trip to check the abandoned buildings for Polar Bears. This was delayed when a Polar Bear was seen walking through the buildings. But the bear simply walked to the coast and swam around the other side of the island. On that basis the scouting trip went ahead, no further Polar Bears were seen and everybody who wanted to was landed. It was a simple landing followed by a climb to the old metrological base. We were free to wander around the base and cliffs. There was a lot to see and photograph. Good numbers of Horned Puffin were on the cliffs along with kittiwakes and cormorants. The guillemots had all departed. There was excitement from Bird Club members when it was announced that a Swainson’s Thrush had been seen. This alert was later downgraded when further identification work was undertaken on the many photos that had been taken and it turned out to be a Grey-cheeked Thrush, an uncommon bird for here but it does breed in Chukotka. 

Everybody was back on board at 16:30 and we headed away for Cape Dezhnev. 



Day 24: Thursday 21 September
Cape Dezhnev and Lavrentiya

We cruised into the northern Bering Strait region at about 05:30. We had had a good overnight run, although there was a bit more weather (wind and sea) in the Strait. We came up to anchor at Cape Dezhnev at 06:00. Rodney woke us at 06:30 and invited us to see Cape Dezhnev and advised that he was going to launch a scout boat to check the possibility of landing. Olga and Spider went with him. They were away for a while and when they returned Rodney announced that it was very marginal and because of that there would be no landing. We could all see the surf breaking on shore so none of us were that surprised. 

We stayed at anchor there for another 30 mins before getting under way for Lavrentiya some 50 miles to the south. We managed to squeeze in two lectures before lunch. Alexander, Director of the Wrangel Reserve gave an excellent presentation on Wrangel Island; he discussed some of the current research projects and the management issues. Wrangel Island is a World Heritage Site and it recently had a review of its status, Alexander is confident that it will be positive. Next up was Elena; she spoke of the waders in the High Arctic with an emphasis on Chukotka and their work on the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. She also introduced the Eastern Flyway (a migratory route that all the waders in Chukotka use) and the conservation issues along the way. Just prior to the start of Elena’s lecture we had a group of Humpback Whales very close to the ship. There was also very good numbers of Gray Whales around and we noted that some local boats were out hunting whales. 

We assembled in the lecture room at 12:30 for a briefing on this afternoon’s program at Lavrentiya. We had seafood chowder for lunch and then Rodney, Olga and Julia went ashore for a meeting with the Border Guards. Once we had clearance three Zodiacs shuttled us ashore. Once all ashore we walked to the village square/centre. We had been divided into two groups, but because of some problem in the museum we had to make three groups. This obviously slowed the program down, but we all got to visit museum, had an opportunity to sample some local foods and do some shopping. The afternoon program ended with a presentation of traditional song and dance. The visit provided a rare opportunity for us to see life in this part of the world. 

We were all back on board in time for bar opening, dinner was served at 19:00 and then Giuseppe gave a very informative presentation on the phenomena of northern lights. Bird Club had met earlier.    



Day 25: Friday 22 September
Gil’mimyl and Pengigney (Fiord) Bay

The day dawned as beautiful as it possibly could, not a cloud in the sky and no wind. We had cruised from Lavrentiya during the night and came to anchor at Gil’mimyl. There was a light dusting of snow on the hills and with the autumn colours it was a picture. Breakfast was scheduled for 07:30 and this was followed by a briefing at 08:15. In the briefing Rodney explained a small change of plan for the final days of the expedition as we have ended up with a few hours credit (better that way than running late) and the fact that the weather forecast is exceptionally good for the next couple days, he has decided to spend some extra time here in the Beringa Park and drop Preobrazhnaya Bay. He explained Preobrazhnaya was about seabird cliffs and at this time of the year they would largely be empty. This morning we would land at Gil’mimyl and this afternoon we would go to Pengigney. Rodney had a meeting with the Director and Staff from Beringa Park this morning so he had deputized Christopher Peter to make the arrangements. There would be three groups with Lindsay and Cath taking a group directly to the Hot Pools, Elena would take a group for a tundra walk which would end at the Hot Pools and Christopher Peter would take a Birding Walk. There was a lot of interest in the Hot Pools and Christopher Peter only had one taker for the Birding Walk. 

Everybody was back on board by 12:15 and enjoyed lunch. Then the long long walkers were run ashore. Rodney was leading this group and had deputized Grisha as leader for the remainder of us for the afternoon. As soon as the Zodiacs were back on deck from running this party ashore we lifted anchor and sailed for Pengigney (Fiord) Bay. It was 15 miles to our anchorage and once there those that wanted to had the opportunity to go ashore for a walk. The habitat was quite different with taller willows growing on the river delta. We were all back on-board by 17:30 then Grisha and Spider went to pick up the walkers. 

The walkers had followed the track to the Hot Pool and several of the group had taken a quick swim. From the pool they followed the caterpillar track up the valley; it was easy to follow as it had been used quite recently. There were some extensive WET areas and quite significant areas of snow. They made good time, although by the time they reached the saddle they were strung out over quite a distance and the leaders (no names mentioned) had to be constantly reined in. On the beach Rodney let off a flare to attract Spider and Grisha. 

We remained at the anchorage for the night, it was the perfect anchorage. 



Day 26: Saturday 23 September
Whale Bone Alley

The aurora watchers set up their own roster system last night, Rodney had ruled that the staff all needed a good night’s sleep. Apparently there was a brief but good aroura shortly after midnight. Conditions were perfect for viewing. 

Captain got the vessel underway at 04:00 for Whale Bone Alley and the ship arrived there about 06:45. The weather remained calm and clear, the landscape scenery was simply stunning. Breakfast scheduled for 07:30 with a briefing at 08:15. Rodney introduced us to Whale Bone Alley; he briefly discussed the differing views on its function and importance. He also encouraged us look for Pika when we were ashore. Pikas are a member of the rabbit family and they live amongst the rocks and this is a great place to view them. We were ferried ashore and while we were there Rodney, Spider and Lindsay prepared five Zodiacs for our whale-watching excursion. We wandered along and through the Alley examining the Bowhead skulls and jaw bones and wondered just what the people in the 14th Century who are believed to have used this site were like, was it a ceremonial/ritual site as some folk suggest or was it simply a communal meat storage area as others suggest. 

At 10:00 the Zodiacs were ready, those who didn’t want to go whale-watching by Zodiac were ferried back to the ship then the rest of us were divided around the five boats. The wind picked up about the time we were leaving, making observations a little more difficult. Each boat was free to go on its own course; the only proviso was that they didn’t “disappear over the horizon”. Akademik Shokalskiy shifted to the south side of Yttygran Island (a distance of 12 miles) once the Zodiacs left. Each of the boats had some great encounters with Gray Whales, it was a little hard with the wind but it was better in the lee of the island. At least two humpbacks were seen. Everybody was back on board by 13:15 and lunch was served at 13:30. We got underway for Anadyr and the end of the Expedition at 14:00 hours. 

At 16:00 hours Grisha gave a fascinating in-depth lecture about Gray Whales, their distribution (arguments for and against the existence of the Western Gray Whale), their breeding biology and migration patterns. Julia opened the bar at 18:00 and dinner was scheduled for 19:30. 

A beautiful sunset and great sailing conditions finished off a great day.  

Day 27: Sunday 24 September
Gulf of Anadyr

Great sailing conditions today as we made our way across the Gulf of Anadyr. There was a light NW wind with accompanying sea, but it was not uncomfortable at all. Breakfast was scheduled for 08:00 and then at 10:30 Rodney gave a Northern Sea Route literature review in which he looked at the different books that had been published and were available. It was an interesting presentation and hopefully inspired some folk to read more widely. 

Lunch was at 12:30 and during lunch, staff delivered the on board accounts and then after lunch we were asked to come and settle up our accounts. 

At 17:30 we were invited to the lecture room for a disembarkation briefing and Expedition Recap. The briefing covered off our plans for tomorrow at the Port of Anadyr. Rodney recapped the expedition which had exceeded all expectations on all accounts. He talked about the significance of the Expedition, the fact that it was the first ever double transit of the Northern Sea Route, the number of landings made and of course the numerous highlights including the Polar Bears feeding on the Bowhead Whale. It was an emotional briefing for Rodney as it was his last expedition in Russia as owner of Heritage Expeditions and he also shared the fact that his father had died while he was on this expedition. 

Grisha wrapped up the recap with a presentation of photographs taken during the expedition. It was a great reminder of everything we had done and achieved. A copy was made available for those of us who wanted it. 

A farewell dinner was held at 19:30 it was a magnificent seven course meal with wine and a lot of laughs (and tears) with the friends we had made along the Northern Sea Route. 

The Bird Club held its final meeting after dinner. 

Day 28: Monday 25 September
Anadyr

Pilot came on board during the early hours of the morning and took the vessel up to the wharf. We were all tied up by 06:30. Breakfast was at 07:00 and then there was time to finish packing before being transferred to the airport for flights to either Nome or Moscow. The last shuttle bus left the ship shortly after midday. Rodney, Olga and Julia remained on board to finish packing up and will sail tonight for Vladivostok.