1823: Siberia's Forgotten Coast 26 June 2018

 

© Heritage Expeditions   Day 1: Tuesday 26 June
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy    

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy is a rough-hewn port town situated on the huge Avacha Harbour and ringed by volcanoes. The name translates as “PeterPaul-Kamchatka”, a reference to Bering’s ships the St Peterand St Paul, in whose wake we plan to spend the next two weeks. We wandered along the seafront, around spacious Lenin Square and around the shops, trying to decipher the mysteries of Cyrillic script on shopfronts and advertising boards. Others of us spent the day birding in the surrounding hills with Heritage guides Chris Collins and Dan Brown.
 
We had flown in from Europe, Israel and the Antipodes. Now at last we were all boarding the Professor Khromov, looking sharp with her freshly painted deep blue hull and white superstructure. Staff welcomed and directed us from the bus, through port security, up the gangway to our cabins. The first couple of hours were a jet-lagged haze of muffins and tea, introduction to the voyage, safety briefings from Expedition Leader Nathan Russ, and practical matters from Hotel Manager Rachael Iveson-Brown.

In mid-afternoon we were suddenly faced with lifeboat drill: 7 long and one short alarm, repeated, and followed by ‘Abandon ship drill! Abandon ship drill!’ Go to your cabin, pick up your lifejacket, then go immediately to the lifeboat stations at the 500 level...”). This was followed by a practical drill which involved clambering into the life-boats together and closing the lid – a confined experience we hoped would never need repeating.

At 19:30 we sat down to a tasty dinner (choice of salmon, lamb or vegetarian) before pulling away from the pier and setting out across Avacha Bay. As soon as we’d eaten we wrapped up warmly and headed out on deck. The sunshine in port quickly gave out to fog, cutting short the bird-watching. Yelena (Russian Assistant Expedition Leader) told us about the rock pillars we could see near the harbour entrance known as the Three Brothers. Legend has it that after a particularly devastating tsunami, three brothers offered to sail out and guard the harbour entrance against similar events in future. Since then, so far so good. Russian sailors on the back deck threw coins into the sea for good measure as we passed by.

Day 2: Wednesday 27 June
Zhupanova River

What a day! We awoke to clear skies, a balmy 15 degrees and a panorama of snow-clad, pyramidal volcanoes ranging from 1300 to 2500 metres high, Mt. Karympskiy actively smoking.

“OK.” said Rachael, “The Zodiacs will be ready at 08:30! We are using the starboard side gangway. Please go out the port side door and line up around the back of the 400 level.” We were off; down the gangway, stepping onto the Zodiac pontoon into the Zodiac proper and taking our seats around the pontoons. The water was brown and estuarine even where we sat a kilometre offshore, giving us some idea of how much Spring meltwater was coming down the Zhupanova River, our goal for the morning.  

We could see a line of blue roofs and some fishing-net buoys near the river-mouth; a salmon fish factory taking advantage of the extraordinary diversity (7 species) and volume (annual harvest of 3000 tonnes) of salmon spawning here. The salmon are also the reason for the high density of Steller’s Sea Eagles here, the draw-card for our visit and the heaviest sea eagle in the world. The first we saw was sitting on a sandbank just outside the entrance. As we slowly drew nearer, it flapped its gigantic splayed wings and took off with slow, rhythmic flapping. Even from 100 metres away we could see the size of its gigantic yellow bill and salmon-snatching talons.

Sea eagles and humans were not the only species attracted by salmon; scores of Largha Seals bobbed in the river, popping their heads up to watch us go by. Large groups lay motionless on shallow sand-bars, waiting for the next incoming tide. They held their leopard-patterned bodies in curious banana-bend poses; head upright at one end, hind-flippers at the other.

The river was still in spring spate, spilling out into vast ponds and floodplains. We cut the motors at a point where we could look out into adjacent wetlands and scanned our surroundings: Scaup, divers, terns and gulls, pintail, the cry of a Far Eastern Curlew. On the opposite bank a Kamchatka Brown Bear appeared briefly at the waters edge before disappearing back into a forest of alder and birch.

We carried on upstream, a glorious trip on such a day, looking out over the water to vast forests and volcanic peaks. We stopped adjacent to a sea eagle nest high in a birch tree. These massive structures are used decade after decade, becoming huge in the process. The birds were home, but flew off at our approach. They were soon harassed by acrobatic Carrion Crows whose nesting territory they had transgressed, before circuitously returning to their nest.

We again cut the motors and drifted downstream, enabling us to hear birdsong; Yellow-breasted and Rustic Bunting, brambling, rosefinch, curlew... We motored slowly back to the ship, avoiding (mostly) hidden sandbars and clambering back on board for lunch: a truly memorable morning in Kamchatka behind us.

As soon as the Zodiacs were back on board we set a course for Bering Island at the tail end of the Aleutian chain; the sea calm but fog now making it impossible to see more than 150 metres. © C. Todd © C. Todd
Day 3: Thursday 28 June
Nikolskoye, Bering Island

The overnight trip from Zhupanova River to Bering Island was uneventful, ending at Nikolskoye, on Bering Island at the southwestern end of the Aleutian chain. Traditionally home to the Aleuts, the islands were first revealed to Europeans through Vitus Bering’s expeditions in the mid 18th century.

We awoke to a bitter wind, white-caps and glimpses of a dark landmass through the fog. Once Nathan and Yelena had dealt with Border-Guard formalities we were free to land, trying to stay dry on the Zodiacs on the way in. We landed on a small beach behind the breakwater, lined by a fantastic ‘Gallery of Rust’: fishing boats, pipes, cranes, bulldozers slowly returning to the elements.

We stopped along the dusty road into town to watch Rock Sandpipers probe the tide-exposed seaweed for invertebrates and half a dozen Mongolian Plovers with their elegant chestnut breast feathers foraging on the sand-flats. Exquisitely patterned Harlequin Ducks worked the water’s edge, occasionally diving for fish. A sea otter lay on its back in the swell, consuming a sea-urchin, watchful Glaucous-winged Gulls harassing it for scraps.

While the birders carried on past the township and up the Gavanskaya River, the rest of us explored Nikolskoye. It’s a town of around 700, brightly painted apartment blocks reminiscent of LEGO and a brave contrast to the cold fog. Local woman Valentina showed passengers around the Aleut Museum, complete with a skeleton of Steller’s Sea Cow. Some of us also took a look around the Komandorskiy Park HQ, its white exterior decorated with murals of marine mammals. Both venues had a successful day selling mementos to us; soft toys of marine mammals, fridge magnets, printed clothing and local handcrafts.

After lunch the wind continued to pick up from the south, making our planned trip to the seal colony at NW Cape impossible. Instead we sailed around the southern end of Bering Island and up the NE coast to get the ship on to the lee side of the island. Chris gave a lecture on the plants of Chukotka; the forces that shaped them, typical plant communities at various altitudes, and examples of meadow, forest, shrub land and alpine tundra plants.

We sailed on through fog, the productive seas teeming with shearwaters, fulmars, guillemots and puffins. The 2 metre dorsal fin of a massive male Orca appeared out of the fog, heralding the arrival of a pod near the ship and bringing everybody out on deck. Many of us continued to peer into the mist from the bridge, top and fore-decks, rewarded near the southern tip of Bering Island by low-flying flocks of Whiskered and Parakeet Auklets.

As we began to transit the strait between Bering and Medny Islands the fog dissipated, a fogbow appeared and warm sunshine streamed down, lighting up the sea and the flicking of shearwaters’ wings.

Bering’s discovery of Bering Island was not a happy one: At the onset of winter, 1741, Bering and his depleted, scurvy-wracked crew on the St Peter, ran aground on Bering Island. They were devastated when they discovered that they had been wrecked not on Kamchatka Peninsula, but on an exposed and remote island. They set up camp; dugouts in the partly frozen sand, covered by sailcloth. After Commander Bering died on December 8th 1741, Georg Steller his naturalist, geographer, and finally physician, wrote in his journal ‘he died more from hunger, cold, thirst, vermin, and grief.’ The vermin he referred to – Arctic Foxes – were their steadfast tormentors, so maddening that within days Steller and Plenisner went on a rampage with axe and long knife, killing over sixty in one go. However, persecution only made them stronger. According to Steller, the foxes ‘dragged apart all the baggage, ate the leather sacks, scattered the provisions, stole and dragged from one man his boots, from another his socks and trousers, gloves and coat… They even dragged off iron and other implements that were of no use to them.’

Steller also described an animal whose buttery fat the sailors made good use of whilst they built a smaller ship from the salvaged wreckage of the St Peter: Steller’s Sea Cow, Hydrodamalis gigas. This enormous, seaweed-grazing, bobbing creature was hunted to extinction within only 30 years of Steller recording its existence. © D. Brown
Day 4: Friday 29 June
Medny Island    

At 06:30 we watched the cloud writhing over the ridge and cascading down the cliffs toward our anchorage. Thirty knots of wind ripped up the surface of the sea; too windy to launch Zodiacs.

We moved the ship after breakfast to a more sheltered section of coastline and launched the Zodiacs in the lee of high cliffs. Black and the local Red-legged Kittiwakes, Brunnich’s and Common Guillemot flew to and from their nests on the cliffs. A sea otter lay on its back, hind flippers in the air, cradling a pup on its front. As we came around a low rocky promontory an Arctic Fox trotted along the tide-line, the remnants of its long winter coat standing out its spine against the low sunlight. It stopped and ate some small prey nosed from amongst the seaweed.  

In the next inlet groups of Largha Seals were hauled out on the rocks, bodies arched characteristically like squat silver bananas. A Red-faced Cormorant and a pair of Horned Puffins with bright orange bills dived for small fish. A pair of Grey-crowned Rosy Finches clung to the rock just above the surge line and fossicked amongst the marine algae. We heard a Pacific Wren singing and followed its sound into a narrow canyon, eventually locating it high amongst the grasses and rocks. Every now and again a Zodiac cooling intake would be fouled by seaweed and a driver would turn off the motor to clear it.

We entered the relative shelter of Bukhta (Bay) Peschanaya, but strong wind gusts were funneling into it from the SW side of the island. We anchored the Zodiacs off the beach and went exploring for a couple of hours: The beach was littered with green pebbles. Behind the beach, roofless concrete buildings, concrete water tanks on the hillside (water still pouring into them from a corroded steel pipe) and pieces of rusting machinery were all that remained of a former Border Guard Station.  Higher on the headland was evidence of earlier occupation dating back to the sea otter hunting days. Wooden crosses (many now simply posts) marked the sites of graves. One had fallen into the grass and the cross was still just visible as cross-shaped moss. A steel headstone was the only one of its kind. It was dated 1909, just 2 years before otter-hunting was finally outlawed completely, leaving the species on the brink of extinction. The otters have since recovered to two-thirds of their former range, with the Russian populations (Kuril Islands, Commanders and Kamchatka) the strongest.

Flowers everywhere! With no grazing animals on Medny, the lush tundra was in peak condition: Button-like white Lapland Cornells with smudgy black centres, dark purple-crimson Kamchatka Fritilleries, bright yellow Ranunculus, richly mauve Keyflower Orchids, white and yellow anemones, unravelling ferns. One of the passengers climbed high into the meadow and simply lay on her back amongst the flowers, listening to the larks. Someone found a walrus skull on the beach. We returned to the ship and had lunch in a screaming wind.

At 14:30 we were back in the Zodiacs, cruising to a promontory nearby to look for nesting Horned Puffins. We found a handful nesting in crevices and in the dark recesses of sea caves. Their breeding plumage is reminiscent of a clown wearing a dinner suit: Smartly contrasting black and white body feathers, clown like black spike just above the eye contrasting with white facial feathers, bright orange wattle and brilliant yellow and orange bill. If they come within camera range, photographing them is irresistible.

Red-faced Cormorants preferred to nest on exposed rocks and promontories. One pair were being harassed by a pair of Glaucous-winged Gulls, standing either side of its nest, trying to coerce it into moving so they could snatch an egg or a chick. The cormorants’ neck feathers look black, but on closer inspection contain iridescent greens, blues and purples.

On the exposed side of the promontory a large group of sea otters rafted amongst the kelp, mothers on their backs cradling their young. We drove upwind and cut the engine, drifting down silently amongst them as they popped up to observe us and we them, less wary and more curious without the sound of the outboard.

By 15:45 we were back on board and sailing for Karaginskiy Island, reflecting on two very rich days in the Commander Islands. © C. Collins © D. Brown © D. Brown
Day 5: Saturday 30 June
At Sea and Karaginskiy Island

After a little roll overnight we woke to crystal clear blue skies and glassy sea. The morning was interspersed with a lecture from Dan looking at the diversity of wildlife that occurs in Kamchatka and southern Chukotka. At sea the mirror-calm conditions were perfect for spotting wildlife. A couple of Northern Fur Seals broke the surface, whilst a group of Dall’s Porpoise came racing towards the ship leaving a crest of water as they erupted out from the waters film before their piebald bodies faded into the blue again. As land became clearer we waved goodbye to the last Red-legged Kittiwakes of the trip that seemed to have enjoyed the company of the ship, and likewise Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels also petered out.

After lunch we hopped into the Zodiacs and made the short ride to the long beach at the southwestern end of Karaginskiy Island. The flat area behind the shore holds a mosaic of habitats from dune edge and dry tundra to ponds, marsh and scrub. Beyond the flats a raised terrace of smooth dry tundra extends across the rest of the island. The weather was idyllic, warm and sunny and calm, perfect for mozzies! We spilt up into various groups. A birding group with Chris Collins heading off in search of Red-necked Phalaropes, Dusky and Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warblers, Red-throated and Pechora Pipits, Bluethroats, Eastern Yellow Wagtails and a great selection of duck on the pools. Another group with Moshe remained close to the beach enjoying the abundance of flowers from Rhododendrons to Kamchatka Fritillaries, Louseworts to Bog Rosemary. Two other groups with Chris Todd and Dan embarked on a long and medium walk over the tundra enjoying a mix of botany and birds with some general relaxing thrown in for good measure. It was with reluctance that we left the island in lovely soft, warm evening sunshine and headed back to the ship to continue north.

Day 6: Sunday 1 July
Verkhoturova Island and Bear Gully

Today was a day to remember! As if the weather gods hadn’t been good to us already the day dawned sunny, warm and calm AGAIN! Verkhoturova Island stood proud just to our side and we launched all five Zodiacs into a gentle, smooth sea and cruised into the shallow waters surrounding the cliffs and scree slopes. What lay before us was quite simply a spectacle. A sea peppered with birds, auks by the thousands. The ideal conditions allowed the Zodiacs to split up and slowly approach groups of birds allowing an insight into the brilliant behaviours and quirky appearances of many. Least Auklets gathered in pairs and small groups squabbling, bickering, and quarrelling between one another like highly animated bath-tub toys. Their tiny size amply illustrated when next to their larger cousins or even a floating gull feather! Crested Auklets formed black slicks on the surface bobbing around with excited honks and toots, Parekeet Auklets had a rather more serene demeanor, though a rather ridiculous appearance with their huge rose-bud bills, whilst Tufted and Horned Puffins came across as regal compared to the riffraff of Common and Brunnich’s Guillemots. The icing on the cake for some was a Little Auk amongst the Crested Auklets, eight species of alcid in all, undoubtedly one of the best sites on the planet for these charismatic birds. After a superb start to the morning we edged around the point and out to some rocky islets where over 100 Steller Sea Lions were hauled out, lounging, sleeping and when awake being argumentative with each other. In the water a dozen or so proved very inquisitive, approaching the Zodiacs for a closer look breaking the water with indignant snorts. Back in the bay we made a landing scrambling up the bank to give us stunning eye-level views of Tufted Puffins outside their burrows. These birds are probably the most comical of all Beringia’s birds and provided great entertainment for an hour or so. The botanists were also equally happy being quickly distracted by the swathes of flowers on the short turf up the bank to the puffins.

Tearing ourselves away from this tranquil location we made a smooth transit north to the mainland coast and the location we know as Bear Gully, a river valley and beach flanked by huge crumbling cliffs. A surge onto the beach prevented us landing but that didn’t dampen our spirits. Over a dozen bears put in appearances as we cruised the coast in the Zodiacs. A female and two tiny dark ‘bearlets’ scampered up the slopes with great agility, whilst another female and two slightly older cubs were foraging precariously at the top of the cliffs. At sea level the power of the ocean was clearly visible as an old fishing vessel lay rusting in the shallows, snapped in two by the immense force of the waves. The decks are now home to a colony of Slaty-backed Gulls which had a number of tiny and cute chicks. A Horned Puffin also came shooting out of one of the port holes. After a successful cruise we boarded the ship and headed on north up the Koryak coast, warm evening light falling on cloud-topped mountains. It’s quite a feeling to sit in comfort and look out to some of the most remote, inhospitable yet stunning scenery on the planet. For those lucky enough to still be up late a group of Orcas were seen cruising through the glassy waters.   © C. Collins © D. Brown
Day 7: Monday 2 July
Laurova and Tintikun Lagoon

The roll of the nighttime transit had eased away and we woke to yet another calm morning, our ship tucked up a long fjord with intimidating mountains shrouded in cloud around us. At 09:00 we launched five Zodiacs and slowly worked our way further into the fjord. A stricken fishing vessel lay rusting in the shallows, its decks now home to Slaty-backed Gulls and Pigeon Guillemots that appeared to have made homes in the portals. The fjord split like a ‘T’, both side limbs protected by sand bars. We ventured south down the first. A bear appeared but made a sharp exit on sight of us. An immature Steller’s Sea Eagle perched up on the boulders on the side of the water, watching our every move and oblivious to the antagonistic aerial assault directed at it from the local gulls. Ahead the distinctive lumbering movement and large dark mass of a brown bear sharpened into focus on the far beach. Slowly, carefully, and in formation we advanced on it. Metre by metre we approached until in the shallowest waters at the head of the bay the drivers slipped into the water to hold the Zodiacs whilst everyone enjoyed watching this superb animal nonchalantly go about its business. It was a humbling experience to see him completely unperturbed by our presence. Above us a Steller’s Sea Eagle thermalled up into brilliant blue sky, behind it the rugged ridges and peaks of spectacular snow-marbled mountains, surely the most iconic combination of wildlife and scenery in the Russian Far East. We backed away quietly leaving him to his business and headed back to explore the northern arm of the fjord.

Landing at the tip of the spit we scattered out into the skeletal remains of what was apparently a fish processing factory until the early 1990s. All that stands are the hulking great bodies of cranes rusting away and the timber frames of long warehouses, quite a fascinating place to wander through. For the birders the regenerating Alder, Birch and Willow thickets proved productive with Dusky Thrush, Red-throated Pipit, and Arctic Warbler all showing well, whilst a gordy male Siberian Rubythroat hoped into view briefly, his blood-red bib drawing the eye. High above us a female and immature bear wandered about the summit of the a snow-capped mountain maybe trying to keep out of the way of marauding males or even the mosquitos. We headed back to the ship for lunch and over the next hour she repositioned to the south.

At first sight there appears no way in to Tintikun Lagoon. Smooth waters concealed a reasonable swell as we boarded the Zodiacs again and headed in behind the rocks. The first attempt at navigating the river via its old course only succeeded in finding a sand bar. Once free Nathan directed the remainder of us and we all successfully surfed the breaking waves into the river. Next stage the river itself, a notoriously shallow section of water. After 200m the passengers disembarked the Zodiacs for a walk up the bank whilst the drivers navigated some exceptionally shallow waters skimming over the weed as Flounders dashed away from under our keels. Once in the lagoon the water deepens rapidly, everyone re-embarked and it was onwards with our mission to find some bears!

It didn’t take long. An open slope revealed a den site and above that a mother and two cubs made haste through the scrub. Further along another female and older cub stood close to a well concealed den in the Dwarf Pine. Chris Collins located a large male close to his Zodiac on the waters edge which promptly burst out of the undergrowth right next to Dan’s Zodiac taking them by surprise! All around us there appeared to be bears. Further up the lagoon a large male nonchalantly grazed Mountain Ash flowers from the bushes completely unperturbed by our presence. High up the slopes a female and two tiny ‘bearlets’ scampered up the scree, clearly the newest cubs had all been taken out of harms way to the highest heights. Strikingly marked Harlequin Ducks and Goosanders added a flare of colour and contrast on the waters edge, whilst the birders were fixed on finding Siberian Accentor, Pine Grosbeak, Siberian Rubythroat and Red-flanked Bluetail, all of which eventually obliged. The lagoon is an incredibly tranquil place, protected on all sides by some of the most rugged mountains imaginable. The ridges resemble sharks teeth, jagged, inhospitable, even unconquerable. In stark contrast we landed on the tiny island in the middle of Tintikun, a haven of flowers, placid waters and soothing features where we explored (without fear of bears!) for half an hour. Finally it was time to return back and with the tide rising we were able to navigate the river full laden with passengers! © D. Brown
Day 8: Tuesday 3 July
Koryak Coast

During the night, the Spirit of Enderby headed onwards from Tintikun Lagoon and by early morning we were anchored at our first search site for potential breeding Spoon-billed Sandpipers. After a relatively leisurely breakfast at 08:30, Expedition Leader Nathan invited everyone to join him in the Lecture Room where he, Chris Collins and Christoph Zockler outlined the plan for the searches.

We divided into three groups with two search teams and one for those who wanted a more general experience. The latter walk saw a spectacular range of tundra flowers and with the early morning fog having been replaced with blue skies and sunshine, it was a very pleasant excursion. As well as the flowers, a lucky few saw a Northern Pika, some Arctic Ground Squirrels and a Siberian Rubythroat.

The search teams checked two separate areas and although no sandpipers were found, it was nevertheless a productive morning with one of the teams finding three Red-necked Stints and two apparently breeding pairs of Mongolian Plovers.  

By early afternoon, everyone was back aboard and we set a course for another bay which was further along the Koryak coastline. With the journey expected to take several hours, Moshe Agami who had travelled on several previous expeditions to the Russian Far East with Heritage Expeditions offered a talk about the flora of the region.

For those who decided to look for wildlife instead, it was a productive journey with multiple Gray Whale sightings and a few Kittlitz’s Murrelets also being seen.

By late afternoon we had arrived at our second location for the day and as in the morning we split into two activities with some joining Chris Collins and Christoph Zockler to search for Spoon-billed Sandpipers whilst others went for a more general explore with Chris Todd, Dan Brown and the rest of the Expedition Team.

It was a glorious evening and whilst the searchers did not find their principle quarry, several Mongolian Plovers were found. Those who joined the general walk had a great encounter with a brown bear and a very pleasant time on the tundra.

It was a late dinner for all but with such glorious weather it was a pleasant evening and by the time dinner had concluded we were already at anchor for our planned activities the following day.

Day 9: Wednesday 4 July
Koryak Coast

For those wanting to search for Spoon-billed Sandpipers it was a very early start with a 05:30 breakfast and a departure 30 minutes later. Due to a large amount of habitat to search, there were once again were three teams with these led by Dan Brown, Chris Collins and Christoph Zockler.

For those with Chris and Dan, the beach landing was followed by a very challenging cliff climb but everyone arrived safely at the top where multiple well-worn bear tracks were followed along the ridge line to reach the intended search area. For those with Christoph things were a little easier with a beach landing.

Once again we were exceptionally fortunate with the weather with blue skies and hardly a breath of wind and despite the early hour seventeen passengers joined Christoph, Dan and Chris. Whilst considerable distance was covered over the next few hours, unfortunately, once again no sandpipers were found although reasonable numbers of Mongolian Plovers were noted.

For those on the general walk, Chris Todd took them onto a beautiful area of tundra where there were several highlights although the most significant was a stunning male Ribbon Seal which briefly hauled up on the beach. Although this species occurs along much of the Russian Far East coastline, it is very difficult to see away from areas of sea ice as it only rarely comes out of the water so it was a big surprise to see this individual so well.

By late morning everyone was returning to their respective pickup points, however, with the seas having picked up significantly since the early morning, the beach where Expedition Leader Nathan had agreed to meet Chris and Dan’s search teams was rather challenging with a stern landing used to get everyone safely off the shore.

It took several hours to reach our afternoon destination, the stunningly picturesque Deep Bay, and with the fantastic weather continuing, we had incredible views of the forested slopes and craggy peaks. With no wind and the mountain tops being clear of cloud, it was a spectacular scenic cruise which was made even better when some Snow Sheep were spotted high up on an alpine meadow. Although very distant, everyone who was on the outer decks was able to watch them and many people were very happy to see this notoriously difficult to see species.

After cruising up the fjord, we turned about and five Zodiacs were soon in the water and we set off to explore. Having cruised passed the graves of several sailors who had died here, we landed where a river flowed into the fjord and a couple of walks were offered with Chris Todd taking a longer energetic walk which climbed up to enjoy some great views of the surrounding vista. Others joined Chris Collins to look for Northern Pika and eventually one of these elusive rock dwelling animals was found.

By 18:30 everyone was back at the landing site and an hour later Bruce and Ed served up another delicious meal. With the sun still up, many headed outside after dinner to enjoy last views of the stunning scenery which was still visible on all sides.

Day 10: Thursday 5 July
Bukhta Pavla and Bogoslova Island

Following a 07:00 breakfast, Expedition Leader Nathan invited everyone to join him in the Lecture Room where he explained that there were two options for the morning – a walk into the mountains or an extended Zodiac cruise around Bukhta Pavla where the ship was anchored.

The Zodiac cruise which was led by Chris Collins and Dan Brown tracked along the southern shore of the fjord where we enjoyed some great views of the scenery. Although the tops were partly covered in cloud, the cloud base was reasonably high allowing us to appreciate the grandeur of the location.  

Initially wildlife sightings were rather limited but as the three Zodiacs approached the inner section of the fjord, a male Bluethroat was spotted, a Siberian Accentor heard and then a few moments later a large male brown bear was spotted ambling along in our direction.  We waited quietly and it continued coming in our direction giving us some nice looks before disappearing into the vegetation.

Crossing to the other bank of the fjord we had some good views of another couple of bears with a total of about half a dozen being recorded over the morning. Like a number of the other locations we had visited on the expedition, it was extraordinary how many of these large mammals were presented in a relatively small area and it was hardly surprising that a few looked somewhat under nourished.

After a short landing at what appeared to have been an abandoned fish plant, we returned to the ship very satisfied with our morning.

Whilst the Zodiac cruise was progressing, Chris Todd led those who wanted to go on an extended hike into the hills. The route climbed up towards an alpine lake which Nathan had suggested was a potential swimming site, however, when the walkers got there, they discovered that it was still frozen over !!! Spring had certainly arrived very late this year.

Nevertheless, the walk was a success for wildlife with a Northern Pika being found. A selection of birds were also seen with the highlights including two Arctic Redpolls.

By late morning everyone was back aboard and after an early lunch we set off towards  Bogoslova Island as Nathan had seen some walrus on the beach when the ship had passed by prior to 06:00. Unfortunately the majority of the walrus had left the beach since Nathan had seen them but there was still one, seemingly sickly individual on a different beach and at least a couple of dozen in the water so it was still a very worthwhile cruise with good numbers of Black-legged Kittiwakes on the cliffs along with smaller numbers of Brunnich’s Guillemots, Common Guillemots and Tufted Puffins.

After a couple of hours out on the water, we returned to the ship and began the longish journey to Meinypil’gyno. Wildlife watching from the Bridge was very productive with several Kittlitz’s Murrelet being found as well as both Gray and Red-necked Phalaropes.

By the evening, however, the sea conditions had deteriorated significantly and we could only hope that the weather would be better the following day for our date with the Spoon-billed Sandpipers of Meinypil’gyno. © D. Brown
Day 11: Friday 6 July
Meinypil’gyno

Whilst many had gone to bed somewhat concerned that the weather and sea conditions might impact on our ability to get ashore at Meinypil’gyno, we awoke to an almost flat ocean and many relieved people.

After breakfast, Expedition Leader Nathan headed ashore to assess the bar at the river mouth and met with the Border Guards and Spoon-billed Sandpiper Taskforce team at Meinypil’gyno to finalise arrangements. By late morning, everything was organised and we boarded the five Zodiacs and headed ashore.

Here we met Evgeny Syrovkovskiy, the head of Birds Russia and one of the leaders of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Taskforce, and some of his team and then half the group boarded several vehicles and headed to a monitored Spoon-billed Sandpiper nest whilst the rest explored the village including the museum. At the museum, there was an interesting collection of Soviet-era photos plus a collection of weapons used for hunting marine mammals.

Over the course of the early afternoon, everyone was shuttled across the tundra to the Spoon-billed Sandpiper nest site where we went in groups of ten to see the bird for 20 minutes per group. It was sitting on a nest which was only about 25 metres from the gravel road and with four telescopes set up, it was a real privilege to see this critically endangered bird on its nest out on the tundra. On occasions, the bird left the nest and walked around for a few moments but for most of the afternoon it sat quietly on its nest.

By 15:00 the last of the groups had seen the sandpiper and at 16:00 everyone gathered at the Meinypil’gyno Village Hall for a cultural show by the village dance troupe. Many of the dances drew inspiration from nature and some of the wildlife which could be found close to the village.

Once the show had concluded, we headed down to the Zodiacs and the drivers lingered in the river mouth where we had an amazing encounter with at least two pods of Belugas.  With the water being reasonably clear, we could see these white whales swimming below the surface allowing us to predict where they would surface and, therefore, have a much better chance of some photos. It was a great end to a spectacular day visiting somewhere which very few people had ever experienced. © D. Brown © D. Brown
Day 12: Saturday 7 July
Pika River and Gavriil Bay

Nathan had taken a bit of a gamble leaving Meinypil'gyno the night before but it was with a gut instinct that Expedition Leaders have and it paid off. We had run ahead of the weather and despite the fog hanging thinly over the sea the wind had stayed away and an unassailable front of cliffs extended away in front of us near Pika River. The cliff line undulated like a ladder on its side, as Dougald described, sheer, and patterned by strata at various angles. Our Zodiacs eased their way in slowly. The swell surged onto dark beaches bound by rock, a clay-red band was slowly discernible along the waters edge, and as we moved ever closer this red mass materialised into tens, hundreds, in fact thousands of walruses hauled out on the beach, the cliffs provided the perfect protection from would be predators. Our Zodiacs came to a halt a couple of hundred metres off the beach. Huge heads with blood red eyes, warty skin the colour of old bubblegum, and two huge tusks emerged from the water to eye us up. One is intimidating but an entire herd is something else. Bodies writhed for space; giant flippers flopped out of the water, the water churned as they jostled for the prime position to inspect our alien appearance. As they gained confidence they approached ever closer with the bolder individuals just three metres from the Zodiacs allowing every detail of their bizarre faces to be seen. Massive flat muzzles with stiff whiskers each tipped with droplets of water lead to a rounded, hairy-lipped mouth which they use for rooting out and devouring mollusc prey. For those close enough the rancid odour of their breath will likely remain an all too vivid memory. The walruses on the beach remained un-fussed by our visit, simply sprawled out bellowing and grunting whilst occupying every spare inch of sand possible. The encounter could have gone on forever but after the best views possible we opted to slowly head back towards the ship only to be greeted by two or three very obliging Gray Whales. These gentle giants were obviously feeding in quite shallow water and frequently surfacing, taking three or four breaths before sinking out of sight again. The views were so close we could see the waving filaments of tiny barnacles that have made homes on the skin of the whales. The final goodbye was one very obliging whale dove fluking as he went down.

Back onboard it was time to recharge cameras and bodies, relive the phenomenal encounters we had just had and prepare for our penultimate landing of the trip at Gavriil Bay. By mid-afternoon we were anchored in the fog and ready to go. As the first Zodiacs pulled onto the beach the weather Gods once again answered our prayers and slowly the fog lifted and sun broke through. We split into three groups, Chris Collins leading one for birding, Chris Todd and Moshe headed off botanising, and Dan took a group up the nearby hill. The latter afforded stunning views over the lagoon and tundra as the fog ebbed and flowed over the landscape illuminated by the afternoon sun. Tundra flowers abounded and the new warmth triggered butterflies from their slumber, many freshly emerged, whilst a pair of Sandhill Cranes elegantly performed their aerial display against a backdrop of snowy mountains. The birders picked up more cranes and waders including Red-necked Stint and a good number of Ringed Plovers, whilst the first large flocks of Russian White-fronted Geese were also seen well. A Red Fox made its way across the tundra and up the hill much to the displeasure of the local Arctic Ground Squirrels who chastised it vociferously, the fox didn’t flinch. All around there was evidence of bears including fresh tracks on the newly exposed sand but a sighting eluded us. With dinner calling we finally reconvened on the beach in a hazy early evening sunshine and made our way back to the ship for yet another superb meal. © D. Brown
Day 13: Sunday 8 July
Keyngypilgyn Lagoon

Last outing! We approached Keyngypilgyn Lagoon by Zodiac in fog, gingerly threading our way through sandbars, the approaching lowlands visible only as a hazy dark band between sea and sky. We followed the riffles of current indicating deeper water, past Arctic Terns and White-tailed Eagle, before landing on a sand spit.

From here we went in 3 directions across depleted, sandy tundra toward some bird-promising mudflats. A ground-squirrel’s high-pitched alarm squeak alerted us too late to its presence: Such is their range of predators that seeing, let alone watching small arctic mammals is the domain of the very patient. However we were soon rewarded with birdlife. A pair of Red-Throated Divers out in the channel; eiders, four Brent Geese at a great distance, which obliged us by flying toward and right past our groups. Tiny, Dwarf Willows and Birches crept across the sand, their gnarled ancient roots like tiny bonsai trees, exposed by the wind. Golden Rhododendrons and Dwarf Azaleas grew in sheltered depressions.

We heard the chiding of Arctic Terns, followed them to their colony and found a good vantage point on a nearby dune: The terns were ferrying small fish to their chicks and mobbing any gull that strayed into their airspace. Half a dozen Ringed Plovers fed on a low band of crowberries nearby, their black chest-bands striking against otherwise white breast feathers. Further back two families of Dunlins foraged with a small chick. A White-fronted Goose sat on two large green eggs on a down-lined nest up against a dune. The birding highlights came in the form of Emperor Geese. These Beringia endemics are very striking even at a distance, with their golden-crowned plumage over dark-flecked necks and bodies. Over the course of the morning we encountered over a dozen across the lagoon system. The biggest surprise was a very smart Sabine’s Gull seen at a distance by most and seen very well by a few over the Arctic Tern colony. We returned to the ship at 11:15 (an earlier Zodiac meeting a couple of Gray Whales en route) and set sail for Anadyr.

In the afternoon we returned our boots and life-jackets, and paid our accounts before a disembarkation briefing by Nathan, followed by the expedition slideshow: a wonderful selection of photographs from the voyage put together by staff reflecting the awe-inspiring landscape and species we had encountered over the previous fourteen days, all played to music. We sat down to a beautiful five course farewell dinner, retelling recent adventures from a very full and wonderful two weeks on ‘Siberia’s Forgotten Coast’. © D. Brown
Day 14: Monday 9 July
Port of Anadyr
  Over the course of the morning, we disembarked to begin our journeys either home or on to our next adventure. After formalities at the airport we prepared for our flights to Nome or Moscow, as we left the coast of Chukotka behind, its beauty and the expedition now but a memory.