1831: Across the Top of the World 20 August 2018

Day 1: Monday August 20th
Arrival in Anadyr
Position: 8 p.m. 64°41'N, 177°37'E
Weather: partly clouded, gentle breeze, 10°C
Wildlife: Beluga Whales, Largha Seal, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Glaucous Gulls and Terns

Anadyr was our meeting point. Some of us had already spent a few days in town, whilst most of us arrived the same day either via Nome or via Moscow. Once on board we made ourselves comfortable and familiar. The ship was along side the pier so no first movements could disturb our observation of the numerous Beluga Whales and Largha Seals that fished in the swell around the ship and along the coastline.

Before dinner we met in the lecture theatre for a first general meeting with the expedition team. After we enjoyed a calm dinner before the ship rolled into Anadyr Bay, departing at about 21:30.

Day 2: Tuesday August 21st
Crossing Presbrazhenya Bay
Position: 8 a.m. 64°38'N, 178°17'W
Weather: overcast, moderate breeze, 10°C
Wildlife: Short-tailed Shearwater, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Northern Fulmars

Many of us enjoyed the late first breakfast on board. Afterwards Oksana introduced us to the various protected areas of Russia and the young National park of Beringia. Beringia was a land bridge between Lena River and Mackenzie River during the last ice age (10,000 years ago). Both the Beringia National Park and Wrangel Island Reserve were situated on that bridge. Now both represent an essential part of the cultural and natural heritage of the area.

This morning we organized gumboots which we would have to wear at all outings. Afterwards Helen briefed us about the Zodiacs and the procedures around them.

After lunch we went on our first landing. The water in Presbrazhenya Bay was quite rough and challenging for some of us, however we got a first taste of the vast Chukotka coast with its beautiful cliffs and mountains, and the rich bird life.

Day 3: Wednesday August 22nd
Yttygran Island & Gil'mimyl
Position: 8 a.m. 64°39'N, 172°31'W
Weather: first foggy later sunny, light breeze, 10°C
Wildlife: Gray Whale, Ground Squirrel, Raven, Sandhill crane

Once the fog lifted during the early morning we went ashore at Yttygran Island. To the right of the landing site we already could see the famous Whale Bone Alley, and the ruins of the abandoned Yupik village Siqluk were to our left. A group of rangers welcomed us. As soon as we all were ashore Oksana and the ranger Nikolai, who was of Chukchi origin, took a group each to guide us along the shoreline. People from Siqluk were resettled in 1950, in connection with a huge state-relocation project. Whale Bone Alley was not discovered by researchers before 1976. Nobody knew about the precise meaning of the alley, not even the Yupik of the area. It is assumed that it could have been a traditional meeting place or hunting camp. The Senyavina Strait is rich in marine wildlife such as walrus, Gray Whales and Humpback Whales. When the hunt was poor, people of the area met at Yttygran Island and exchanged necessary belongings and preserved the meat in 120 meat pits at the alley.

Later we either enjoyed the time close to the alley or went on a little hike to a view point on our own. On the way the vegetation changed, and we found lots of different flowers. Also growing was a huge variety of berries, such as bilberry, crowberry, cloudberry and Arctic blueberry, the food for the numerous Ground Squirrels that had their burrows almost everywhere. Even from higher altitude we could hear distant whale blows. Helen decided to add a Zodiac cruise with Gray Whales to the landing, some whales came close to Zodiacs, the noise of their blows was the only sound within a couple of kilometers. Some of us were lucky and viewed a breaching whale just before we returned to the ship.

After lunch we visited a place called Gil'mimyl, which means “hot water”. Here the reindeer herder Ivan and his son Alexej, a ranger of the National Park of Beringia, waited for us. We were invited to their jaranga, the house of the reindeer nomads of the region. At a camp fire we could try fresh caught seal meat (intestine, liver, meat, and blubber), halibut, salmon and caviar in addition to traditional salad out of Seabeach sandwort (Metet). Aside they offered traditional Chukchi bread (kavkav) made of flower, water and baking powder. Close to the jaranga and the houses a family of Ground Squirrels observed us playfully.

We also joined some natural guided walks with Alex or Moshe to learn more about flora and fauna. On the way some of us spotted some exhausted salmon. Later we passed by the natural hot springs, that gave the site its name. The water in the wooden framed pool was too hot to enjoy, so those of us who wanted to test the water went to the nearby creek instead and tried to find spots with mixed water to take a bath.

Back on board we joined the recap in the bar, where Moshe, Oksana and Elke gave us a lot of information about the plants we have seen on the way so far, the life of the reindeer herders in Chukotka and the biology of the Gray Whales that differ so much from other whales; and are the main food source for the marine Chukchi hunters.

Day 4: Thursday August 23rd
Lavrentiya & Naukan
Position: 8 a.m. 65°35'N, 171°00'W
Weather: sunny later foggy, calm, 12°C
Wildlife: Gray Whale, Pelagic Cormorant

Early in the morning we were met by Alla and an official person at the beach of the village Lavrentiya. Alla led us to the city square and the sculpture “Peliken”. This modern monument is sold as “God” of the Chukchi people, although it is not – its origin is China – the natives used to have several different spirits instead, but they adopted this new one which is said to bring luck to people that touch its belly. Aside the monument another artwork was placed; a wooden Chukchi calendar, this shows all the necessary work that is required during the twelve months of the year.

We split into two groups so we could fit into the tiny museum. Alla guided us around and we learned about the wildlife and traditions of the Chukchi nation. Even a mini-baidara, the typical open skin boat found its way to the exhibition. At the square locals exhibited crafts and souvenirs. Two competing families offered traditional food (berries, Gray Whale, cake, fish) and wanted to find out who could satisfy the strangers best. Some of us even joined in a volleyball game with locals. The visit finished with a performance by the local folklore group “White Sail”. Three drum players with big walrus skin drums were singing while three young girls dressed in traditional Chukchi cotton dresses, the “kamleika”, were dancing. These dances talked about daily life activities, such as duck hunting or imitated local animals, for instance raven or walrus.

As soon as we were back on board we started sailing out of the St. Lawrence Bay. On the way we came across some Gray Whales again and some of us enjoyed the sunny weather and the great view on the outside decks.

The day was packed with activities, as soon as we were well fed by our skilled chefs again; Oksana offered some information about the region we would visit later and the people that lived there. Yupik people inhabited the exposed village Naukan with its majestic views until 1958. Within the process of centralisation of native people during Soviet times these people were forced to leave their village within a few hours and without hope of return. Today lots of ruins are left only from a flourishing community of about 350 people once upon a time.

When we finally arrived at Cape Dezhnev, thick fog was hiding the coast from our eyes. However, as we tried an attempt of landing the clouds raised and we landed on a relatively clear beach. We had to walk up a steep slope to reach the remains of the village. In the distance the beautiful light tower pointed out the direction we had to follow. At the lighthouse we visited the memorial of Semyon Dezhnev, a Russian Cossack that sailed for the very first time in 1648 through the Bering Strait.

© E. Lindner
Day 5: Friday August 24th
Kolyuchin Island
Position: 8 a.m. 67°25'N, 174°17'W
Weather: overcast, light breeze, 9°C
Wildlife: Humpback Whale, Brünnich's & Common Guillemots, Horned & Tufted Puffins, Short-tailed Shearwater, Pommarine Skua

We arrived at Kolyuchin Island after a nice late breakfast. The weather was calm enough to let us go ashore at the former weather station. The top of the island was covered by polygon ground so we had to be careful where we placed our feet. We passed the abandoned station and were welcomed by hundreds of guillemots, and clown-faced puffins, it was nice to see the puffins against the wild water of the surge at the foot of the cliffs with their wings out spread. Some guillemots tried to hide their chicks from the wind and the patrolling Glaucous Gulls. Quite a few eggs must have been victim to these predator seabirds during the season, since we could find quite a few empty egg shells.

The ground was covered with large scurvy grass tufts, favoured by the amounts of guano around. We spent two hours ashore and the time passed too quickly, most of us could have happily stayed and enjoyed this little bird paradise for longer.

We returned to the ship and heaved anchor, setting sail towards NE. As we crossed a shallow area we suddenly saw hundreds of Short-tailed Shearwaters in clouds on the sea at the horizon. Here and there we could spot some whale blows within the bird flocks. Many Humpback Whales gathered here with the birds in the nutrient rich waters and had a feast; we spotted flukes and blows and backs, and occasionally also breaches all around us. How much fish and plankton must have been below the water surface that now looked like it was boiling of feeding whales and birds! After this nature spectacle Alex invited us to a lecture about expedition photography. Later at recap he told us some facts about bird eggs and why they look as they do.

© A. Chavanne
Day 6: Saturday August 25th
At Sea & Wrangel Island: Doubtful Village & Cape Blossom
Position: 8 a.m. 70°20'N, 178°53'W
Weather: overcast, light breeze, 7°C
Wildlife: Snowy Owl, Polar Fox, Musk Oxen, Polar Bear

This morning was a lazy sea morning. Those who did not want to wait until the late breakfast had already taken some fresh air on the outside decks earlier. The sea was smooth but some swell kept the ship moving all night and morning. Most of us had grown sea legs by now. Helen gave us an interesting overview on Wrangel Island later on, followed by Alex who presented the Polar Bear safety rules we would have to follow from now on. Before lunch the gift shop opened and we were able to purchase a variety of souvenirs, postcards and books.

At noon we arrived and anchored in front of the ranger settlement at Doubtful.

As we arrived ashore we were met by the local rangers and Scientists, they then also joined us on our two walks. The settlement itself looked quite a bit dirty, but all the colour dots of the rich flora made up for it. In the riverbed we met the spider-plant. Blue groups of forget-me-not and yellow flowers of Arctic poppy and saxifrage, as well as purple flowers of Elegant paintbrush and Lousewort species covered the meadows between the houses and the riverbank. Some young foxes displayed cheerfully for the slow hikers in the village, whilst the long hikers spotted Snowy Owls and Musk Oxen in the distance on their way.

We finished on the old side of the settlement, where again we found stunning flora and also could visit the rangers house, with mammoth tusk and Musk Oxen skulls in front of it. We all returned to the ship leaving only the first five “Overlanders” and Julia on land in Doubtful Village, they would stay here over night and start a completely different two days journey the next day.

After dinner we all went out for a Zodiac cruise close to Cape Blossom. It was already fairly late and the light faded while we were traveling along the coastline, however we got a first good glimpse on six bears close to the coastline, knowing that there were eight more somewhere on the tundra behind.

© E. Lindner
Day 7: Sunday August 26th
Mt. Thomas & Ptichy Bazar
Position: 8 a.m. 30°55'N, 178°41'E
Weather: overcast, calm, 3°C
Wildlife: Polar Bear, Snow Geese, Lemming

During breakfast we received information that there were about 50 bears spotted ashore. Most of them where resting on the slopes whilst others walked along the tundra. Unbelievable this density of bears! The area around Mt. Thomas is a well known denning area for Polar Bears. By the late 80s the number of dens on Wrangel and Herald Island was estimated to be 350 to 400. From 2004-2010 less than 60-70 dens were left, tendency decreasing. Newer numbers are lacking, because the Polar Bear observation program on Wrangel Island finished a few years ago and no more Polar Bear specialists have been there in recent years.

We landed at the monument where the Russian Vaigatch-Hydrographic-Expedition planted their flag in September 2011. The long-hikers went off with the Ranger Genadi and Alex to stretch their legs, on the way they met three bears within a fairly good distance, two of them adventured down the slope to check out the colourful human herd that came strolling along.

The short hikers made their way to a lake with a well weathered cabin. On the way we found Seabeach sandwort and the Oysterleaf-plant mertensia, both belonging to Saltwater resistant flora. A Lemming ran across the tundra as we were learning about the polygon soil and permafrost patterns. On the beach we found a sleeping hollow with some beautiful Polar Bear tracks.

During lunch we took a Zodiac cruise to a place called Ptichy Bazar or “Bird market”. Hundreds of Black-legged Kittiwakes were still sitting on their breeding ledges and quite a number of Brünnich's and Common Guillemot were still at home. Around the corner of the bird cliff we found some Polar Bears, some resting on the slopes and others slowly moving across tundra or shore line. Even a small Arctic Fox appeared in front of our Zodiacs. The grand final of that one hour cruise was a well fed female bear coming down to the shore line, strolling along and at the end rolling and stretching herself on a snow field.

© M. Agami
Day 8: Monday August 27th
Lake Komsomol
Position: 8 a.m. 71°17'N, 179°11'E
Weather: fog & overcast, light air, 3°C
Wildlife: Polar Bear, Pomarine Skua, Red-necked Phalarope

After a quiet night we woke up in front of the very low cloud covered coast of Wrangel Island. Helen wanted to wait, hoping the fog would lift, so we started with a lecture on penguins of the North with Elke after breakfast. We learned about breeding biology and behaviour of guillemots and puffins, numbers, distributions and adaptations to their environment. Considering the cold, icy environment of both polar areas, a whole ecosystem and its species has developed by convergent evolution. Penguins and their prey the krill play the same role and look very similar to the auks and the amphipods in the Arctic environment.

Before lunch Helen decided to try a short one hour landing at Lake Komsomol. At times fog covered the landing site, and other times it lifted completely. We went ashore close to a cabin, which is sometimes used by researchers counting Polar Bears in the area. Close by some bears were resting, we walked a bit in their direction, always keeping the water of the lake between us and them, like this we could nicely observe their interactions or just enjoy the busy Red-necked phalaropes along the shoreline. While we were observing the bears at a little peninsula, another bear showed up at the landing site. We slowly walked back whilst the bear investigated the cabin and shed close by. As we came closer to the life jacket bins, the bear decided not to stay close and moved on.

After lunch Moshe, our expert and botanist, lectured about the vegetation zones and the geo-historical development of the Beringia land-bridge, a wide range of land that connected West-America and East Asia. This area was almost non-glaciated during the last glaciation period and thus provided a unique habitat for cold, arid steppe-like flora and mega-fauna. A mixture of American and Eurasian plant species evolved here, and in the middle of everything, the nowadays Wrangel Island was embedded. Not before 60000 years later global water level rose and the Bering Sea developed. By that time the first Paleolithic people had conquered the American continent.

A swell along the shoreline just allowed us to exchange our “Overlander” groups, so instead of a landing we took the opportunity to spend a quiet day on board catching up on photos, chatting with new friends, or reading books from the library collection. Many of us attended the onboard ‘cinema’ in the lecture theatre and watched the Wrangel documentary “Life in the field of bones” by the BBC and Nikita Ovsyanikov, who once worked and lived here as a Ranger and was a Polar Bear expert and scientist on the island for many years. During the recap we learned to see the difference of Polar Bear sexes and to judge the body condition of bears as well as interesting facts on the Karluk Expedition (1913-1916) that ended more or less disastrous around Herald and Wrangel Island. Of the 31 members 11 died, before the remaining members could be rescued.

Day 9: Tuesday August 28th
Herald Island, Cape Waring
Position: 8 a.m. 71°21'N, 175°45'W
Weather: overcast, gentle breeze, 2°C
Wildlife: Walrus, Polar Bear, Common & Brünnich's Guillemot, Horned Puffin

We woke up at five this morning for an early morning Zodiac cruise, despite the early morning wake-up as soon as we boarded the Zodiacs it wasn’t long before the temperature and wind woke us up. We left for a little walrus haul out close to the shore. As we approached we could see there was another visitor, a Polar Bear, as we got closer the bear walked off, entering the water swimming past the walrus. We spent a couple of minutes watching the interactions of the animals in the water and the roughly 100 walrus individuals ashore then we continued along the coastline. Steep granite rock formations changed with banded gneisses further towards the South Cape, while the cape itself consisted of well weathered granites again.

During the morning we transited back to Wrangel Island, arriving at Cape Waring at noon. Helen waited for the swell to reduce, and decided to continue our voyage south. The next bay however offered better sea conditions and on the way there we were even accompanied by a few Gray Whales and walruses. Around 2pm we were ready on the gangway to join a Zodiac cruise with some of the walruses we had seen. While we were waiting a flock of cranes circled above the ship with loud trumpeting noise, and also a Polar Bear showed up at the shoreline where we headed first, this male bear decided to walk away as our Zodiacs approached. We also had a stop at a little haul out on the coast, where approximately a hundred walrus rested like big sausages on a little rock and along a boulder slope. After this visit the Zodiacs spread out to find a little group of walrus each to observe them. At the northern end a Gray Whale fed on the soft bottom fauna, and showed himself once in a while. Closer to shore a huge karst arch reached out into the sea. At a nearby shore we found a Polar Bear resting, as we drifted closer he raised and lay down again, and then finally walked slowly off towards the northern end of the beach.

Back on board Spirit of Enderby we warmed ourselves up again before we watched a movie about the Karluk expedition.

Danila, out Russian walrus researcher rounded the evening up, providing us with some information on Pacific walrus ecology; this was well received by all who were listening. Having spent time observing them in the water earlier it was a great way to end the day.

© A. Chavanne
Day 10: Wednesday August 29th
Krassin Bay / Devils Ravine / Creek & Doubtful Village
Position: 8 a.m. 71°58'N, 179°55'W
Weather: overcast, light breeze, 2°C
Wildlife: Snowy Owl, Polar Bear, spider

The weather remained the same as during the last few days: overcast. We could observe that the tundra had changed slightly with autumn colours starting to paint the tundra in additional red and yellow. We went ashore at a Paleo-eskimo site that is believed to be about 320,000 years old. Archaeologists found remains of a summer camp only here, parts of hunting gear and tools have also been found, this is the only known site of its kind at Wrangel Island.

Splitting into various groups again we conquered the slopes to find some wildlife and flora. The strong hikers reached quite some altitude, as far as the cloud cover allowed, from here a few Snowy Owls and also some Polar Bears could be spotted in the distance. A fox den was discovered on the way as well, and most of us got a glimpse on the little fellow playing in the ravine.

Plant life was rich at this spot. Heathland and wetland interchanged with each other. Fleabane, Saxgifrage and Cinquefoil were still in bloom here and there. At the lower tundra a few Musk Oxen carcasses were found. The journey back to the ship in the Zodiacs was rather rough, but most of us managed to get home more or less dry.

Due to an increasing wind and swell a second visit to Doubtful Village was cancelled. We waved goodbye to the Rangers that had accompanied us for the last days. The Overlander participants were still to be picked up ashore so plans were made to collect them, as they arrived back at the Spirit of Enderby they were more or less soaked, such waves they had to face at the beach. Meanwhile the rest of us had stayed warm and dry, and enjoyed a lecture by Moshe about vegetation zones of the world and plant life in the area while the waiting for the Overlanders to return.

In the evening we met for a final Wrangel Island recap. Elke provided a summary on the geology of Wrangel and Herald Island. We learned that both islands were part of a platform about 570 Million years ago that belonged to the Canadian shield. Mainly sediments and metamorphic rocks determined the geology of Wrangel whilst Herald Island consisted of a large amount of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Also those that participated in the Overlander Traverse extension talked about the adventures that they had during their time staying on Wrangel Island.

© E. Lindner
Day 11: Tuesday August 30th
Vankarem & At Sea
Position: 8 a.m. 67°52'N, 175°46'W
Weather: overcast, light air, 8°C
Wildlife: Walrus, Ringed Plover, Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, Short-tailed Shearwater

In the morning we arrived at the northern coast of Chukotka, close to the walrus hunter’s village Vankarem. The place is important for its walrus haul-out nearby. During high season 25-30 thousand walrus can rest on shore. Whilst on shore we met the Ranger Sergej of the national monument of Cape Vankarem. He is also the indigenous representative of the Chukotka and Alaska agreement on Polar Bear management and use. He guided us towards the far end of the peninsula, where we split into two groups. At the final observation point, small groups of five got the chance to have a close look at a tiny haul out location between the steep coastal cliffs. A few males and a female were resting on the boulders. Not too far away a larger group resettled on their tundra beds with loud noises and a few tusk battles. Out in the sea mother and calf groups and some single males were patrolling along the shoreline. The second half of us had spotted some Ground Squirrels while waiting. As we were resting and exploring between the ruins of a former military and scientific camp site that even earlier used to be a seasonal hunters home – the funny squirrels rushed up and down the boulders that covered their homes. Once back on shore, we said goodbye to our scientist Danila, who would stay together with the walrus and do some more research for the following two months.

We spent this afternoon at sea. Oksana had brought a movie about the Chukchi reindeer herder Vukvukay, his family and his reindeer. Later, when we passed shallow areas again many Short-tailed Shearwaters as well as plenty of whale blows marked the feeding ground of numerous Gray Whales and Humpback Whale. At one stage we could even watch them breaching.

Day 12: Friday August 31th
At Sea & Unnamed Bay
Position: 8 a.m. 65°44'N, 170°12'W
Weather: partly cloudy, gentle breeze, 7°C
Wildlife: Orca, Gray Whale, Minke Whale, brown bear, Horned Puffin

This morning we entered St. Lawrence Bay again and passed by the village of Lavrentiya. Orcas were spotted from the bridge. We went out as quick as possible to catch a glimpse of these impressive animals and discovered several pairs or single individuals. A male with his sensational big fin came closer to the ship, and at the same time a female and a male crossed right in front of the ships bow. On the way we also passed some Gray Whales and a happy breaching Minke Whale. Lucky person who had the camera ready at that time!

After lunch we went ashore at a sandy beach. Alex headed off almost immediately with the long-hikers and conquered the surrounding hills during the next three hours. The others tried to reach the nearby hill, crossing the swampy tundra with all its tasty cloud berries and fluffy cotton grass. It was not easy to walk through that terrain, but we all tried to reach at least some altitude to get some nice views. On the way, a brown bear was spotted in the distance, its excrements were scattered across the tundra showing that he had been feasting well eating all the available berries.

After the landing Oksana provided a lecture about the whaling history of Chukotka: Natives here are still hunting, since whale meat is not only traditional food but also fresh and cheap meat. The meat can be stored in freezer containers or in cellars cooled by permafrost. About 350 hunters are living in about 14 whaling villages, with their small boats they hunt about 125 Gray Whales and 5 Bowhead Whales per year.

Our daily recap was very educational again: Moshe told us about his project on ducks eating and digesting seeds, that without the birds digesting system they would not germinate. Elke presented some interesting facts about walruses, how they would jet-stream the mud off around their clam-prey and how they use their tusks to pull themselves on shore or onto the ice. Interesting that walrus juvenile are nursed for up to two years, and the milk is pressed into their mouth by the mother. Alex finished off the educational meeting with information on the bird migration of Arctic birds.

© E. Lindner
Day 13: Saturday September 1st
Pengingay Bay & At Sea
Position: 8 a.m. 64°49'N, 173°04'W
Weather: clear sky, calm, 10°C
Wildlife: Humpback Whale, Raven, Sandhill Crane, Pica

After breakfast we went on a Zodiac cruise with Humpback Whales, every Zodiac found their own group of whales with some of the whales coming close. It was a wild experience to hear them breathing when they broke through the water surface. Lots of beautiful flukes were displayed and pictures taken on memory cards, a few of us were very lucky to see a frequently breaching whale close by.

After a short bathroom brake back on board the ship we went to shore. Here we could choose to take a long walk with Alex or just enjoy the sunny landscape on our own. Mats of crowberries covered the ground. Ancient summer camp stone rings were found on the rolling hills to the east. The creek offered a superb variation of the local flora and some nearby stone runs were home to the small Pika. The wind picked up during the landing, so almost nobody took the chance of the offered swim in the clear but cold waters.

After lunch we sailed out of the bay again. We hoped to see more of the breaching whales but the wind had gotten very strong and we mainly spotted a blow or the tail of a diving whale here and there.

At the recap we learned about Orcas. The ones we had seen yesterday belonged to a group of transient animals that are mammal eaters, such Orcas use to hunt migrating Gray Whales and Minke Whales along the coast by drowning them.

© J. Mishina
Day 14: Sunday September 2nd
At Sea to Anadyr
Position: 8 a.m. 64°22'N, 178°13'W
Weather: clear sky, light breeze, 9°C
Wildlife: Northern Fulmar, Pacific Diver

This morning we got a little sleep in again, before our on board university courses started with Oksana. She led us through the various festivals of indigenous people of Chukotka, giving us a great insight into the Chukchi culture. The most common event seemed to be the skin boat races and the dog sled races. Yupik people once taught the Chukchi how to built skin boats of wooden frames from driftwood and a single walrus hide. Skilled men would divide the 3cm thick hide into several thin layers and after some processing fasten them to the wooden frame. Teams of hunters, women or young boys would compete with each other in a 10km race during a festival. Meanwhile all other festival visitors can join in various sport games or eat local delicacies, or buy souvenirs. The dog sledge race is organised by the marine mammal hunters in March or April. Weather depending they start in Nome and either travel along a northern or a southern coastal route towards Anadyr, only the Bering Strait is taken by helicopter. The race is a social event, where locals are proud to house the musher and learn about the happenings in his village. When the musher arrives he just has to provide a kettle, otherwise firewood and frozen walrus meat is provided to feed him and his dogs.

After Oksana’s lecture we had a group photo on the front deck, and then Elke provided the last lecture on this voyage. She gave us an overview on plant adaptations to the cold environment; as the temperature decreases some species attain complete frost resistance within just a few hours. Plants from other climatic zones must be exposed to low temp for a much longer time. Vegetation of snow layer habitats has a lower frost resistance than plants on windblown ridges. Hairs, dead plant material and red plant color protect the living plant parts that have to be exposed to the cold for photosynthesis. The main biomass in polar habitat is below ground, despite the permafrost soil.

The afternoon was spent exchanging last pictures and information with our fellow travellers, enjoying the sun and warm temperatures on the outside deck or already starting to pack for those of us who would have to return home tomorrow. Oksana had prepared a nice slide show and presented it for us as a review of the voyage. Helen finished her last recap, we received more detailed information about the disembarkation day tomorrow for some of us, or the excursion day for others that would continue their travel with the ship towards Kamchatka.

During our four course delicious farewell dinner we moored to the pier at the northern side of the Anadyr River, our last night on board Spirit of Enderby.

Day 15: Monday September 3rd
Port of Anadyr

After a final breakfast, passengers gathered and said their goodbyes before those leaving Anadyr transferred to the airport.

During this voyage we have sailed a total of 2080 Nautical miles, observed 76 Polar Bears and one brown bear. We have had great encounters with Gray and Humpback Whales, and enjoyed the opportunities to view walrus on land and in the water. Heritage Expeditions thank you for travelling and sharing these experiences with us on ‘Across the Top of the World’, we hope to see you again somewhere between the poles!