1934: Jewel of the Russian Far East 19 August 2019

Day 1: Monday 19th August 2019
Arrival in Anadyr

Our adventure in the Russian Far East started today with most people arriving in Anadyr on flights from Nome, Alaska. A few had arranged to come early in order to spend some time in Anadyr itself before the trip. Anadyr is the administrative centre of the Chukotka region. This port town is located at the mouth of the Anadyr River which flows into the Anadyrsky Liman (liman = estuary) and ultimately, the Gulf of Anadyr. The airport is quite a distance from the town, though you can see it across the estuary. Much of the estuary is very shallow and our ship, the Professor Khromov (also known as the Spirit of Enderby) was anchored some way offshore due to the need to transfer supplies from a larger ship, the Kapitan Khlebnikov, before our trip.

From the airport, a little yellow bus took us to a small dock area. A local ferry, the Sotnikov, was waiting there. And in the waters all around the dock there were Belugas and Harbour Seals feasting on salmon. The regular “puff” sounds of the Belugas blowing and their broad creamy backs as they emerged briefly before diving once more. The dark heads and liquid eyes of the seals gazing at us with curiosity. What a way to start the trip! For the birders, there were Vega Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and even a few Loons (Divers).

Once everyone was finally on the ferry, we set off. An hour or so on the Sotnikov in beautiful calm conditions brought us to the Professor Khromov where the expedition team and crew were ready to meet us. The ferry was quickly made fast alongside, a gangplank was secured, and we boarded our new home. Having found our cabins, we gathered in the Lecture Room for a Welcome Briefing by Expedition Leader, Samuel. At this time we were also introduced to the expedition and hotel team. A Zodiac Briefing and the theory component of the lifeboat drill followed.

As the ship headed north towards tomorrow’s destination on the Chukotka coast, we enjoyed an excellent dinner and then an early night to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Day 2: Tuesday 20th August 2019
Egvekinot, Chukotka - Visit to Regional Museum and the Arctic Circle. Humpback Whales in Kresta Bay.

We awoke to a partly cloudy morning with the ship anchored in Kresta Bay, off the town of Egvekinot, only a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle. Currently home to about 2,500 people, Egvekinot was built by Stalin-era Gulag prisoners in 1946 as a port to service the government-run tin and tungsten mines (Lul’tin), approx. 200 km inland. The prisoners built the road as well, and thousands died in the process. The mines are now closed but the town remains. While acknowledging its sad history, Egvekinot today is a vibrant community made up of a mix of local Chukchi people and newcomers from other parts of Russia. The port now provides shipping services for a privately-owned gold mine (Pevek), and conversely enables goods from other parts of the country to be imported into this remote area with relative ease – at least during summer. We were impressed with the small but well-stocked supermarket we visited. In winter, this area is of course totally locked in by sea ice. Egvekinot is also home to one of the best museums in the Chukotka region.

We were at anchor off Egvekinot all day. The plan was to split into two groups, with the first group traveling by 6-wheel drive “Ural” bus to the nearby Arctic Circle, while the second group visits the museum and town. Then, after lunch on board the ship, we will return in the afternoon and swap over, such that everyone gets a chance to see everything.

After breakfast therefore, we had our first short Zodiac ride of the trip, from the ship to a small beach at the edge of town which is sheltered by a breakwater. A number of small motorboats were moored in this quiet cove, and the shore featured an interesting collection of rough wood and tarpaper shacks. These shacks serve as storage sheds and workshops for local boat owners. The town itself consists of a series of older apartment blocks. Many buildings were painted in bright colours and graced with large picture banners on the end walls showing local scenes. There was also a large, new orthodox church with pristine white walls and bright golden onion domes.

While one group set off on foot for the museum, the other group piled into the big Ural bus that stood waiting and we set off. Passing the memorial to the Gulag prisoners on the shores of the bay, our ride started smoothly along a road paved with concrete slabs. Soon however we found ourselves bouncing along on rough gravel. There are plans to put concrete slabs along all of this road as far as the Arctic Circle, but work is still in progress. Of course, bitumen cannot easily be used here due to the seasonal freeze-thaw of the permafrost surface layer. Our route took us up a long glacier-carved valley with ragged mountains on both sides. Low tundra vegetation and small willow shrubs covered the flat areas, but the steep mountainsides were all bare rock and scree slopes with terminal moraines at their base. After about 40 min or so along the rugged prisoner-built road to the interior, we arrived at the Arctic Circle which is marked by a bright red and blue archway. This arch marks 66.5°N – from this point northwards the sun does not set below the horizon on at least one day of the year (the summer solstice, 21 June). This is the Land of the Midnight Sun. Near the arch were the ruins of two stone houses where Gulag guards would have lived. Very little remains of the prisoners’ dwellings themselves. After some reflection on the history of this area and a short ramble on the tundra, we gathered for a group photo under the Arctic Circle arch before returning to Egvekinot.

After lunch on the Professor Khromov, it was back to Egvekinot in calm and sunny conditions. A short walk took us to the regional museum where Ludmila was waiting to greet us and show us around. Ludmila came here from Western Russia with her husband 42 years ago. She is very knowledgeable about the history, indigenous cultures, and plants and animals of this region. She also speaks excellent English and we were very lucky to have her guide us through this wonderful museum. Among the many interesting exhibits is a horn from an extinct woolly rhinoceros – which, like the giant mammoths, once roamed this area during the Ice Age, many thousands of years ago.

Returning to the ship, we weighed anchor and set off. We have a long way to travel before we reach our next landing tomorrow. As we steamed out of Kresta Bay, we performed our practical lifeboat drill which included actually climbing in the lifeboats to understand what it would be like if we had to abandon ship. Then, as the sun slowly set over the mountains and painted the sky in pale orange, we encountered several small groups of Humpback Whales. It seems they often congregate in this area to feed. We had great views of these leviathans as they swam at the surface blowing repeatedly after their exertions in the depths. They were close enough for us to hear them! Then they arched their backs, raised their flukes, and descended once more. Thanks to the captain for slowing the ship and turning us around a few times so we could enjoy and savour this wonderful spectacle. Finally, we left the whales to their dinner and went to have our own, as the Professor Khromov headed south towards Kamchatka.

Day 3: Wednesday 21st August 2019
Morning at sea. Afternoon landing at Bukhta Gavrilla, Southern Chukotka.

Another calm and sunny day, so rare in this part of the world. A late start this morning with a bit of a lie in for all, but we’re at sea and steaming across the Gulf of Anadyr so no harm done. After breakfast, Samuel treated us to an excellent lecture about Vitus Bering’s explorations in the North Pacific in the mid 1700s. Many then spent the rest of the morning out on deck enjoying the birds wheeling around the ship.

After lunch, as the magnificent Southern Chukotka coastline unfolded on our starboard side, we slowly turned into Bukhta Gavrilla. On the way, we even caught a brief glimpse of Killer Whales. This bay is named for Vitus Bering’s ship on his first expedition in 1725: the St. Gabriel. We landed on a quiet beach near the northern end of this large bay in ever calmer and sunnier conditions, with not a cloud in the sky. We split into three groups to join the expedition team for either a long walk up to the top of a nearby peak, a medium walk along the foothills above the river, or a short wander around beach landing area. The riverbed was thick with willow bushes and there is always a chance of bears. There were large bear prints in the sand right where we landed. We also saw bear scat (i.e. poop) studded with berries, but no bears this time. There were however little Pikas hiding among the rocks on the hillside, their whistles were heard frequently but only a few were lucky enough to see one. Some also saw the larger Arctic Ground Squirrels.

The long walkers headed up the steep slopes on the north side of the river and made it up to a high rocky promontory overlooking the bay. A challenging trek but worth the effort for the views and feeling of accomplishment. But no matter where you walked that afternoon, it was just beautiful. And after dinner, a magical sunset with the mountains silhouetted against the sky. The ship will stay here at anchor for much of the night so we can take pleasure in this magnificent area for a little longer. Then we will continue a little way further south for tomorrow’s adventures.

Day 4: Thursday 22nd August 2019
Morning Zodiac cruise with Gray Whales at Pika River. Afternoon Zodiac cruise to see brown bears on the beach. Evening walrus watching from the ship.

We awoke this morning to incredibly calm Beaufort Zero seas with the water like blue velvet. Clear sunny skies too! Fingers crossed the weather stays like this.

Today was an “expedition day” which means anything could happen. There are sometimes walrus hauled out on the shore here near the mouth of the Pika River. The walrus were not there today but we were lucky to find many Gray Whales feeding in the shallow waters just to the north. After watching them from the ship for a time, with the air around us alive with birds, we decided to jump into the Zodiacs to get a closer look. In such calm conditions we were able to just let the Zodiacs drift along with whales surfacing all around us. How wonderful to see these huge animals from so close by. Taking a break from the whales, we explored the coastal bird cliffs. These cliffs are visually quite stunning, with strongly stratified sedimentary rocks. Black-legged Kittiwakes had their nests on narrow ledges while Northern Fulmars had their nests on larger ledges and in the grassy patches higher on the cliffs. There were also Horned and Tufted Puffins, Brunnich’s and Common Guillemots, and Pelagic Cormorants. In the surf zone we found small schools of Harlequin Ducks. Many of these birds are currently moulting so there were lots of feathers on the surface of the water. After enjoying the bird cliffs, it was back to the feeding Gray Whales for some more close encounters. We must have come across at least 30 of them over the course of the morning. What a fabulous outing!

After lunch, as we slowly continued south along the coast, Samuel our EL spotted something interesting from the bridge. Looking through binoculars he could see what looked like six or seven brown bears feeding on the carcass of dead whale on the shore. So it was into the Zodiacs again for a slow, quiet approach. By the time we were close, most of the bears had disappeared up into the tundra, possibly scared off by a local on a quad bike who we spotted further down the beach. Nonetheless, we got excellent views of two bears while the Zodiacs bobbed gently just offshore. Back on the ship, we continued to watch for wildlife in the water and on the shore. More brown bears were soon spotted at distance up on the tundra, taking the total to approx. 11 for the day. Not bad!

Late in the afternoon, after a bit of siesta time or retail therapy in the Sea Shop, we filed down into the Lecture Room for a recap and briefing. But we had barely begun when Samuel was called up to the bridge. The captain had seen something. Shortly afterwards, Samuel made an announcement – the recap was postponed. There were walrus in the water all around the ship! We all rushed out to the bow to see. It is so rare that you get such good close views of walrus in the water. The captain and bridge team kept the ship almost motionless and several large groups of walrus came around to investigate. There must have been 50 or more walrus, with many stopping to pop their heads up and get a good look at us in turn. Then as the sun slowly set behind the jagged mountains on the coast, we finally turned in for the night. Whales, brown bears, and walrus – what an incredibly special day!

Day 5: Friday 23rd August 2019
Morning landing at Bukhta Natalii (Bukhta Pavla and Bukta Petra), Kamchatka. Afternoon at sea heading south.

A calm sunny morning for our first landing on the Kamchatka coast. We steamed slowly into the large fjord of Bukta Natalii as the sun rose, coming to anchor near the small bay of Bukta Pavla with high craggy mountains all around.

After breakfast, most of us took the Zodiacs to the rocky beach for walks on the tundra. The option was either to walk with the expedition staff to a nearby lake just beyond the saddle between two valleys and then return to Bukhta Pavla, or to continue on from the lake through the next valley to emerge at another bay, Bukhta Petra, where the Zodiacs would come in for a pickup. These two smaller bays are named for Vitus Bering’s ships on his second expedition in 1741: the St Paul and St Peter. For those not wanting to walk, there was the option of a Zodiac cruise to the head of the Bukta Natalii fjord with the chance of seeing some good birds and perhaps even bears.

On the tundra, the walkers were also hoping to see some wildlife. Kamchatka Marmots are sometimes encountered here, as well as Arctic Ground Squirrels. And again, there is always the chance of bears. Now, far further south than where we started our trip, the vegetation is much lusher. Alder bushes dotted the valley slopes and three types of berries were to be found among the small prostrate Willows and Dwarf Birches. The Black Crowberries and Bog Billberries were very tasty, but the Alpine Black Bearberries (with leaves turning red for autumn) were quite bland. Judging from the large piles of scat that we found, the local bears were enjoying the berries too. Up to the lake where an intrepid few ventured in for a short but invigorating dip in the cold waters. Then, while some wandered slowly back to Bukhta Pavla, the rest continued on to Bukhta Petra. A sudden small movement among the rocks had us reaching for our cameras and binoculars. It turned out to be a small mustelid with a pale creamy belly, reddish brown back, and a black tipped tail known as a Stoat. This same animal is called an Ermine in winter when its coat is pure white except for the black tipped tail. Very nice to see! Then, as we approached the beach at Bukhta Petra, the highlight of the walk: there was a brown bear fishing for salmon in the stream. As soon as the bear became aware of us however, he turned tail and quickly ran up the slopes into the bushes - a shy bear. We were sorry to have startled him, but felt very privileged to have seen him, even for only a few minutes.

Back onto the ship for lunch and the continuation of our journey south along the Kamchatka coast. Time for a lecture. From Merel we learned about the evolution of whales and their incredible adaptations for life at sea. Then we had the rest of yesterday’s recap (postponed due to walrus) and Samuel told us about the plan for tomorrow. A lovely relaxing afternoon on the ship, and another delicious dinner from our chefs to round out the day.

Day 6: Saturday 24th August 2019
Govena Peninsula - Morning Zodiac cruise at Bukhta Lavrova. Afternoon Zodiac cruise in Tintikun Lagoon with amazing bears.

There was a bit of a change in the weather this morning. Rather than the sunshine we had come to expect, we awoke to low cloud and grey skies reflected in the sea. Happily it was still calm. Over breakfast, the captain skilfully brought the ship safely to anchor in the shallows near the head of Bukhta Lavrova. There was once a small settlement here associated with a fish factory (herring) and a fur farm (mink and sable). These industries and the settlement were abandoned some decades ago after this area was declared a nature reserve. Now there are only ruins and the local wildlife is again free to roam in peace without human disturbance.

Into the Zodiacs for a morning cruise to explore Bukhta Lavrova. Several brown bears had already been spotted from the ship as we entered the fjord (including two adolescents playing together on the beach), and we had high hopes of seeing more. First up however was a large Steller’s Sea Eagle perched majestically on one of the wooden posts of the old fur farm. Then we headed down to the wreck of the Soviet refrigerator ship, the Krechet (gyrfalcon), which had come to grief on the rocks just off the fish factory in 1978. A little further on we found several bears browsing on pine cones and berries on the hillside just above the water. By approaching slowly and very quietly in the Zodiacs, we were able to get some good views and watched the bears for quite some time without disturbing them. When the bears finally wandered away into the bushes, we went back to the head of the fjord for more Steller’s Sea Eagles, as well as Largha Seals in the water, before returning to the ship for lunch.

Over lunch the ship repositioned a short way to the entrance of Tintikun Lagoon. This shallow lagoon fills the floor of a large glacier-carved valley and is fed by several streams which are important spawning grounds for salmon. A river links the lagoon with the sea and can provide us with a good access point when the tide is right - it can still be very shallow in parts. As such, we left the Zodiacs near the entrance to the lagoon and walked about 1 km along the shore to allow the Zodiacs with just the drivers to float light to a point where the water was deeper. Then we all got back into our respective boats and began our search for brown bears and other wildlife.

Samuel soon spotted a mother and three small cubs at the water’s edge where there were many dead salmon. Again we approached very slowly and quietly, and what a magical encounter we had! While aware of our presence, the bears were very relaxed and totally unphased by the flotilla of black things floating offshore, and simply continued their foraging, ignoring us completely. We were able to approach within 20 m or so and sat in awe, watching them for a very long time. Incredible! This is such a rare experience. Even the expedition team were amazed. Ultimately, mother bear and her three young cubs wandered off into the bushes and we continued on. Only a few minutes later, we spotted more bears on the opposite side of the lagoon. Another mother bear but this time with two larger cubs, born the previous summer. While she snacked on Rowan Berries, these cubs patrolled the shore and one even jumped into the water to grab a half-dead salmon. We ended up staying out in Tintikun Lagoon for almost four hours, mesmerised by the magic of this place and its bears, even with low clouds obscuring the mountains. What an afternoon! What a day!

Day 7: Sunday 25th August 2019
Morning landing at Cape Primetny for brown bear watch. Late afternoon landing at Verhoturova Island.

A grayish morning but still calm and good conditions for our landing at Cape Primetny on the south-west coast of the Govena Peninsula. As we came to anchor, another smaller vessel approached. This was the Strannik which is owned and operated by Rodney Russ, the founder of Heritage Expeditions. We were honoured to welcome Rodney and some of his crew on board for breakfast, and they joined us for our landing at Cape Primetny. They are currently bound for Wrangel Island.

A landing with a difference at Cape Primetny, aka “Bear Gully”. Once we were gathered on the beach, we all walked quietly together to the top of a small hill which provided a good lookout over the tundra and the river below. There we sat in silence and watched for bears. Soon after we arrived, a brown bear popped out of the willows on the far side of the river and moved slowly up the hill browsing on berries as he went. A long period with no bears in close range followed, though a few were seen in the far distance by those with binoculars. This was actually a wonderful opportunity to just sit and absorb the beauty of our surroundings. The sun began to burn away the clouds and some took a short siesta cushioned by the soft green growth of the tundra. Berry eating and mushroom gathering were also popular. Then another bear was seen relatively close by. He too made his way up into the hills on the far side of the river. More patient waiting. Then a third bear came down the river chasing after salmon as he went, with good views through the gaps in the willow thickets. At this time another bear was startled by something and ran from out of the willows on the far side of the river at speed and disappeared into the hills. The fishing bear was then seen again as we descended back down to the beach at the end of the morning. Definitely quite a different landing from what we’ve become used to, but what a nice way to watch these bears!

Bidding farewell to Rodney and the Strannik, we continued south. We had a few hours at sea with a bit of rolling and motion, the first we’ve encountered so far. But the wind and swell dropped as we neared Verhoturova Island – the calm waters providing excellent views of Tufted Puffins and other seabirds for those on the bridge. A late afternoon landing on this little gem of an island. There are no bears on Verhoturova, and we were free to wander at leisure. There is an old dilapidated hunter’s cabin here, and a lighthouse which is no longer in operation. The spit at the north-eastern end of the island often features resting Harbour Seals, there are nesting seabirds on the cliffs nearby, and the gently rolling hills are home to several families of curious foxes. A number of us enjoyed close encounters with these foxes. It is always such a thrill when wild animals, which may not have seen people before, approach out of simple curiosity.

Day 8: Monday 26th August 2019
Morning landing at Karaginskiy Island. Afternoon at sea to the Commander Islands.

With more unsettled weather coming, we managed to find a calm, sheltered spot on the south-western coast of Karaginskiy Island for our landing this morning. Another opportunity for a few enjoyable hours of free wandering over the verdant tundra or along the beach. This is a great place for blueberries and between us we managed to pick over 9 kg! Our chefs, Bruce and Tom, have promised us a special treat this evening.

Back to the ship and a short briefing by Samuel before lunch about our plans for next few days. There is currently a low-pressure system moving north, bringing bigger swells and higher winds with it. So we can expect a bit of pitching and rolling as we head south to the Commander Islands. The captain will try to find some shelter along the coast for the first section, but we should be prepared to batten the hatches.

After lunch, Yulia presented a very interesting introduction to Kamchatka which had us enthralled for over an hour. She was born and raised in this area after her parents immigrated from Latvia. Overall, it was a relaxing afternoon at sea. Not too much motion of the vessel as of yet, but the sailors are going around closing the porthole shutters in our cabins, and things may get a bit rougher this evening.

A fantastic dessert with dinner tonight: fruit crumble with Karaginsky blueberry ice cream.

Day 9: Tuesday 27th August 2019
Morning at sea to the Commander Islands. Afternoon landing at Commander Bay, Bering Island.

After a bouncy night, we arose late to find that the conditions were already a bit calmer. Shearwaters, dark-morph Northern Fulmars, and other ocean wanderers were nonetheless still taking advantage of the winds as they soared around the ship. Approaching the northern tip of Bering Island over breakfast, you could see the mist-shrouded cliffs off to our starboard side. This is the largest of the Commander Islands and the westernmost extent of the Aleutian Islands chain. The Commander Islands are also known as the “Land of Wind and Fog”. Landing here is always a challenge but the rewards are worth it.

A morning at sea to travel down the Bering Island coast to Commander Bay. Time for some lectures. First, Samuel told us of the legacy of the great naturalist George Steller who sailed with Vitus Bering on his voyage of discovery to North America. Steller was one of those who survived the shipwreck on the Commander Islands in 1741-1742. Then Yulia presented an introduction to the Commander Islands themselves. Lunch dessert today was Karaginsky Island blueberry muffins!

Conditions continued to improve through the morning, and things looked good for our landing at the Commander Bay historical site. This is where Vitus Bering and his crew spent 9 months, from November 1741 to August 1742, after their ship, the St Peter, was wrecked on the way back to Kamchatka. Bering died here together with some of the remaining crew. His grave is now marked by a monument and there are several interpretive signs telling the story of the expedition. The survivors built a new ship from the remains of their old vessel and successfully sailed back to Kamchatka.

What a place! Rugged hills and wild treeless tundra thick with summer growth. Glaucous-winged Gulls picking through the seaweed piled high on the beach looking for amphipods and other titbits. From a valley backed by rain greyed hills, a river snaked down to the sea. Shallow river pools were dark with salmon as they made their way upstream to spawn. We wandered the beach, eyed the salmon, saw the original site of Bering’s grave near the shore, and followed a neatly-mown trail past the remains of the dugout dwellings where the men lived for those long months. You can still see the pits they excavated to help provide some shelter from the elements. A set of wooden steps led up to a small cemetery where Bering and some of the men who died here have been formally re-interred. It’s hard to imagine the incredible hardship and adversity they had to deal with. This is such a harsh place. However, in the mid 18th Century, these uninhabited islands were home to an amazing abundance of animals that had no fear of people: Arctic Foxes, Sea Otters, Northern Fur Seals, Steller’s Sea Lion, and Steller’s Sea Cow. Meat and fur from these animals enabled Bering’s shipwrecked sailors to live through the winter. Unfortunately, the reports that the survivors subsequently brought back to mainland Russia started a fur rush. Hunters soon arrived and decimated these populations. Steller’s Sea Cow was killed for food and sadly became extinct only 27 years after it was first discovered. These days, all of the Commander Islands are strictly protected, and many species are starting to make a good recovery.

Day 10: Wednesday 28th August 2019
Commander Islands – Medny Island. Pre-breakfast landing at Preobrazhenskaya Bay. Morning landing at Gladkovskaya Bay. Afternoon Zodiac cruise around Cherny Cape.

An early start today to make the most of the calm conditions at Medny Island, the second largest of the Commander Islands. It was grey and misty but with very little wind and only a bit of swell. Perfect for our pre-breakfast landing at Preobrazhenskaya Bay. Research suggests that, long ago, three phases of vulcanism were involved in creating the Commander Islands we know today. This morning’s landing was on part of the coast formed by the first of those phases, approx. 40 – 50 million years ago. A rough, rocky shore dominated by ragged cliffs, and a landing on a beach of beautiful small pebbles in coppery-green, blue, and grey. The shallow waters of the bay were thick with kelp and dotted with jellyfish. There was once a settlement here, but it was closed down and all the buildings removed some decades ago. An old stone hut still remains on the left side of bay, and up on the promontory to the right, there are the foundations of a military border post - but the building itself is long gone.

Free to wander at will around the bay, we encountered several Arctic Foxes, all of the ‘blue morph’ which predominates here in the Commander Islands. The foxes called to one another with loud yapping barks. Northern Fulmars breeding on the high cliffs added to the aural mix, and several Ravens contributed their melodious notes. For those with more energy, there were good views to be had from the rocky promontories on both sides of the bay. The rich tundra plant life included several new species not encountered previously. Moshe was also excited by the orchids he spotted.

After breakfast, we enjoyed the second landing of the morning at nearby Gladkovskaya Bay. A dark volcanic-sand beach cut by a river which drains an expansive lagoon. The river was just shallow enough for some of us to make it across with dry boots. However, the tide was rising, and we found it was not quite as easy to get back. Just up from the beach on the far side of the river was a well-maintained hut perhaps used by researchers working on Arctic Foxes. We were disconcerted to find a lot of marine debris on the beach here – more than at any other place we have visited to date. The currents bring in this rubbish from the greater North Pacific. There were lots of fishing buoys, nets, old ropes, and plastic bottles. Many of us collected what we could, and it was taken back to the ship for disposal. Better than leaving it here to entangle animals or break down into microplastics and infiltrate the food chain.

After lunch, we set out for a Zodiac cruise at Cherny Cape. This area was formed during the second phase of vulcanism, approx. 15 – 20 million years ago, and is quite different in appearance. An incredible cliff-scape of jagged rocks with a strong emphasis on the vertical. The heights reached by the green algae on those rocks, together with the sight of more than one fishing buoy cast high up onto the land, gave us a good indication of how volatile the sea often is in these parts. And what an amazing abundance of seabirds nesting on the cliffs: Black-legged Kittiwakes and a few of their Red-legged friends, Common Guillemots, Tufted Puffins, Horned Puffins, and more. We were also lucky to see several sea otters in the water, including some mothers with sizeable pups cuddled in their arms. Harbour Seals were also encountered as they popped their heads up above the water in curiosity. We have been so fortunate with the weather today. As Samuel told us later, in all his years of visiting this area, this is only the second time he has actually been able to see Medny Island - it is usually obscured by the fog and rain.

Day 11: Thursday 29th August 2019
Commander Islands – Bering Island. Pre-breakfast Zodiac cruise at Lisinskaya. Morning whale-watching from the ship. Afternoon landing at Nikolskoye village. Late afternoon landing at Northwest Cape.

Another early start this morning to take advantage of the continuing calm conditions. Soft grey weather and almost no wind. We started our pre-breakfast Zodiac cruise at Bukhta Lisinskaya on the south-west coast of Bering Island. The sea was very calm but there was still some swell and the Zodiac drivers had to keep a close watch for breaking waves on offshore reefs and rocks. The cliffs here are made up of striking banded layers of rock capped with luxuriant green tundra. In the water, we saw sea otters among the kelp fronds. Harbour Seals popped their heads up from time to time too. Several blue morph Arctic Foxes were seen foraging along the thin strip of rocky beach below the cliffs. We ended our cruise at Cape Ostrovnoy where there is a dense concentration of nesting seabirds. Our drivers carefully took the Zodiacs through a narrow ‘canyon’ passage here to give us excellent close views of those birds. Exhilarating!

Back to the ship for breakfast and a slow cruise along the west coast of Bering Island watching for whales. The edge of the continental shelf is very close to land here and water depth quickly drops to over 1000 m. This is a favourite feeding area for many species of whales. We gathered on the bow and encountered several Humpback Whales. There were also Northern Fur Seals resting on the surface, brief glimpses of North Pacific Minke Whales, and even a few flyby visits from small groups of Dall’s Porpoises kicking up their characteristic ‘roosters tail’ of spray at the surface. In the air, there were Laysan Albatross and even a rare Short-tailed Albatross. The highlight however was the group of Killer Whales (aka Orcas). When we first saw them, they were heading directly for us at speed and passed by equally quickly, but then they slowed and turned to investigate us, coming past several more times. Everyone got good views of this small pod of approximately seven whales. Both fish-eating and marine mammal-eating Killer Whales are known to frequent these waters. It is not clear which of those types this group represented. If you have good photos of the dorsal fins and paler ‘saddle’ markings behind the dorsal fin of these Killer Whales, please help scientists working in this area by submitting them to Happywhale.com and we may be able to answer this question.

After lunch, we landed at Nikolskoye Village. This is the only settlement on the islands and is home to mix of native Aleutians and newcomers from mainland Russia (approx. 700 pp). A quiet, friendly place with brightly painted houses, and cheerful children enjoying themselves in the local playground. We visited the Aleut Museum of Local Lore where Natalia showed us around the exhibits. An almost complete skeleton of the extinct Steller’s Sea Cow is on display here. There is also information on traditional Aleut culture, and on local plants and animals. Of special interest was the exhibit about Vitus Bering’s expedition, including the findings of the archaeologists who excavated the shipwreck campsite at Commander Bay. These islands were uninhabited when Bering visited in 1741. On the other side of the village was the large new Visitors’ Centre with gift shop. Proceeds from purchases here go to funding waste sorting and recycling in Nikolskoye. Associated with this initiative, there is a small ‘Waste Museum’ next door to the Visitors Centre which has some excellent, thought-provoking displays.

Back to the ship for a short transit to our last landing at the Commander Islands, on Northwest Cape. We took the Zodiacs to the beach (Arctic Foxes!) and then followed a track over the hills to the official viewing platforms. From there we could look over an extensive Northern Fur Seal and Steller’s Sea Lion rookery without disturbing the animals. The drama of life unfolding down there on the beach was fascinating: the big Fur Seal beachmasters towered over the smaller females, subadult males fought and tested one others’ strength, and young pups gathered in creches trying to ignore the Glaucous-winged Gulls scavenging the remains of less-fortunate pups nearby. Meanwhile, the far-larger Steller’s Sea Lions slumbered peacefully at the water’s edge. Finally we returned to the ship, our Zodiacs coursing over a sea of silver velvet, just in time for dinner. What a wonderful final farewell to the Commander Islands. Overnight we will be at sea to the Kamchatka coast.

Day 12: Friday 30th August 2019
Kamchatka Coast – Morning ship cruise for whales in Olga Bay. Afternoon Zodiac cruise on the Zhupanova River

After our jam-packed schedule at the Commander Islands, we enjoyed a gentler start this morning. No activities before breakfast and then a morning at sea. Having crossed to the Kamchatka coast overnight, we continued south through the Olga Bay region looking for interesting wildlife. The weather was still wonderfully calm, but grey clouds hung low over the land obscuring the volcanic landscape we were also hoping to see. Keen spotters saw Humpback Whales fluking up in the distance and were thrilled at the close passes made by several groups of Dall’s Porpoises. These chunky little black and white guys are some of the fastest of all the small cetaceans. Northern Fur Seals floated at rest on the surface, often extending a flipper or two up into the air to help cool off. But some of those Fur Seals were more active and swam past us at speed, porpoising out of the water like dolphins! Majestic Laysan Albatross were also seen. In between all the excitement, we took time to relax with good book, settle our shipboard accounts, and began to think about packing. Today is our last day.

After lunch, Samuel gave us a comprehensive briefing about our schedule for tomorrow, as well as the plan for Zhupanova River this afternoon. Then, only a short while later, it was into the Zodiacs for the last time in order to cruise this selfsame river. We had high hopes of seeing more Steller’s Sea Eagles here.

Passing the blue and white buildings of a salmon factory, we entered the mouth of the Zhupanova and turned northwards. Following the course of this wide shallow river as it wound its way through a low fertile plain, we marvelled to see actual trees again – the first we have encountered on this trip! There was a brief sighting of a brown bear running in the distance, and then there were Steller’s Sea Eagles. Our first encounters were with adult birds which are often quite skittish. Then we found a calm and contented subadult sitting in an isolated tree near the river bank who was happy to have us watch him/her as long as we wanted. Shortly after, we found another subadult sitting on a dead branch lodged on a sandbank. We were also able to watch him/her at close distance for quite some time before the eagle ultimately tired of us and flew off. How wonderful it is to be able to see these huge birds at such close quarters!

As we explored further upriver, the sun came out and the clouds parted slightly to reveal the high peak of one of the volcanoes in this area. We cruised for quite some time, adroitly avoiding sandbanks and basking in the warm sunshine. When the river began to grow too shallow for our Zodiacs near a large Steller’s Sea Eagle nest (not in use), we turned around and headed back downstream. Another stop to see a pair of eagles by another large nest, this one in use. Then one final last visit to the subadult in the isolated tree before we left the river and returned to the ocean. There, the Professor Khromov lay at anchor, waiting patiently for us.

A fabulous, final Farewell Feast: a four-course dinner prepared by our fantastic chefs, Bruce and Tom. And then to cap off the evening, the final recap where Samuel took us through all the amazing places we have visited on this trip. And all the memories came rushing back as we watched the wonderful slide show prepared by Yulia. What an adventure we’ve had!

Day 13: Saturday 31st August 2019
Arrival in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy.

Heritage Expeditions would like to thank you for travelling with us on ‘Jewel of the Russian Far East’. We hope to see you again soon somewhere between the poles. Wishing you fair winds and following seas!