1530: Across the Top of the World 3 Aug 2015
Captain: Alexander D’yachenko
Expedition leader: Rodney Russ
Cruise Director: Meghan Kelly
Heritage Guides: Elena Bulatova, Samuel Blanc, Alex Fergus, Katya Ovsyanikova
Chefs: Ralf Barthel and Connor Arcus
Medical Adviser: Cam Odlin
French Tour Leader: Agnès Brenière
Monday 3 August, 2015
Anadyr
After the flights from Nome and Moscow had landed at Anadyr airport we were transferred to the other side of the town to board a barge which took us to the Spirit of Enderby. The welcome briefing included staff introductions and information about life on board as we sailed across Anadyr Bay to begin our journey.
Photo: A.Fergus
Tuesday 4 August, 2015
Preobrazheniya Bay
We woke up as we crossed the Gulf of Anadyr this morning after a good rest. During the morning we attended briefings in the Lecture Room including a general introduction to our itinerary, safety on board the Spirit of Enderby and the use of the Zodiacs. Just after lunch we dropped our five Zodiacs to take a cruise along the western side of Preobrazheniya Bay. Despite the swell we were able to get good views of numerous birds such as Kittiwakes, four species of guillemots and two species of auklets. Then we headed east again to calm waters where we found Harlequin ducks, Sandhill Cranes and Common Eiders. Next we made our first landing for the voyage and spent an hour ashore making the most of the opportunity to stretch the legs and see Arctic Ground Squirrels and Passerines. Once everyone was back aboard, the ship headed south-east and then north as we slept the night away.
Photo: A.Fergus
Photo: A.Fergus
Wednesday 5 August, 2015
Whale Bone Alley, Yttygran Island and Bukhta Gilmimil
This morning Rodney woke us up a little before schedule advising us to look outside and enjoy the fantastic morning light! Indeed it was a beautiful early morning with sun, blue sky and great colours on the tundra. After the daily briefing we landed on Yttygran Island, site of the well known ‘Whale Bone Alley’. At this place it is indeed possible to see numerous bones, including jaws and skulls, from different species of whales, but mainly Bowhead Whales. Yttygran Island was used for many years as a place of ritual but more recently by marine mammal hunters to work on the whales and walruses they hunted at sea. While ashore we also saw great numbers of plants and flowers, Arctic Ground Squirrel and Northern Pikka. After this landing we headed east in our five Zodiacs to look for whales. We found half a dozen Gray Whales near Nuneangan Island and also had a look at the impressive bird cliffs where thousand of Kittiwakes, Black, Pigeon, Common and Brünnich Guillemots were breeding. On the way back to the ship we encountered some more whales and birds. Just after lunch we landed at Bukhta Gilmimil. Some of us walked along the riverbed searching for birds, while others took a botanical stroll or wandered through the tundra. Most of us ended up in the hot springs before we headed back to the landing site and the ship.
Photo: A.Fergus
Photo: A.Fergus
Thursday 6 August 2015
Lavrentia village, Cape Dezhnev
Another great day in Chukotka! Our first activity was a visit to Lavrentia village with its fascinating museum where we learnt more about the history and culture of the local people and their forebears. Our guide spoke about indigenous people, marine mammal hunters, reindeer herders, the history of the village and of course about wildlife. A few minutes walk down the street we had the opportunity to try local food such as whale meat, tea, jam made with local berries, fish, bread and other excellent products. The morning ended with traditional dances and songs performed by locals. Before they allowed us to leave we were invited to join in the dancing which was great fun.
Katya gave a presentation about the history of the region from the XVII century to today as we headed north and then it was time for a briefing for our landing at Cape Dezhnev, the most eastern point of the Eurasian continent. This place was named by Tsar Nicolas II in 1898 on behalf of Semen Dezhnev who was the first European to sail to the Bering Strait in September 1648. Cape Dezhnev is usually a difficult landing because it is located in the middle of the Bering Strait and therefore very exposed to the swell and the wind. Today we were really lucky and had great weather so the landing was very easy. Once ashore we visited the monument dedicated to Semen Dezhnev and the remains of Naukan, the Eskimo village which was situated here until 1950. We were back aboard just before dinner as a few Humpback Whales were spotted in the beautiful twilight which descended on the Bering Strait.
Photo: A.Fergus
Photo: A.Fergus Friday 7 August 2015
Kolyuchin Island
Last night we crossed the Arctic Polar Circle on the way to Kolyuchin Island. During the morning at sea Alex gave us an introduction to the botany of the Arctic and Katya spoke about Polar Bears in a changing world. During lunch, the expedition crew went scouting the buildings of the old research station on the northern tip of Kolyuchin Island to make sure there were no Polar Bears in the vicinity before our afternoon landing. None were about, so after lunch we dropped our five Zodiacs and approached a group of walrus on the other side of the island. We slowly approached the haul-out, and some of them came close to investigate us. It was fantastic to see them so close! Soon after the walrus show we landed on the northern tip of the island where we spent few hours exploring the area around the old research station. The highlight of this area was without doubt the high bird cliffs. Thousand of Kittiwakes, Brünnich’s and Common Guillemots, Pelagic Cormorants and both species of Puffins (Horned and Tufted) were breeding there. Most of us were seated on the edge of the cliff taking photographs and just enjoying watching the lively activity! Out to sea we could make out two or three Humpback Whales feeding.
Photo: A.Fergus 
Photo: A.Fergus 
Photo: A.Fergus 
Photo: A.Fergus Saturday 8 August 2015
At Sea, Wrangel Island
As predicted by the weather forecast the wind increased last night and we woke in the morning to a 3 to 5 metre swell and 25 knots of wind. The resulting movement of the ship put paid to any attempt at lectures or briefings so we hunkered down in our cabins or spent a quiet day reading or editing photos. The heavy swell slowed the vessel, so we arrived in the evening off Doubtful Bay on Wrangel Island.
Sunday 9 August 2015
Wrangel Island
This morning we attended briefings about bear safety and Wrangel Island in general before we made our first landing at Doubtful Bay and met with the ranger team. On this first landing we explored the tundra, discovering a Mammoth tusk and observed our first Snowy Owls and other Turnstones, Snow Buntings, Snow Geese and even an Arctic Fox! After this momentous first time on the island we went back aboard the ship for dinner and some of us went out again on an evening excursion. A cautious approach was necessary to eventually get close to a group of seven Musk Oxen. After spending a few minutes watching them we headed back to the ship watched by another Snowy Owl.
Photo: A.Fergus
Photo: A.Fergus Monday 10 August 2015
Wrangel Island
We dropped anchor on the west side of Herald Island, 60 km east of Wrangel Island just after breakfast. Herald Island is known for its busy bird cliffs, a high density of Polar Bear dens and the place were a group of people from the Canadian Arctic Expedition lived after they left their camp on the sea ice in February 1914. We explored the western coast of Herald in our Zodiacs and observed five Polar Bears on the coastline and at least five more in the distance. We wanted to land on the only gravel beach of the island, but a group of walruses and a female Polar Bear and her cub were already resting there. In order to not disturb them we watched from a distance before heading back to the ship.
Samuel began the afternoon with a lecture about the Karluk expedition of 1913/1914. This lecture was scheduled at the perfect moment as we were heading to Dragi Bay, where a camp from the expedition was setup. After this presentation we went on a Zodiac excursion of Dragi Bay to investigate the impressive bird cliffs, before continuing along the coast where a few more Polar Bears were spotted. After a cautious approach we succeeded in getting close to one that was resting on the upper part of the beach. We also made a short landing near the new Karluk memorial erected on the coast. Another Polar Bear was spotted on the coast plateau as we cruised by in the Zodiacs. It stood watching us for a few minutes and we made the most of the opportunity to get some great photos. On the way back to the ship we met a few Bearded Seals.
Photo: A.Fergus 
Photo: A.Fergus Tuesday 11 August 2015
Wrangel Island
During the night we sailed around the northern coast of Wrangel Island and woke up in the morning in beautiful weather just off Dream Head. We planned to drop a group of hikers just after breakfast, but a large number of bears were spotted on the coastline, so we decided to turn back and pick up the rest of the party for a Zodiac cruise. We had a fantastic morning with bears coming very close to our Zodiacs, beautiful backgrounds and light, blue sky and sun! After few hours enjoying the outing it was time to return to the ship.
In the afternoon the captain moved the vessel further west to our next anchorage while we enjoyed hot chocolate on deck. We started a Zodiac cruise at Komsomol where we followed another bear. Once he headed inland across the tundra we landed next to an old trapper’s hut and a nice lake with Long-tailed Ducks and Brent Geese. After this great day on the north-west coast of the island we all returned to the vessel with thousands of pictures on our memory cards, but more importantly in our memories as well! Today was also the changeover between the two Overland teams, with the first group having spent two nights on the island returning back aboard while the second set off in great anticipation. We will see them again the day after tomorrow.
Photo: A.Fergus 
Photo: A.Fergus
Wednesday 12 August 2015
Wrangel Island
The weather was different this morning when Meghan broadcast her wake-up call. It was raining and foggy, but we still set off after breakfast for a landing near Pitchiy Bazard. We walked along the river until we reached a Musk Ox that allowed us to approach and observe from a short distance. We left him after a few minutes and the group split in two. One group climbed to the summit on the opposite side of the river, while the second group went off in another direction with less elevation. We all came back to the landing site in dense fog a little wet, but pleased with our time walking on the tundra.
After lunch, the rangers gave us a presentation about their life and work on the island. It was very interesting to hear about their time in this special place. The weather had not improved by the afternoon when a small group went on a Zodiac cruise along the cliffs of Pitchiy Bazard. This bird cliff is another fabulous breeding spot for birds such as Brünnich’s Guillemot and Kittiwakes.
Photo: A.Fergus
Photo: A.Fergus 
Photo: A.Fergus Thursday 13 August, 2015
Wrangel Island
We landed again at Doubtful Bay for a two hour walk this morning before breakfast. Fortunately the weather had improved and we enjoyed a fabulous morning in incredible light! The tundra and landscapes were amazing, with fantastic colours under a bright blue sky. We observed groups of Snow Geese, visited an old Arctic Fox den and took a lot of pictures during this incredible morning landing. Everybody came back aboard for breakfast and the staff dropped the rangers back on the island, returning with the second group of Overlanders. It was sad to leave such a beautiful landscape behind us but it was time to say farewell to Wrangel Island and head south towards the main coast of Chukotka. Time to rest, attend lectures and watch movies as we while away the hours at sea again.
Photo: A.Fergus
Friday 14 August, 2015
Kolyuchin Inlet, Belyaka Spit
The Spirit of Enderby entered Kolyuchin Inlet around breakfast time this morning. We spent the morning exploring Belyaka Spit on the north-eastern side of the entrance. This fantastic habitat is composed of a few small lakes, wet tundra and sand dunes. Even though it was raining we had great time there looking for wildlife and birds especially. We saw Yellow-billed and Pacific Loons, Emperor Geese, Sandhill Cranes and a good number of shorebirds and Lapland Buntings. We were at sea for the rest of the day, sailing towards Bering Strait once again. Katya gave a lecture about the Pinnipeds of the North Pacific but Samuel’s lecture was delayed so we could enjoy a large number of Humpback Whales feeding around the ship. Some of them came so close to the ship that we could even hear them blowing. It was an amazing experience to watch so many whales accompanied by thousand of birds!
Photo: A.Fergus
Saturday 15 August 2015
At Sea
We spent our last morning of activities in the middle of the Bering Strait. Just after breakfast we dropped our five Zodiacs in the water and went off to explore the north coast of Ratmanova or Big Diomede Island. Here we were less than 4 kilometres away from the border between the United States of America and Russia. Conditions were fabulous for our cruise, blue sky, flat sea and no wind. Along the cliffs we saw eight species of Alcids: Brünnich, Common and Pigeon Guillemot, Tufted and Horned Puffins and Crested, Least and Parakeet Auklets. We also saw Pelagic Cormorants, Kittiwakes and a few Snow Buntings. What a great morning for the last excursion of our journey. However, just when everybody thought our Chukotka experiences were over, Mother Nature gave us another present. In the middle of the afternoon, just when Katya was speaking about cetaceans, Rodney announced on the PA system that a huge flock of Short-tailed Shearwaters had been spotted. The captain slowed the ship to approach them and we determined that there were literally thousands and thousands of them flying or just resting on the water. Right in the middle of this group of birds we could see some Fin and Humpback Whales feeding. It was just an incredible moment for all of us including the expedition staff to see this concentration of birds all gathered in one place. We could hear the beat of their wings as they took to the air while the whales were blowing right next to the ship! The emotion in Rodney’s voice over on the PA indicated that this was a moment rarely experienced.
Photo: A.Fergus
Sunday 16 August, 2015
Anadyr
The Spirit of Enderby sailed on towards Anadyr in excellent conditions, ending our wonderful expedition. This last day at sea was the occasion for last lectures and movies, to settle our on-board accounts and pack ready for disembarkation tomorrow morning.
Distance Travelled: 2017 nm
Number of Bird Species: 61
Number of Mammal Species: 17
