KURIL ISLANDS EXPEDITION

Draped across the north Pacific Ocean from , , to ’s , the 22 islands and 30 islets of the form a necklace of active volcanoes and sea-sculpted coastlines waiting to be explored. Nutrient-rich waters washing this ‘Pacific Rim of Fire’ teem with marine life, from sea otters to harbour seals, Steller sea lions to orca, Dall’s porpoise to beaked and sperm whales. The islands form a natural ‘flyway’ for migratory birds including both horned and tufted puffins, whiskered and rhinoceros auklets and exquisite little murrelets. You’ll Zodiac into flooded calderas, beneath soaring bird cliffs, to landings where brown bears fish for salmon. The fittest may even attempt to attempt to climb a volcano. Every day brings new adventure.

ITINERARY

Day 1 Tokyo Upon check-in at Hotel Nikko Narita Airport, reception staff will provide you with Aurora Expeditions cabin tags. Please fill out the luggage tags clearly, showing your name and cabin number to allow us to deliver your luggage to your cabin ahead. At our voyage briefing, enjoy a welcome drink and meet fellow expeditioners, before spending the night in preparation for your charter flight to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Narita Airport

Day 2 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com Board our charter flight to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy to embark the Sylvia Day 9 Yankicha Island Earle. After boarding, there is time to settle into your cabin before our important safety briefings. This evening meet your expedition team and crew at Intriguing and beautiful, this uninhabited island hides a flooded volcanic the Captain’s Welcome Dinner. caldera of emerald green waters. Accessible by Zodiac only at high tide, the lagoon, offers you fumarole fields, hot springs and bubbles rising from the sea Days 3-4 Russkaya Bay & Vestnik Bay floor. Walk to the crater rim in search of blue foxes, while at dusk, watch as spectacular concentrations of crested and whiskered auklets stream back Lush valleys and snow-capped volcanoes welcome you to Kamchatka’s east from the sea. coast, where brown bears feast on berries and salmon. In Vestnik Bay, we explore the coast of Utashud Island by Zodiac, home to shy otters, Steller sea Day 10 Brat Chirpoyev, Chirpoy Island lions, seabirds and Kamchatka brown bears. Rounding Cape Lopatka, Kamchatka’s most southern point, you land in Kambalnyi Bay, to stretch your Evocative mists often engulf Chirpoy islands, lifting to reveal dramatic basalt legs beneath the magnificent 2,161m volcano, Kambal'naya Sopka. Across columns of Brat Chirpoyev as you approach by Zodiac, surrounded by Kuril Strait, cruise kelp beds off Island in search of curious otters thousands of northern fulmars, kittiwakes, the odd puffin and sea otters. ferrying pups, and the bobbing heads of spotted seals. Explore the bird cliffs Otherworldly roars herald the Steller’s sea lion colony on Chirpoy, with the of Ptichi Islands alive with puffins. promise of a hike up the flanks of an active volcano when you land.

Day 5 Shumshu Island, Ataslova Island Day 11 Bliznecy Island, Novokuril'skaya Bay ( Island) Ashore, on Shumshu, a peaceful river snakes through grassy wetlands where Urup offers 120 kilometres of stunning volcanoes, lush vegetation, lakes and lady-slipper orchids and wild roses bloom. On Atlasova, you land beneath a rivers. Cruise the ‘Twins’, a geological wonderland of twisted basalt sea cliffs, wind-sculpted hill of volcanic ash to explore remains of a Soviet gulag in the hike to Japanese bunkers with spectacular views and tufted puffin nests. On shadow of a near-perfect 2,339m volcano, Alaid, the highest in the Kurils. the west coast, you may Zodiac through basalt tunnels of Petroskov Rocks. You’ll watch for nesting cormorants, buzzards, Eurasian wigeons, and tufted ducks, while peregrine falcons sometimes soar above the beach. Day 12 Tyuleniy Island Meaning seal in Russian, Tyuleniy attracts as many as 250,000 individuals Day 6 Island that gather here each summer during their breeding season. You’ll be greeted Hike across Onekotan’s tundra, as it wakes to summer, and through bonsai by a cacophony of barks as you approach the island by Zodiac. Search the pine forests to Black Lake, watching for red foxes and remains of Ainu sea cliffs for nesting black-legged kittiwakes; crested, whiskered and dwellings. From Onekotan Island, we explore the coastline of nearby volcanic rhinoceros auklets; tufted puffins, common and thick-billed murres, and or Islands by Zodiac. ancient murrelets.

Day 7 Island; Island Day 13 Moneron Island Explore Ekarma, sanctuary to many birds, including puffins, auklets, fulmars Located in Oblast region, Moneron Island is an uninhabited nature and cormorants. Sea otters swim just off the northeastern cape. Vast nesting reserve that features a fascinating mix of both Russian and Japanese colonies of storm petrels and remains of Ainu villages await you on monuments and landmarks including a Japanese Shinto temple, pedestrian Shiashkotan. bridge, a Russian cemetery and the remains of a Soviet frontier post dating back to the 1940s. The clarity of the water surrounding Moneron Island comes Day 8 Srednego Islands; Lovyshki Island from the pure water that flows directly from the mountains into the sea. On walks and by Zodiac, we discover the island’s waterfalls and rock shelters, and Zodiac cruised around the rugged columnar stacks of the Srednego Islands, search for kittiwakes, black-tailed gulls, cormorants horned puffins, and the home to thousands of nesting seabirds including northern fulmars, guillemots, rare long-billed sea parrot. black-legged kittiwakes, and whiskered auklets. Nearby Lovyshik Islands are small, often fog-bound, rocky islets where you are approached by boisterous Day 14 Korsakov Steller sea lions northern fur seals.

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com At Korsakov, at the southern tip of Sakhalin Island, we clear Russian customs for entry into Japan. For much of its history, control of Korasakov oscillated between Japan and Russia, until the town was ceded to the at end of World War Two. You might explore the port town while the Sylvia Earle finalises its exit clearance before departing for Otaru, Japan.

Day 15 Otaru Disembark in the harbour city of Otaru, Hokkaido. Transfer to Sapporo to continue your journey.

Important note: In the genuine spirit of expedition travel, we encourage exploration and adventure offering flexibility in challenging environments. This itinerary is only a guide and is subject to change due to weather, sea and other conditions beyond our control.

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com YOUR SHIP: SYLVIA EARLE

YOUR SHIP: Sylvia Earle

VESSEL TYPE: Luxury Expedition

LENGTH: 104 meters

PASSENGER CAPACITY: 126

BUILT/REFURBISHED: 2020/2021

Due to sail in October 2021 our new ship honours the highly accomplished marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer, Sylvia Earle. As the first female chief scientist of the U.S. of the ship. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and named Swimming pool & wellness centre In between landings, enjoy by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998 - this the heated saltwater open air swimming pool and jacuzzis on vessel pays tribute to Sylvia's long standing conservation efforts board the Sylvia Earle and watch the world go by, or experience for marine protected areas and ocean wildlife. Sylvia Earle will our gym, sauna or enjoy a massage (additional cost) in the be actively involved in the development of her namesake. Wellness centre. Designed for rugged, remote areas Crossing the notorious Drake Safety features The Sylvia Earle will feature industry-leading Passage or the Denmark Strait, our expeditions face some of safety technology that exceeds the requirements for a ship of the most intense conditions nature can throw at us. The Sylvia this size with a world class return-to-port equipment, which Earle is at the cutting edge of nautical technology: robust, duplicates the propulsion system, enabling the ship to maintain powerful and up to the task. operating systems and comfort in the event of engine failure. Ulstein X-BOW® & Lounge The streamlined Ulstein X-BOW® cuts The ship will also feature a fully-stocked medical clinic designed through the swell so you feel fewer vibrations and disturbances, for use in remote areas. and makes quicker transits through waves. It also helps reduce Responsible travel features We believe that preserving and our fuel consumption by up to 60%^. Experience the Glass protecting the environment is of the utmost importance and this Atrium Lounge inside the bow, featuring huge windows and is reflected in several features of the Sylvia Earle. The Sylvia superb views to the front Earle will boast one of the lowest polluting marine engines in the world due to low energy consumption, high fuel-efficiency and a streamlined design to deliver an 80% reduction in

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com emissions. The ship can also utilise virtual anchoring to hold its position using a combination of GPS, steering technology, propellers and thrusters. This protects the sea floor and minimises the damage caused by conventional anchors. Zodiac launching platforms Our ships carry many Zodiacs, which you can board via four dedicated, sea-level launching platforms. These platforms make boarding the Zodiacs as quick, efficient and safe as possible, minimising wait times and getting you closer to the action for longer. Whether you're Zodiac cruising through awe-inspiring fjords in search of wildlife or making a quick transit from ship to a shore landing site, these sturdy crafts will play an integral role in your expedition experience. Activity preparation area We offer a range of add-on adventure activities from kayaking and diving to climbing and ski touring, and your ship is designed to support these activities, making the transition from ship to sea or shore as smooth as possible. We built the spacious activity preparation areas and loading platforms in consultation with our expert activity guides. You will also have access to lockers and rapid drying areas for dry suits and wet suits, to give your gear the best chance to dry between excursions.

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com INSIDE YOUR SHIP

Aurora Stateroom Superior Balcony Stateroom Category A

Balcony Stateroom Category B Balcony Stateroom Category C

Balcony Stateroom Superior Captain’s Suite

Junior Suite

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com PRICING

29-Aug-2022 to 12-Sep-2022 Aurora Stateroom Superior 19495 AUD pp Balcony Stateroom Category C 19995 AUD pp Balcony Stateroom Category B 20995 AUD pp Balcony Stateroom Category A 22595 AUD pp Balcony Stateroom Superior 24695 AUD pp Junior Suite 30995 AUD pp Captain’s Suite 36795 AUD pp

Optional extras & upgrades Sea Kayaking One of the most exhilarating ways to experience Antarctica, the Arctic or any of our global voyages. Scuba Diving The icy waters of Antarctic and the Arctic guarantee amazing new experiences. Snorkelling Discover the underwater world of Antarctica and the Arctic! Witness wildlife and scenery unlike any other place on earth.

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com