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Home , Crested auklet, Iony Island, Kamchatka brown bear

SEA OF OKHOTSK: SEALS, AND A LEGACY OF SORROW

Little known outside of and seldom visited by westerners, Russia's dominates the Northwest Pacific. Bounded to the north and west by the Russian continent and the to the east, with the and Island guarding the southern border, it is almost landlocked. Its coasts were once home to a number of groups of indigenous people: the Nivkhi, Oroki, Even and Itelmen. Their name for this sea simply translates as something like the ‘Sea of Hunters' or ‘Hunters Sea', perhaps a clue to the abundance of wildlife found here. In 1725, and again in 1733, the Russian explorer Vitus Bering launched two expeditions from the town of Okhotsk on the western shores of this sea in order to explore the eastern coasts of the Russian Empire. For a long time this town was the gateway to Kamchatka and beyond. The modern make it an inhospitable place. However the lure of a rich fishery town of Okhotsk is built near the site of the old town, and little and, more recently, oil and gas discoveries means this sea is has changed over the centuries. Inhabitants now have an air still being exploited, so nothing has changed. In 1854, no fewer service, but their lives are still dominated by the sea. Perhaps than 160 American and British whaling ships were there hunting no other sea in the world has witnessed as much human whales. Despite this seemingly relentless exploitation the suffering and misery as the Sea of Okhotsk. Between 1932 and wildlife thrives, albeit probably not in the numbers it used to, 1953 it is estimated that over 3 million prisoners (the vast but still in numbers that boggle the mind. The beautifully majority of them innocent) were transported across the Sea of marked and rare Ribbon Seals are abundant here. On the small Okhotsk to the Gulags of the Kolyma Goldfields. It is estimated island of Iony and globally important nesting sites on that only 500,000 of those prisoners survived to make the Yamskie Islands, part of the Magadanskii Nature Reserve, journey home. The town and port of Magadan were built to hundreds of Steller Sea Lions haul out here each year to breed. process these prisoners. Today there is little evidence of the Seabird numbers in the Sea of Okhotsk can only be described town's sordid past, but the Mask of Sorrow, a large monument as spectacular. We are talking numbers rarely seen anywhere on a hill overlooking the town, is a poignant reminder of else in the world, such as an estimated 7 million on Matykil Magadan's origins. The upper regions of the Sea of Okhotsk Island in the Yamskiye Archipelago. Then there are islands like remain frozen for much of the year and winter storms Talan where the sky darkens when the Crested Auklets start

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com massing offshore before returning each evening. there and introductions to the ship, staff and crew after we have departed and we will also take the opportunity to conduct a number of safety briefings. include various species of guillemots, , auklets and fulmars, but the richness of birdlife is not restricted to pelagic Day 2: At Sea species. The Sea of Okhotsk has one of the highest As we sail southwest towards , the day is filled with illustrated concentrations of the majestic Steller's Sea Eagle of anywhere lectures and opportunities to spend time on the deck birdwatching and in the Russian . Waterfowl are common, as are many looking for marine , relax in the bar and library, or join the captain in the bridge as you adjust to life at sea. migratory species. Harder to see, but not uncommon on this expedition, are the magnificent Kamchatka Brown and Day 3: Iony Island other mammals such as the Arctic Ground Squirrel. This is a Iony Island lies almost in the middle of the Sea of Okhotsk, about 120 truly unique expedition in that it travels through a little known nautical miles from the closest land. It is a tiny island, really just a rock, but what it lacks in physical size it more than makes up for wildlife. It is nothing sea. It is a region with a history that up until recently has been short of spectacular and very few people have seen it. Iony is a well known suppressed and not spoken about, the magnitude of the breeding ground for Steller Sea Lions. There is a small derelict research hut on tragedy of Stalin's Gulag system is only now becoming the island, a relic from a time when there was possibly more money for research than there is now. The island also teems with birdlife. Birds appear to apparent. It is also an area with very significant and important take up all available space. There are guillemots, kittiwakes and various wildlife values, both terrestrial and marine. There are still species of auklets, with Parakeet, Whiskered and Least being the most prominent. We will Zodiac cruise around the Island as Steller Sea Lions discoveries to be made and so for the inquisitive, adventurous occupy all the flat ground and the few rocky beaches make any landing and open-minded traveller, this is a ‘must do' expedition. Note: impossible. Expeditioners on this voyage have the option to stay on board Days 4 to 5: Shantar Archipelago as we transfer Akademik Shokalskiy to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy at the completion of the voyage - an There are 15 islands in this little known archipelago. Lying as they do in the western sector of the Sea of Okhotsk close to the continent, they are amongst extra three nights free! These will be sea days, with a minimal the last places here to become ice free each year. This late ice can sometimes expedition programme, and a chance to unwind in the library, restrict how far we can explore. On the other hand if there is ice around, it increases our chances of seeing some of the seals including Bearded, Ringed, bar and on the bridge. Those staying on board will disembark at Largha and Ribbon Seals that breed here. Potentially this area is one of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy on 30 June 2021. best to get observations and photographs of the beautifully patterned Ribbon Seals. The seas around the Shantar Archipelago are also renowned for ITINERARY Bowhead Whales. Our chances of seeing these depend on the ice, the majority of sightings are in fact from later in the season, but we will be looking very hard. If we can land there will be birding, botany and photography Day 1: Magadan excursions led by our team of on board naturalists. We have set aside two days here to maximise our chances of getting ashore and also having the best This morning we will all meet at a local hotel or central point and take a coach wildlife experiences. transfer to the Port of Magadan. (Full details of all these arrangements will be provided upon receipt of booking.) After a security check (we have Russian speaking staff to assist in this process) you and your luggage will be Day 6: Mal’minskie Islands transferred to the Akademik Shokalskiy. Once on board you will be shown to The sight that greets you when you approach these three small offshore your cabins and there will be a chance to unpack and explore the vessel. We islands is ‘birds’. There are birds everywhere, in the air, in the water and on plan to get underway soon after you have embarked. There will be briefings

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com the land. Numerous species breed here including large numbers of Spectacled the climate is very much affected by the Sea of Okhotsk. Very few visitors have Guillemots, perhaps the largest colony of these birds anywhere, as they are ever landed on, or explored, the Koni Peninsula. Many of our landings are only found in the Sea of Okhotsk. Other birds include Ancient Murrelet, expeditionary, in that although we have landed at a number of places along Rhinoceros Auklet, , Horned and Tufted , the coast, many will be new and unknown to us, so we are never quite sure of and both Common and Brunnich’s Guillemot. It is little wonder with the what we will find. That is part of what makes our style of travel so interesting. abundance of birds that there is a good population of Steller’s Sea Eagles on We spend the day here with at least two landings at different sites. the island and adjacent mainland. Landing on the island is restricted to a small gravel spit and there are limited places to walk, however on the Day 10: Yamskiye Islands mainland we can stretch our legs and explore the taiga forest. These islands are also included in the Magadansky Zapovednik and are Day 7: Okhotsk Town claimed by some biologists to be the largest colony in the North Pacific. According to bird counts there are an estimated 7 million birds nesting on This town has featured in Russian Far East history since the earliest Cossack Matykil Island, the largest in the group. Birds include Common and Brunnich’s explorers came from the west. Prior to their arrival the indigenous people Guillemot, Crested, Parakeet and Least Auklets, Tufted and Horned Puffins undoubtedly had seasonal camps here to harvest the salmon. Vitus Bering and Northern Fulmars. The most abundant of these is the . The travelled overland from St Petersburg to Okhotsk in 1725, and again in 1733, islands are also a well known breeding ground for the Steller Sea Lion and we and it was from this small town that both of these expeditions travelled to will see large numbers both in the water and hauled on the few beaches on Kamchatka and beyond. Because of the hostility of the Koryak people in the the island. We Zodiac around the coast as no landings are permitted, but you north towards the Russian invaders, the Sea of Okhotsk was the main access get a much better appreciation of the islands and the abundance of the route to Kamchatka. Today Okhotsk is the region’s fishing centre. The port wildlife by cruising the shoreline. exports significant quantities of salmon and other . We visit the town, landing by Zodiac up the river near its centre. The local people are generous Day 11: Magadan and welcoming, and will provide some entertainment in the town centre with a cultural display. This is a chance to experience genuine Russian Far East The name Magadan is synonymous with Stalin’s oppressive Gulags or prisons. culture and embrace their hospitality. It is estimated that between 1932 and 1953 more than 3.5 million ‘prisoners’ were shipped across the Sea of Okhotsk to Magadan or Nagaevo, as it was Day 8: Talan Island then known, to work in the Kolyma Goldfields. It is thought that only 500,000 survived the terrible conditions including the cold, lack of food, and inhuman An internationally known, but very difficult to get to, bird island, Talan lies treatment by the guards and officials. Nowadays there is very little evidence of offshore some 50 miles west of Magadan. It is infamous largely because of this town’s tragic past. The local museum has an excellent display about the the hundreds of thousands of Crested Auklets that nest here. A lot of research Gulags (sadly almost all information is in Russian) but the most poignant has been done here in the past and there are a number of huts and obvious reminder is the ‘Mask of Sorrow’, a large monument, dedicated to those who signs of human activity. There is also an extraordinary number of Black-legged suffered here, on a hill overlooking the town. Today it is a town of about Kittiwakes nesting along the cliffs, and not surprisingly a large population of 100,000 people. Fishing is important and gold mining is experiencing a Steller’s Sea Eagles. If weather conditions are suitable we will circumnavigate revival with mechanical dredges and machinery successfully reworking the the island by Zodiac before landing at the western end. We plan to return in areas once worked by the prisoners with their hands. The port is kept open the evening after dinner to witness the huge flocks of Crested Auklets throughout the winter by icebreakers as it is the lifeline for those living here. amassing offshore before returning to the island. If the conditions are right it is The infamous Kolyma Highway, also known as the ‘Road of Bones’, connects one of those sights, and nights, you will never forget. Magadan with Yakutsk and the rest of Russia. We plan to arrive in the Port of Magadan early morning. There will be a complimentary shuttle to a central Day 9: Koni Peninsula hotel in the city. In case of unavoidable delays with either weather and/or formalities we kindly ask you not to make any onward flight reservations until This is a mountainous region to the south-east of the town of Magadan. after 1300 hours. Those staying on board will arrive in the Port of Approximately one third of it is protected by its inclusion in the Magadanskiy Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy on 30 June; we kindly ask you don’t make any Zapovednik (a Federal Nature Reserve). This reserve protects among other onwards plans until after 1200 noon. Note: During our voyage, circumstances and Snow Sheep. There are numerous places to land and may make it necessary or desirable to deviate from the proposed itinerary.

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com This can include poor weather and/or opportunities for making unplanned excursions. Your Expedition Leader will keep you fully informed.

Days 12-13: At Sea, Optional These will be sea days, with a minimal expedition programme, and a chance to unwind in the library, bar and on the bridge. Those staying on board will disembark at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy on 30 June 2021; we kindly ask you don’t make any onwards plans until after 1200 noon.

Please Note: Itineraries are subject to change.

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

YOUR SHIP: Spirit of Enderby

VESSEL TYPE: Expedition

LENGTH: 72 metres

PASSENGER CAPACITY: 50

BUILT/REFURBISHED: 1984 / 2018

The Spirit of Enderby is a fully ice-strengthened expedition vessel, built in 1984 for polar and oceanographic research and and crew. is perfect for Expedition Travel. The name Spirit of Enderby honours the work and the vision of She carries just 50 passengers and was refurbished in the Enderby Brothers of London. The Enderby Captains were at November 2004 to provide comfortable accommodation in twin the forefront of Antarctic exploration for almost 40 years in the share cabins approximately half of which have private facilities. early 1800's. It also celebrates Enderby Island, arguably the All cabins have outside windows or portholes and ample greatest Subantarctic Island in the world. storage space. a) our fleet of RIB's, (rigid inflatable boats) sometimes referred On board there is a combined bar/library lounge area and a to as zodiacs. These extremely safe and stable craft will land dedicated lecture room. The cuisine is excellent and is prepared you at some of the most amazing places. by top NZ and Australian chefs. The real focus and emphasis of every expedition is getting you ashore as often as possible for as long as possible with maximum safety and comfort. Our Expeditions are accompanied by some of the most experienced naturalists and guides, who have devoted a lifetime to field research in the areas that we visit. The ship is crewed by a very enthusiastic and most experienced Russian Captain

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

Heritage Suite Main Deck

Main Deck Triple Mini Suite

Superior Superior Plus

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14-Jun-2022 to 26-Jun-2022 Main Deck Triple 6590 USD pp Main Deck 7750 USD pp Superior 8270 USD pp Superior Plus 9000 USD pp Mini Suite 9420 USD pp Heritage Suite 10370 USD pp

ADDITIONAL CHARGES: Local Payment 500 USD pp

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