Russia’s Ring of Fire Kamchatka, the Commander & Kuril Islands 26th May to7th June 2021 (13 days) Zodiac cruise & Auklet flocks by N. Russ The Pacific Ring of Fire manifests itself in numerous places on the rim of the Pacific Ocean – but nowhere more dramatically than in Russia’s Far East. Along one of the world’s most active plate boundaries, the Pacific plate subducts under the Eurasian plate and the resulting volcanic and geothermal activity has built a unique and amazing landscape. Upwelling from the deep trenches formed by this action and currents around the many islands means there is an abundance of food for both birds and marine mammals, making the seas here amongst the richest in the world. The region’s human history is as interesting and as fascinating as the geological history and it is closely connected to the oceans that surround it. The earliest people to settle in the RBL Russia - Ring of Fire Itinerary 2 region, the Ainu, lived from the sea. Explorer Vitus Bering and, at the height of the Cold war, Russia’s formidable Pacific Fleet, were based in the region. The secrecy surrounding the fleet resulted in the region being ‘closed’ even to Russians, who had to obtain special permits to travel to and within the area. It is only now, two decades since Perestroika, that people can travel relatively freely here, although there is still very little in the way of infrastructure for visitors. This voyage takes us where very few people have been – or are able to go. The region falls into three quite distinct and unique geographical regions: the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Commander Islands (the western extremity of the Aleutian chain of islands) and the Kuril Islands. Each of them is very different, with their own story and in many cases, endemic plants and birds. On this expedition, we go in search of those people, plants, animals and birds that make this part of the Pacific Ring of Fire so special and intriguing. Stretching northwards for over 700 miles from Japan to the southern end of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands were formed by the collision of the Pacific and Eurasian plates. This created a chain of over 30 volcanic islands and an oceanic trench that reaches depths of over 8,000 metres (+-26,000 feet). The combination of deep water upwelling, and the mixing of the cold waters from the Sea of Okhotsk with the warmer Pacific Ocean, creates ideal conditions for seabirds, making this one of the richest areas in the world, both in terms of the number of species and their sheer abundance. For many birders, the undoubted highlights are the auks and, during our voyage, it is possible to see up to 14 species, including Tufted and Horned Puffins, Parakeet, Whiskered and Rhinoceros Auklets, as well as Spectacled and Pigeon Guillemots. The healthy populations of Sea Otters and Killer Whales occurring here are also one of the highlights. The Commander Islands consist of two islands – Bering and Medney. They were uninhabited when Vitus Bering landed there in 1741, mistakenly believing it was Kamchatka. When his ship was wrecked, he and many of his men consequently died. Those who survived told of the wealth that could be made from otter, fox and fur seal pelts. So began the ‘Fur Rush’ to the North Pacific that changed the region forever. The islands were settled, species like the giant Steller’s Sea Cow became extinct, and the population of fur- bearing animals was decimated. During the Cold War, ‘Border Guards’ fiercely and patriotically protected these islands from unseen enemies. Today the islands are a Nature Reserve and only a small population still lives there. The days we spend on the Commander Islands will be as unique as the islands themselves. The Kamchatka Peninsula, which dominates the North Pacific, is in turn dominated by a large number of volcanoes, dense forest and spectacular scenery very different to what we will see elsewhere on this journey. It is impossible to experience the entire peninsula in such a short time, so we have chosen several sites that will give a good overview of the region. These locations include one of the hundreds of salmon- rich rivers for which the region is renowned and around which the infamous Kamchatka Brown Bear congregates. We have also included a coastal harbour / bay renowned for cetaceans, including the Western Grey Whale. Other species such as Humpback and Sperm Whales can generally be observed here as well. Our vessel, the Spirit of Enderby (Professor Khromov), is perfect for expedition travel. 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. It carries just 50 passengers in very comfortable accommodation, measures 72 metres in length and is fully ice-strengthened. RBL Russia - Ring of Fire Itinerary 3 THE TOUR AT A GLANCE… THE ITINERARY Day 1 Arrival in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy Day 2 At Sea Days 3 & 4 Commander Islands Day 5 Zhupanova River Day 6 Bukhta Russkaya Day 7 Second Kuril Strait, Atlasova and Onekotan Islands Day 8 Ekarma and Toporkovy Islands Day 9 Simushir and Yankicha Islands Day 10 Chirpoy and Urup Islands Day 11 Iturup Island Day 12 Kunashir Island Day 13 Sakhalin Island and depart TOUR ROUTE MAP… RBL Russia - Ring of Fire Itinerary 4 THE TOUR IN DETAIL… Day 1: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. After arriving in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, the capital and administrative centre of the Kamchatka Region, you will be transferred to the port where we will board the Spirit of Enderby. After an opportunity to settle into your cabin, we will then set sail through Avacha Bay, one of the greatest natural harbours in the world and which was once home for a substantial portion of Russia’s Pacific fleet. This fleet included a large number of submarines, many of which are still present. As we cross the bay, we will look for Spectacled Guillemot, an uncommon species that Laysan Albatross by Adam Riley breeds here in small numbers. Other alcids that we may encounter for the first time include Common and Thick-billed Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Ancient Murrelet, Parakeet Auklet and both Horned and Tufted Puffin. We could also see Red-necked Grebe, the attractive Red-faced and Pelagic Cormorants, Common, Slaty-backed and Black-headed Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwake and flocks of Red Phalarope. Day 2: At Sea. We have a day at sea as we cruise across the Kamchatka Trench towards the Commander Islands. The waters we are cruising through are renowned for cetaceans as this is the border between two major tectonic plates and there are deep canyons where these animals feed. Blue, Fin, Humpback, Sperm, Minke and Baird’s Beaked Whales have all been recorded here, as have Dall’s Porpoise and Killer Whale, so there is real potential to start the voyage with some great cetacean sightings! There will, of course, also be birds to watch and we will look out for good numbers of elegant Laysan Albatross, thousands of Northern Fulmar, Short-tailed Shearwater, Fork-tailed Storm Petrels, elegant Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaegers, Pomarine Skua, Glaucous-winged Gull, Arctic and Common Terns, numerous alcids and if we are lucky, Yellow-billed Loon (White-billed Diver). Days 3 & 4: Commander Islands. The Commander Islands form the western extremity of the Aleutian Islands and are the only islands in the chain that belong to Russia. They are named after the legendary Danish explorer Commander Vitus Bering, who discovered the islands when he became the first European to sail between Asia and North America. Unfortunately, Bering’s ship was wrecked and he died here along with many of his crew, though little evidence of their time on the island remains except for a simple tombstone that marks Bering’s grave. Some of the crew did manage to Nesting Red-legged Kittiwakes by Adam Riley RBL Russia - Ring of Fire Itinerary 5 survive and eventually made it back to Kamchatka, including Georg Steller, the expedition’s naturalist. Although Steller also died before getting back to Western Europe, his journals survived and these provided details of the region’s wildlife, including the now extinct Steller’s Sea Cow and Spectacled Cormorant, which Bering and the crew had found on the Commander Islands. The Sea Cow sadly only survived for a further 27 years as hunters soon arrived in the region and killed off these easily captured giants (up to 30ft in length and weighing an estimated 10 tonnes). A skeleton of this massive creature can be seen in the fascinating museum that we will have a chance Sea Otter and pup by Adam Riley to visit during our time on Bering Island. The cormorant was last seen in 1850. During our two days in the Commander Islands, we plan to visit both Bering and Medney islands. While ashore, besides the museum, we will have the opportunity to meet some of the local people, including a talented artist, if he is in residence. There is also some excellent birding in the area and we will seek out targets including roosting Red-faced Cormorants, good numbers of stunning Harlequin Ducks, Lesser Sand Plover in breeding plumage, Dunlin (on previous tours we have enjoyed their unusual display antics here), the sought-after Rock Sandpiper, nesting Red-legged Kittiwakes – a highly localized species, Pechora Pipit, White (the local race lugens used to be split as Black-backed Wagtail) and Eastern Yellow Wagtail and both Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting. All landing sites in the Commander Islands are weather dependent so our precise itinerary will vary depending on the prevailing conditions.