Jewel of the Russian Far East

You can join this expedition either in Anadyr or in Nome, Alaska. Those starting in Nome will fly by a private charter flight to Anadyr and will join the ship and the expedition members who have traveled direct to Anadyr.

Those departing from Nome, Alaska, should arrive in Nome before midday and preferably the previous night.

Explore Anadyr, the administrative center of the Chukotka region, before getting to know your fellow voyagers and crew on board the Spirit of Enderby.

This coastline is rich in marine mammals and one creature you will be looking for, in particular, is the walrus. The bukhta (or bay) was named after Commander Vitus Bering’s ship, the St Gabriel, of the First Kamchatka Expedition. Behind the expansive beach, there is a lagoon you can explore for waterfowl and waders.

Start the day with a visit to the delta of Pika River – a well known walrus haul-out and one of the few places in the southern part of the range that still get thousands of animals coming to rest on the beach.

Later in the day, visit Meinypil’gyno, a small settlement located on a 40 kilometer long shingle spit. It is a traditional village although renovated under the recent Chukotka government.

Along the Koryak Coast there are many beautiful fiords (bukhtas or bays) and none are more beautiful than Bukhta Natalii. This fiord has two smaller fiords that drain into it from the south; called Bukhta Pavla and Bukhta Petra (named after St Peter and St Paul by Commander Vitus Bering).

Much of the southern Govena Peninsula was recently made into a State Reserve. There are a number of fiords included in the Reserve; one of the most spectacular is Tintikun Lagoon.

Start the morning in Brown Bear country, an undisturbed habitat within the Koryakskiy Reserve, where you will go bear watching and Zodiac cruising along the coast. Brown Bears come down to the sea coast and into the nearby hills very frequently, and the area is completely protected and rarely visited.

A few miles to the south from Verhoturova Island is the much larger Karaginskiy Island. Encounter some of the first ‘forests’ of the voyage. This is a change from the tundra that you have seen so far depicting a sure sign that you are getting further south.

Autumn is the best time for the wild berries and you can marvel at the richness of the local flora, as many of them would be at their best.

The wildlife-rich Commander Islands were first discovered by Commander Vitus Bering when his ship was wrecked here in 1741. He perished on the island along with many of his men. The reports from those that survived led to a ‘fur rush’ and the settlement of the islands.

There are two large islands (Bering and Medney) with two smaller islands Ariy Karmen and Toporkov. These islands are located at the western extremity of the Aleutian chain. Explore the islands through a combination of landings and Zodiac cruises.

Olga Bay is a part of the very large Kronotskiy Reserve, which also includes the world-famous Valley of the Geysers. The habitat is quite different to what you will have been experiencing before with lush Kamchatka forests coming right down to the beach line.

The area around Olga Bay is frequented by large numbers of Grey Whales that are usually quite friendly to the visiting boats. The rising volcanoes in the background will provide a beautiful setting to explore real Kamchatka wilderness.

This morning make your way along the Zhupanova River by Zodiac. This journey allows you to explore a river habitat which is common in Kamchatka.

During the night the Spirit of Enderby will enter Avacha Bay which is one of the greatest natural harbors in the world. On the shores of the Bay is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, the capital and administrative centre of the Kamchatka Region. End the expedition today, however due to outbound flight schedules, you may choose from two disembarkation options:

A) Disembark the vessel today (15th Sept*) and a complimentary transfer to the airport will be provided.

B) Disembark the vessel on day 14* (16th Sept*). If you select this option, day 13 will be free for exploring and a number of optional excursions will be offered, including a trip into the world-famous Valley of the Geysers, an excursion to one of the nearby volcanoes or a day exploring the city, including the museums and markets.

For passengers who stayed on board, disembark the ship after breakfast.