WildWings pioneered Wildlife Cruises to this region in the mid-nineties but our original ship is no longer operating. We are therefore delighted to offer these new itineraries, to be operated by our good friend Rodney Russ and his team, on the expedition vessel ‘Spirit of Enderby’ (48 passengers). This Russian operated ship will be able to visit sites previously not allowed by Western vessels. We had staff and clients on their first voyages in 2007 and trip reports are available on our website or from us.

 

Client quote:” Blue Whale, Brown Bear and Steller’s Sea Eagle and all in just one day – unforgettable!!” C.C. June 2007

 

The potential species list is mouth-watering, set in a region of spectacular scenery which has only been accessible since 1994. Headed by one of the ultimate raptors, Steller’s Sea Eagle, the list of expected special seabirds includes Spectacled, Brunnich’s and Pigeon Guillemots, Whiskered, Rhinoceros, Crested, Parakeet and Least Auklets, Tufted and Horned Puffins, Ancient and Long-billed Murrelets, Black-tailed, Glaucous-winged and Slaty-backed Gulls, Red-legged Kittiwake, Aleutian Tern, Temminck’s and Red-faced Cormorants, Harlequin Duck, Black and Stejneger’s Scotors plus White-billed and Pacific Divers. A number of tubenoses should include Laysan and Black-footed Albatross (with a chance of Short-tailed), Mottled Petrel, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters and thousands of Northern Fulmars (brown and blue morphs). White-tailed Eagles also patrol the skies of this region. Shorebirds could include tattlers, stints, Long-billed Plover, Latham’s Snipe, Rock Sandpiper and phalaropes. Our landings will add many more birds including Siberian Rubythroats singing from the top of almost every tree at some sites, and many more highly desired eastern passerines as spring migration will still be very much in progress. 2007 yielded Oriental Turtle Dove, White-throated Needletail, Three-toed and Pygmy Woodpeckers, Buff-bellied and Pechora Pipits, Brown-headed, Eye-browed and Siberian Thrushs, Lanceolated, Middendorff’s, Gray’s/Sakhalin, Black-browed Reed, Radde’s, Arctic, Eastern Crowned and Sakhalin Leaf Warblers, Grey-streaked, Siberian, Asian Brown, Narcissus and Red-throated Flycatchers, Rufous-tailed Robin, Red-flanked Bluetail, Nutcracker, Pine Grosbeak, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Rustic, Black-faced, Japanese Grey  and Snow Buntings to name a few! Our planned islands visit will also give us the opportunity for some of  Japan’s special birds including Japanese Robin seen in 2007. We can expect a few surprises too. Mammals should also be in good supply, Arctic (Blue) Fox, Asian Brown Bears, Largha Seal, Northern Fur Seal, Reindeer, Sea Otter and Steller’s Sea Lions. Cetaceans in the past have included Orcas, Blue (2007), Sperm, Northern Minke, Gray, Humpback and Fin Whales plus Baird’s Beaked Whales at least twice over the years. Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise and one of our favourites, the seemingly turbo-charged Dall’s Porpoises. The opportunities for photography will be generally superb throughout. 

 

This breathtaking expedition offers an opportunity to explore one of the most geologically active and biologically rich parts of the planet. The large number of live volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands has earned this region the reputation of the Pacific’s ‘Ring of Fire’. The Kamchatka Peninsula is a land of stunning bays and snow-capped volcanoes whose alpine meadows and lowland forests support a great diversity of wildlife. The Kuril Island chain is made up of 32 islands that stretch between Russia and Japan across the Bering Sea. The Kurils are all formed by volcanoes that rise from the sea floor. The larger of the Kuril Islands are inhabited, and most people make their living from the sea, as they have for generations. The voyage also takes in the Commander Islands. These remote islands are also rich in bird and sea mammal life and they are the final resting place of the famed Danish explorer Vitus Bering.

 

Depending on your flight arrangements, you may have time to stay in Sakhalin and/or Petropavlovsk pre and/or post cruise, we can book hotels in both. The vessel will have a full expedition team onboard for these voyages including a ship’s ornithologist.

 

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Itinerary

 

Day 1:            Transfer from Hotel in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to board the vessel in Port of Korsakov.  Depart for Kunashir Island.

Day 2:            Afternoon ashore in the Kurilsky Zapovednik (Reserve) on Kunashir Island.

Day 3:            Day at Iturup Island.  Morning Zodiac landings with excursions to forest areas.  Afternoon travel by ‘bus’ to Rubetskiy Volcano and an opportunity to visit a higher altitude habitat.

Day 4:            Chiripoyovy Island(s) in the afternoon.  Zodiac cruising and landing.

Day 5:            Simishur Island.  Zodiac cruise into the large caldera containing the abandoned submarine base.  Land and explore the area around the base. 

Afternoon visit Yankicho Island – an ornithological “wonderland”.

Day 6:            Matua and Toporkovy Islands – abandoned military base (airforce) on Matua Island and good numbers of birds on adjacent Toporkovy Island.

Day 7:            Landing this morning at Nemo Bay on the northern end of Onekotan Island and an easy walk to Black Lake. This afternoon an expedition landing on the southern tip of Paramushir Island in Vasilyeva Bay.

Day 8:            Zodiac cruise in the Utashud Islands in Vestnik Bay before sailing north along the Kamchatka coast.

Day 9:            Visit Zhupanovo River, take zodiacs up the river in search of Steller Sea Eagles.  This afternoon sail for the Commander Islands.

Days 10-11:            Spend these two days at the Commander Islands.  Visit the village of Nikoi ‘Skoye.  Zodiac cruise Arij Karmen Island (landings not permitted).  Visit North West Cape Fur Seal colony and explore the eastern bays of Bering Island for bird cliffs/colonies.

Day 12:            At sea

Day 13:            Arrival at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and disembark.  Transfer to hotels and airport.

 

Please Note: All itineraries are subject to weather, local conditions and final approval by the relevant Russian authorities. 

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Holiday Information

Dates:      18^th – 30^th June 2009  

Leader/s:  Rodney Russ and expedition team plus WildWings leader TBA.

Cost:
Sharing a triple basic	£2999
Sharing a twin basic	£3399
Sharing a twin with facilities	£3639
Sharing a superior twin with facs.	£3829
Sharing a suite with facilities from	£4189
Deposit:	25%

NB 10% due by 31 Dec 2007. 15% due by 31 March 2008.

Advance register for our next departures, which will not be until Spring 2010. Contact us for more details when available.

 

Price includes: Voyage with accommodation as booked, including all meals, shore excursions, lectures and services of the expedition team, day by day bird and mammal checklist, landing fees and port taxes.

 

Price excludes: Flights, from £589 (London – Sakhalinsk, Petropavlovsk – London), pre and post cruise hotels (Sakhalinsk from £45pppn twin share, Petropavlovsk from £40pppn twin share), travel insurance, onboard gratuities (suggest US$8-10 per day), Russian visa (c£90 and visa invitation fee cUS$60), drinks, and items of a personal nature.

 

Contact us for the ship’s colour brochure and our previous trip reports.