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In the Wake of Bering: In Search of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper
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Kamchatka Brown Bear
Photo by Katya Ovsyanikova |
This expedition is as unique as the First Kamchatka Expedition
of 1725 – 1730 which was led by Danish explorer Commander
Vitus Bering on orders of Peter the Great. His orders were to
travel overland to the Kamchatka Peninsula (from St. Petersburg)
and there build two ships and sail “north by northeast...... chart
the coast and collect information”. It was an ambitious journey and
a remarkable expedition. Bering set sail from Nizhnekamchatsk on the
lower Kamchatka River, our expedition will depart from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy
a city named in honour of Bering’s two ships which sailed from here for the
second Kamchatka or Great Northern Expedition which he also led.
From here we will sail ‘north by north east’ to discover wildlife and a
wilderness that few people have seen or experienced because of the region’s
remoteness and the fact that it was a ‘closed area’ until the early 1990’s.
It is a land of extremes and myriad environments including snow-capped active
volcanoes, geothermal regions, vast forests, extensive tundra, uninhabited islands and rich oceans.
Every day we will search for the best wildlife experience, and there will be
many, but we want to find one bird in particular - the extremely rare
Spoon-billed Sandpiper ( Eurynorhynchus Pygmeus).This bird is classified as
‘critically endangered’ and its only known breeding ground is in northern
Kamchatka and Chukotka – the area that we will be visiting.
Recent field studies suggest that the global population is much
lower than previously thought, possibly fewer than 320 breeding pairs and declining.
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| Day 1 |
Arrival
Fly to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and stay overnight at a centrally located hotel.
If you want to arrive a few days earlier we can make the needed arrangements for you,
including visiting the famed Valley of the geysers or explore one of a number
of volcanoes for which the region is famous.
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| Day 2 |
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy
In the morning you could take the opportunity to
explore the city; there is an excellent museum and a number
of monuments that let you discover its history.
In the afternoon you will board M/S "Spirit of Enderby"
in preparation for the departure of the expedition this evening.
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| Day 3 |
Zhupanova river
We will spend the morning in the Zhupanova river on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Our Zodiacs can negotiate the shallow meandering river where there are superb
opportunities for "birding". We are likely to see upwards of 40 species of birds,
including species such as the Yellow-breasted Bunting, Green Shank,
Far Eastern Curlew and Common Tern. Further up the river in the mature
forest there is a very good chance that we will see the magnificent
Steller's Sea Eagle as they are known to nest here.
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Days
4-5 |
Commander Islands
We will spend these two days at the Commander Islands
which are named after Commander Vitus Bering who discovered them
on the Great Northern or Second Kamchatka Expedition. He and many
of his crew died of scurvy here after his ship was wrecked on the island.
Simple headstones mark their graves near the wreck site. We will begin our
exploration of these islands with a visit to the village of Nikoi'skoye,
where there is some great "birding" around the shoreline and river mouth.
There is also a very good museum with some interesting cultural and natural
history displays. The remainder of our time here is spent in search of the islands' wildlife.
The Commander Islands are home to a large number of birds including Horned and Tufted Puffins,
Crested and Parakeet Auklets, Thick-billed Murres, Red-legged Kittiwakes and Red-faced Cormorants.
We may also spot Harbour Seals, Steller's Sea Lions, and Northern Fur Seals.
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| Day 6 |
Verkhoturova Island
Late afternoon we arrive off Cape Yugo-Vostochnyy on Verkhoturova Island.
There is an extensive bird colony that is readily accessible from the sea.
There are good numbers of Slaty-backed gulls, Black-legged kittiwakes,
Tufted and Horned puffins and Pigeon guillemot. There are much smaller
numbers of Parakeet and Least Auklets. On an offshore reef Steller's Sea
Lions can sometimes be seen.
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| Day 7 |
Goven Peninsula
Covering much of the southern Goven Peninsula is the Koryaksky Reserve.
It encompasses a wide range of habitats from raised beach plains to steep glaciated mountains.
We begin today's exploration with a visit to a Rangers camp situated near the mouth of a river.
It has been a good place to see Brown Bears on previous expeditions.
There is also an easy walk to a nearby lagoon and a chance to explore
the tundra for a number of plants that should be flowering.
This afternoon we take a Zodiac cruise along the coastline near Cape Goven.
If conditions are suitable we will land and explore a river that is known to
have good Brown bear numbers.
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| Day 8 |
Goven Peninsula/Tintikun Lagoon
amongst the most picturesque spots on the Koryak Coast. The fiord is almost dammed at
the mouth by a terminal moraine from the last period of glaciation, but we can drag our
Zodiacs up the river into the lagoon or lake. Once in the lagoon we can travel into the
mountains and explore an area that few people have seen. It is likely that salmon will
be running up the rivers at the head of the lagoon and Brown Bears are relatively common.
This afternoon we are at sea as we cruise into Olyutorskiy Bay where we will spend the
next two days assisting the Spoon-billed Sandpiper team surveying new areas for breeding
Spoon-billed Sandpiper.
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Days
9-10 |
Olyutorskiy Bay
Because of the inaccessibility of Olyutorskiy Bay, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Recovery
team have never had an opportunity to survey it. From maps and charts it is known to have
good breeding habitat. We plan to divide into teams and survey as much of this region as
possible under the guidance and leadership of the Recovery team who will be accompanying us.
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| Day 11 |
Bukhta Natalia and Bukhta Dezhneva
We visit two other very picturesque fiords today:
Bukhta Natalia and Bukhta Dezhneva. Both of them allow us
to take our vessel, the Spirit of Enderby into the interior.
Walrus can sometimes be found on a small island at the entrance to
the fiord. At the head of the fiord we land and explore the tundra
where there is magnificent scenery and a huge variety of plants to enjoy.
Nomadic reindeer herders are sometimes encountered in this region.
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Days
12-13 |
Meinypil'gyno
We visit Meinypil'gyno, a small settlement on a huge 60km long spit. This area represents the
best opportunity to see the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and, unless we find a population in Olyutorskiy Bay,
is now its last real stronghold. There we will be able to meet with researchers of the Spoon-billed
Sandpiper Recovery Team, who will guide us to the pre-located and monitored breeding pairs.
It is hoped we will encounter this charismatic species and be able to observe it without disturbing its breeding.
Meinypil'gyno also holds breeding Lesser Sand Plovers and Red Knot. White-billed Diver
have been seen here and not far from the shore we should also encounter the critically
endangered Kittlitz' Murrelets that breed on the cliffs nearby.
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| Day 14 |
Bukhta Gavilla
This morning we check a well known walrus haul out lying
between Meinypil'gyno and Cape Navarin. We also plan a landing in
Bukhta Gavilla near Cape Navarin. The Bukhta or bay was named after
Vitus Bering's ship, the St. Gabriel, of the First Kamchatka Expedition.
Behind the expansive beach there is a lagoon we can explore for waterfowl and waders.
Cape Navarin marks the place where the land bridge to North America began when sea
levels were much lower. Because of strong tides around the cape there is an abundance
of food and it is not uncommon to see large numbers of seabirds and Grey Whales feeding here.
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| Day 15 |
Port of Anadyr
The last day of the expedition and we arrive in Anadyr, formerly known
as Novo Mariinskoe when it was a frontier town. Today it is a modern city and
administration centre for the Chukotka District. As we sail up the harbour keep
a look out for Beluga Whales - there are often good numbers of this right at the
anchorage near the city. You will be transferred either to the hotel or if you have
a flight that day you will be transferred to the airport.
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| Price: |
Heritage Suite - $10800 per person.
Mini Suite - $9980 per person.
Superior Plus - $9450 per person.
Superior - $8995 per person.
Main Deck - $8395 per person.
Main Deck Triple - $7175 per person.
The rates for twin cabins are based on twin-share.
Sole occupancy in suites is +100% of the tour cost and sole occupancy in other cabins is +80% of the tour cost.
We accept payments in Rubles, Euro and USD.
Convert to your currency
Special offers and promotions may be available.
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| Languages: |
English
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Departure
Dates: |
26.06-10.07.2011
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| Included: |
- Hotel accommodation in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy (1 night, twin-share);
- Group transfers between the airport and the ship;
- Luggage transfer between the airport and the ship;
- Voyage aboard the vessel "Spirit of Enderby" as indicated in the itinerary;
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by zodiacs (as included in planned group excursions);
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and the service of an experienced guide;
- Meals on board the ship;
- Post expedition trip log;
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| Not Included: |
- All airfares;
- Single supplement at the hotel in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy;
- Passport and visa expenses (if required);
- Government arrival and departure taxes (if required);
- Meals and hotel accommodation ashore;
- Luggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended);
- Excess luggage charges;
- Telecommunication services; laundry, bar charges aboard the vessel;
- Standard tips at the end of the voyage for stewards and other service personal aboard (at your discretion);
- Any optional excursions.
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| M/S "Spirit of Enderby" |
Classification: Russian register KM ice class
Year built: 1984
Accommodation: 50 berths expedition
Shipyard: Finland
Main engines: power 2x1560 bhp (2x 1147 Kw)
Register: Russia
Maximum speed: 12 knots (2 engines)
Cruising speed: 10 knots(one engine)
Bunker capacity: 320 tons
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| Reservations and payment: |
To make a booking you must send us a completed
booking form and a deposit of 25% for your selected
voyage. We will then invoice you for the balance,
which must be paid no later than 90 days before
departure. If you book less than 90 days before
departure, full payment is due immediately.
Once you have decided which holiday is for you,
you can check availability by sending e-mail to us.
You may pay the deposit by credit card (Visa or Mastercard)
and this will secure your place. We also accept bank
transfers - please contact us for our bank account
details.
If you are booking within 90 days of departure, full
payment is due when booking and we may have to impose a
late booking fee of USD 50 per person
to cover extra expenses if departure is less than
31 days away. If under 31 days we also require
a guaranteed final payment such as a bank
transfer or an accepted credit card.
Please note that a 2% fee will be added if you pay
your final balance by credit card.
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| Cancellation and Refunds: |
The customer may cancel the trip (exclusively in writing) at any time before the beginning of the tour.
In the case of cancellation by the customer the Cruise Operator is entitled to charge the following costs
to the traveler:
- For cancellations received more than 210 days prior to the departure date, a full refund will be made
less a USD 750 per person administration fee.
- For cancellations received within 209 and 121 days of the embarkation date the full deposit will
be forfeited.
- If cancellation occurs within 120 days prior to the departure date the total price is forfeited.
- If cancellation occurs within 120 days and full payment has not yet been received,
the total price will still apply and any unpaid monies are due immediately
If the minimum number of participants has not been achieved, the Cruise Operator is entitled to cancel
the planned trip up to 30 days before departure. Any payment already received from the customer will be
paid back by the Cruise Operator if the customer
does not agree to accept an alternative trip offered by the Cruise Operator.
The Cruise Operator has the right to cancel the trip in the case of force majeure
(e.g. war, uprising, natural disasters, abnormal / exceptional weather and ice conditions,
legal stipulations of the local/regional authorities and other “acts of God”).
The Cruise Operator will not be held liable for force majeure.
If situations of force majeure occur before the departure date, the Cruise Operator will pay back to the
customer the amount already paid. If situations of force majeure occur during the trip, the Cruise Operator
will try to offer an alternative programme.
If this should prove impossible, either the Cruise Operator or the customer is entitled to cancel the trip.
In such a case, the Cruise Operator will not be held financially liable.
However, in the case of any cost savings, the Cruise Operator shall return these monies to the
customer. the Cruise Operator is obliged to assist the customer - in obtaining a return trip/flight.
The customer him/herself is responsible for the costs of this.
If the Cruise Operator, by virtue of the provisions mentioned above, cancels the trip,
only the equivalent of the billed price will be paid back to the customer.
The Cruise Operator will not be held liable for costs the customer has incurred in preparation of the trip
nor for reservations of travel components
(such as but not limited to flights, hotels, connecting programmes, (travel) insurances)
which, in combination with the trip booked with the Cruise Operator, may have been booked elsewhere.
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| Itinerary: |
These are not ordinary package
holidays, the outline itineraries given in this description
are statements of intent rather than promises. Local
weather, politics, airlines, transport or a host of
other uncontrollable factors can mean a change
in itinerary. It is unlikely that the itinerary would be
substantially altered, but if changes are necessary
the Expedition Leader will decide the best
alternative. Where a delay or change does occur,
we will do everything we can to minimise its effects,
but we cannot be held responsible for the results of
delays or changes outside our control.
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