VOYAGES - RUSSIAN FAR EAST, 2010

Cruise the 'Ring of Fire'

Birding in the Kuril Islands

Across the top of the world

Jewel of the Russian Far East

Cruise the 'Ring of Fire'

Wildlife at Commander Islands. Photo: Nikolay Pavlov

This voyage gives you the 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'.

A land born of fire and ice, the Kamchatka Peninsula is one of the last true wildernesses on the globe. Closed to visitors for much of last century under the Communist Regime, it is slowly opening its doors to visitors. The opportunities are untapped. However, with limited infrastructure, virtually no roads, only a few hotels and no regular scheduled internal air services, cruising is the only practical way to explore the area. Our cruises include a wide range of habitats, a great variety of wildlife and an introduction to the area's cultural diversity. We also visit the Commander Islands which are also rich in bird and sea mammal life and the final resting place of the famed Danish explorer Vitus Bering.

Commencing in Sakhalin this voyage covers the full Kuril Island region with its stunning volcanoes, and wide diversity of birds. The Kuril Island chain is made up of 32 islands that stretch between Russia and Japan across the Bering Sea 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 Islands are unique, they look like vast botanical gardens where subtropical flora representatives neighbour with flora of the Polar latitudes. One of the highlights are the gigantic herbs whose heights sometimes reach 3-4 meters. Wildlife includes both bear and foxes, the islands are especially good for marine mammals including seals, sealions, furseals and otters. One of the "birding" highlights must be the Stellars Sea Eagle.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is a land of bays and snow-capped volcanoes whose alpine meadows and lowland forests support a great diversity of wildlife. The seas washing these isolated coasts are among the most productive in the world. The area teems with birds and marine mammals. Huge bird colonies dot the cliffs and large seal rookeries are scattered along the coast. This region has the greatest diversity of seabirds in all of Asia. This voyage also visits the remote Commander Islands, also rich in bird life and sea mammals.

Discover the north eastern part of Eurasia (Chukotka) in a way that has never been possible before. On this expedition we cruise across the Arctic Circle through the Bering Strait and into the Arctic sea. It will be mid summer with 24 hour daylight and the ice will have retreated. On shore you will meet the Chukchis, who have learnt how to live in one of the harshest environments on the globe. You will see an abundance of wildlife, many of the species are migratory, coming here only to breed, but for others like the polar bear, walrus, and reindeer this is their home. We plan two days at Wrangel Island, a world class Nature Reserve, which is often referred to as the "Polar Bear Maternity Ward". In an expedition first, this expedition also includes an overnight camping expedition to the tundra inland from Egvekinot to spend the night with traditional reindeer herders.

This unique expedition offers an excellent option for those looking to have an overview of the entire region and coincides with generally more settled autumnal weather and colours along the coast. Along with the Kamchatka Peninsular and the Commander Islands we will explore the Chukotka coastline of Siberia one of the world's last untamed wildernesses, and will have the opportunity to meet local people and learn of their history.