The Sea of Okhotsk contains the richest breeding seabird colonies in all of the North Pacific, particularly the central and northern Kurils. During the course of this epic adventure you may see such species as the Black-footed and the Laysan Albatross, Mottled Petrel, Harlequin Duck, Steller’s Sea Eagle, numerous waders more than 10 species of auk, the elusive Short-tailed Albatross, Japanese Crested Murrelet, and McKay’s Bunting. Journeying on to remote islands in Alaska will give you opportunity to see Asian bird species in North America. Other wildlife is abundant, as well. Whales, seals, walrus, and great Russian brown bears are frequently seen on this journey.
Departures:
- May 26 - June 14, 2001 (Tokyo to Alaska)
- June 6 - June 20, 2002 (Tokyo to Alaska)
Trip Length:
- 20 days
Prices:
- From $7,569 depending upon cabin accomodations. Please send us an email for detailed pricing.
NOTE: Flights are not included in the cruise / land rates. Society Expeditions offers group flight schedules and special group rates. Single travelers may occupy categories B,C,D and E at 150% of published rate. Other categories are available upon request. The rate for a third person, occupying at stateroom with two full fare guests is available at 50% of published rate. Share accomodations can be arranged on request. Please send us an email for rates for the 2002-2003 season. All prices are in US dollars and do not include international airfare, unless otherwise noted.
Day by Day Itinerary:
| Day 1. | Flights to Tokyo,
Japan Depart home cities for Tokyo, Japan. Flights will cross the International Dateline, so we will arrive on May 27th. |
| Day 2. | Tokyo, Japan You will be met by a Society Expeditions escort on arrival in Tokyo. Transfer to a deluxe hotel, where we will overnight. |
| Day 3. | Tokyo to
Kushiro, Japan After lunch, we will transfer to Tokyo’s domestic airport to board our flight for Kushiro on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. We will then transfer to our hotel, where we will spend the night. |
| Day 4. | Kushiro,
Japan Embark the "New" World Discoverer after a tour of this fascinating city, which will include a stop at Kushiro Marsh, where we should spot the graceful and highly endangered Japanese Crane. After settling into your cabins, meet your elite Society Expeditions lecture and expedition team. They will accompany you throughout the voyage, providing insight, ready-knowledge, and fascinating conversation. |
| Day 5. | Itarup
Island, Kurils Volcanic and dramatic, Itarup will be our first taste of the Kuril Islands. Impressive cliffs and active volcanoes stand out against the cold and nutrient-rich North Pacific. We will visit the remote village of Kurlisk, where the locals will present "New" World Discoverer guests with a traditional greeting ceremony to bless our voyage through Russian waters. |
| Day 6. | Urup
Island, Chernye Brat’ya Island, Chirpoy Island, Kurils Chirpoy Island is a volcano that rises abruptly from the sea. The paths of past lava flows, some as recent as 1978, are evident on the island’s slopes and lead down to the sea below. Society Expeditions Zodiac tours will allow us to view important seabird colonies of as many as a half-million birds nestled in the volcanic cliffs. |
| Day 7. | Yankicha
Island, Kurils Society Expeditions visits Yankicha Island, a spectacular volcanic caldera that has been flooded by the sea. Hot volcanic vents still steam along the island’s inner shore mixing with the cold ocean tides. As we explore the coast of this steep sided crater we will be keeping a sharp eye out for rafts of rare Whiskered Auklets, as Yankicha is home to one of the largest colonies of these wonderful little seabirds. |
| Day 8. | Chirinkotan,
Shiashkotan, Skaly Lovushki Islands, Kurils We begin our day with an early morning Zodiac tour to investigate the fantastic bird colonies along the shoreline of uninhabited Chirinkotan Island. The "New" World Discoverer will then reposition to Shiashkotan for a landing at an abandoned Ainu village archaeological site. The Ainu are an ancient (and increasingly rare) people with a rich, animistic culture. We will finish out the day exploring the four small islets of Skaly Lovushki, home to a rookery of northern fur seals, as well as numerous bird colonies. |
| Day 9. | Atlasova
Island and Pitchy Island, Kurils Of the 40 active volcanoes in the Kurils, Atlasova’s snow-capped Alaid is the highest in the chain, reaching over 7,500 feet. Local legend has it that Alaid used to be on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but was intimidated by the other volcanoes, and so it moved to Atlasova Island. However, Alaid remains unhappy, for in moving he left his heart in a lake on the Kamchatka Peninsula. On the mountainous slopes surrounding the volcano base you’ll find rhododendrons and thick stands of dwarf trees. Scan the waters around the "New" World Discoverer for some of the area’s resident sea otters. |
| Day 10. | Utashud
Island and Vestnik Bay, Kurils It was only recently that Utashud was opened to visitors, and as a result it has remained largely undisturbed. Society Expeditions has been a pioneer in touring this magnificent region. We will explore the pristine coastline of Utashud by Zodiac, taking time to investigate the many small bays and coves that provide excellent nesting areas for the island’s numerous birds. With luck we may also see the sea lions, sea otters, and seals that inhabit the area. |
| Day 11. | Petropavlovsk,
Russia Established in 1740, Petropavlovsk is one of the oldest settlements in the Russian Far East. Today it has a population of about a quarter-million people, most of whom are active in the fishing industry, which provides most of the Kamchatka Peninsula’s livelihood. Highlights of your unique Society Expeditions tour include stops at several dachas, a Russian Orthodox church, local monuments, and the Petropavlovsk Museum. |
| Day 12. | Zhupanova
River, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia Spend the day cruising the coastline of this remote volcanic peninsula. This stunning area is known for its wildlife, including numerous migrating ducks and passerines. Wildflowers in bloom and perhaps the haunting sound of the Eurasian Cuckoo welcome our arrival. The pristine state of this estuary is extremely rare and our visit is truly a privilege. Zodiac exploration and hikes through the birch forest with Society Expeditions naturalists are featured activities today. |
| Day 13. | Little
Chazma, Kamchatka Peninsula This small waterway is the center of a glorious, bustling ecosystem. Overhead promontories are often guarded by the rare and majestic Steller’s Sea Eagle, while the river below winds into a thick birch forest inhabited by numerous songbirds, including the Siberian Ruby-throat. The nearby pebbly shore is often paced by enormous brown bears (which we may spot from the safety of offshore Zodiacs). All and all, this is a remarkable, pristine wilderness where nature is at her most magnificent. |
| Day 14. | Bering
Island, Commander Islands, Russia In 1741 an exploration party led by Vitus Bering was shipwrecked on an island off Kamchatka. Many of its members, including Bering, perished on the island, which has since been named in his honor. One notable survivor of the expedition was Wilhelm Steller, who described hundreds of plants and animals, including the Steller’s sea lion, Steller’s Jay, Steller’s Sea Eagle, and the now-extinct Steller’s sea cow. Today the island has a small Aleut population who operate a museum of local history and culture. We anticipate landing on the beach just below the hillside where Bering and several of his command are buried. Shore walks guided by Society Expeditions naturalists will investigate the islands plants, birds, and terrain on this historically important island. Be on the look out for arctic foxes. |
| Day 15. | Attu
Island, Aleutians, Alaska Today the "New" World Discoverer visits Attu, the westernmost point of the United States, and the last in the Aleutian Island chain. As most avid birders know, Attu is very significant for those keeping a North American list (though American in soil, Attu is geographically closer to Asia. Asian migrants and vagrants are common –and if you spot them here they count on your North American list!). Attu is also the site of the only World War II land battle fought on American soil. Rusty Quonset huts, gun emplacements and remnants of a prefabricated metal airstrip offer mute testimony to the great struggle that occurred here. Much of the evidence is engulfed in the abundant wildflowers for which Attu is known. At the saddle of a nearby mountain pass, a war monument now stands in memory of both the English and Japanese soldiers who lost their lives in this decisive battle. |
| Day 16. | Kiska, Rat
Islands, Alaska Evidence of World War II occupation haunts this site with the remains of a Shinto Shrine, huts, and even a small beached submarine. On shore, we find grasses and wildflowers reclaiming their ancestral territories. The song of the Lapland Longspur completes the scene. Conditions permitting, the "New" World Discoverer will cruise by Sirius Point, where one of the greatest concentrations of Crested and Least Auklets occurs. As part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, Kiska also provides sanctuary for endangered Steller’s sea lions and sea otters. |
| Day 17. | At Sea Join Society Expeditions’ natural history staff on deck today to watch for the numerous seabirds that live and feed in the area. These waters are also prime territory for whale watching, which may include humpback, gray, and orca whales exhibiting a variety of behaviors. Several seal species may also be spotted. A full program of lectures will be offered throughout the day. |
| Day 18. | Saint
Paul, Pribilof Islands, Alaska Though discovered in 1786, the Pribilofs did not have permanent settlers until 1820, when the Russians relocated Aleuts to the island. We search the cliffs of Saint Paul for the estimated two million nesting seabirds that inhabit these precipitous environs each year. Guided by our Society Expeditions ornithologist, we should find Horned Puffins, Thick-billed Murres and Crested Auklets in some of the largest seabird colonies in the Western Hemisphere. The Pribilofs also are the site of the world’s largest breeding colonies of northern fur seals. An ecologically controlled visit to their rookery should afford unsurpassed photo opportunities, including large bulls with their harems and newborn pups. A fascinating visit to the tiny Aleut community reveals the Russian influence still found here, as reflected in the elaborate Orthodox church of Saints Peter and Paul. |
| Day 19. | Saint
Matthew Island, Alaska Isolated in the middle of the Bering Sea, this uninhabited island presents a spectacular thousand-foot cliff along gushing grottos filled with hundreds of thousands of seabirds, including puffins, cormorants, Northern Fulmars and Glaucous Gulls. Conditions permitting, we may visit Bull Seal Point for a nature walk. Here the tundra is a mass of wildflowers. Beach walkers may find agates and seashells, while those hiking into the nearby hills may spot the endemic McKay’s Bunting, or the remains of a 6,000-head reindeer herd, which was introduced to the island during World War II, but died out in the 1960s. |
| Day 20. | Saint
Lawrence Island, Bering Sea, Alaska In Gambell, we will investigate ancient traditional hunting sites established by the early Yup’ik settlers. Today, Yup’ik culture remains distinct from that of the Aleuts. Islanders here have retained their native tongue, similar to the dialect found in Provideniya, across the Bering Strait. Whalebones, fish-drying racks and umiaks (traditional walrus skin boats) are a regular part of the landscape here. We will view traditional local dances, which also bear similarities to those of their Siberian cousins. The fine art of carving walrus ivory has been a part of the Siberian-Yup’ik culture for generations. We may have the unique opportunity to see some of the exquisitely carved pieces and perhaps even witness a carving demonstration. |
| Day 21. | Nome, Alaska Once a boomtown of the Gold Rush of 1899, Nome retains the flavor of a frontier outpost, where abandoned gold dredges and mining equipment recall its raucous heyday. Today, Nome is considered the gateway to the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, the U.S. portion of an international park to protect the shared natural and cultural heritage of the lands adjoining the Bering Strait. Disembark the "New" World Discoverer and tour this historic town before transferring to the airport for homeward-bound flights. The Nome Mini-Convention Center will be available to us throughout the day for storing hand luggage, relaxation, or freshening up. |