Ship Spirit of Enderby: Alaska - Russian Far East Cruise, Ocean Cruise 23 Aug 2011 - 06 Sep 2011
Route description:
Start in a place of untouched ivory beauty, Alaska, and travel to Chukotka before finishing your tour on Wrangler Island.
Itinerary
| Day 1 | Anchorage  Today you will arrive in Anchorage. Welcome to Alaska! The capital of Alaska, Anchorage was named four times the All-American City. It takes second place after New York for the highest concentration of residents living in a metropolis. Unlike other Alaskan cities, Anchorage was founded not as a fishing or mining town but as a steel supplier to the region. In 1960 oil was found in Prudhoe Bay, which made it a rich and prosperous city. |
| Day 2 | Port of Nome  After breakfast and check out you will fly to Nome. Besides boasting the world's largest gold pan, Nome is famous for its dog sled traditions. The world's most popular annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has been held here since 1925. Later in the day you will board an expedition ship and meet your crew members. |
| Day 3 | Providenia Bay  Today you will enjoy the hospitality of Provideniya. This small town situated on the northwestern coast of a picturesque fiord was an important strategic town and seaport and during the Soviet Union. The local people are proud of their history and hold one of the best museums in the region with over 12,000 exhibits. |
| Day 4 | Lavrentia Bay  Today you will explore Lavrentia Bay, the largest estuary on Earth. This area is filled with fishing and transport ships, providing a contrast between civilization and wild nature. |
| Day 5 | Cape Dezhnev  Cape Dezhnev sits on the extreme northeastern edge of Eurasia, stradling the Pacific and the Arctic. This afternoon at the village of Uelen, the center of world famous Chukotka ivory carving, you will be welcomed by the locals and have an opportunity to visit the museum and workshop where ivory carving is practiced and taught. |
| Day 6 | Kolyuchin Island  This morning you will land on the small island of Kolyuchin. This island is the site of the Russian Polar Research Station 25 km off the northern coast. It is also a walrus habitat as well as an important seabird nesting island. |
| Day 7 | Wrangler Islands  We will spend three full days exploring the remote and seldom-visited high arctic Wrangler Island. Wrangler Island was declared a nature reserve in 1976 to protect its rich biodiversity. You will enjoy some of its 400 plant species and the 160 bird species that have been recorded on the island. Species to watch for include the Ross, the Sabine, and Ivory Gulls, all of which breed and feed in the surrounding waters. One of the most exciting residents on Wrangler Island is polar bears. Its shores house the highest density of polar bears in the world, earning it the title of the “Polar Bear Maternity Ward”. |
| Day 11 | Cape Vankaren  Cape Vankaren is located in the Chukchi Sea, at the nothern point of Sakhalin. Here you will have the perfect chance to get familiar with the culture and traditions of the Chukcha. Did you know that the Chukcha have been living in this land for more then four thousand years? Spread across the vast territories of the Russian Far East, there are only 15,727 representatives of this nation. |
| Day 12 | Kolyuchin  Today is another expedition day to Kolyuchin. Visit the Kolyuchinskaya and Belyaka Inlets. Emperor Geese breed here, and although the breeding season will be well advanced, you can expect many other migratory species as they begin to head south. Our naiads and zodiacs are the perfect crafts for exploring these shallow sheltered waters. |
| Day 13 | Yttygran  One of the many highlights of today's expedition will be the time spent in the Arakamchechen Archipelago. As recently as 1976 Russian anthropologists discovered an astonishing ancient ceremonial site nicknamed “Whale Bone Alley”. The surrounding waters are home to large concentrations of Grey Whales and walrus. Later this afternoon you will follow in the wake of Captain James Cook entering Layrentiya Bay, a favoured area for marine mammals. |
| Day 14 | At Sea  Today offers an opportunity to catch up on sleep (with 24 hour daylight and so much to see, your sleep pattern will no doubt be disrupted) or catch up on your diary and notes. There will be recaps and lectures throughout the day as you head southwards through the Bering Strait to Provideniya and on to Alaska. |
| Day 15 | End of The Cruise  This is the final day of your cruise around the top of the world. It's time to say goodbye to your new friends and get ready for your trip home. You will depart from the Port of Nome. We hope you have a safe flight! |
