Ship Spirit of Enderby: Kamchatka Cruise, Ocean Cruise 04 Jul 2010 - 15 Jul 2010

Route description:

Itinerary

Day 1	Arrival Today you will arrive to the central city in Kachatka, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. Your driver will take you to the centrally located hotel. You will have some time to rest before your Russian voyage.
Day 2	Avacha Bay Today you will board on your cruise ship Spirit of Enderby and will get to know its friendly crew and other passengers. At night you will leave the beautiful Avacha Bay, where the ship os docked.
Day 3	Kamchatka Peninsula Today we are entering to Vestnik Bay and Utashud Island and spend all day cruising along Kamchatka Peninsula. You will be watching northern birds, pigeon and Brunnich's guillemots nest on the breathtaking background of voclanoes covered in snow.
Day 4	Onekotan Island Today we land on the northern end of Onekotan Island, where we enjoy a walk to Black Lake. This lake lies in the in the lee of Volcano Nemo. Beautiful wildflowers carpet the meadows surrounding the lake. Among the birds here it is possible to see the red throated pipit, greenshank, buff bellied pipit and rough legged buzzard.
Day 5	Simushir Island Today you will visit the Simushir island, an island that was created by volcanoes! It was first explored in 1774 by Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov. Till 1994 it was Russian Navy submarine base, that was located in Northern part of the island. Remaining of the base could be seen through satellite or explored while your visit.
Day 6	Bukhta Krashennikova Today we enjoy an expedition landing in Bukhta Krasheninnikova on Paramushir Island. This is large, mountainous volcanic island with 5ive of its 20 volcano's active. The island is known to have a good population of brown bear.
Day 7	Volcano Mutnovskaya Sopka Early this morning we enter Russkaya Fiord a spectacular feature within Avachinsky Bay. From this fiord we should get great views of the Volcano Mutnovskaya Sopka (2322 metres). There is also a superb chance to view wildlife from the zodiacs or during a walk ashore.
Day 8	Kronotsky Preserve One of the oldest Nature Preserves in Russia is the Kronotsky Preserve. It was established in 1882. Totalling over 1 million square hectares it plays an important part in the conservation of the Kamchatka Peninsula's diverse flora and fauna. There are over 763 vascular plant species, 232 bird species and 58 species of animals records. We explore the area around the Chazma River on the northern end of the Reserve, and then anchor in Kamenistaya Bay, a good area for observing brown bear.
Day 9	Commander Islands The Commander Islands are steeped in history and the only place where the extinct Steller's sea cow was ever recorded. These islands are named after legendary explorer Commander Vitus Bering, who first observed that Asia and the Americas were separate continents. A simple tombstone marks his grave on Bering Island. We will visit the small museum in the village of Nikolskoye, where we will be introduced to the culture of the local people. The Commander Islands are home to a huge 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.
Day 11	Zhupanova River We negotiate the shallow meandering Zhupanova River with our zodiacs. There are superb opportunities for birding and nature walks. We are likely to spot up to 40 species of birds, including such special Siberian species as the yellow billed loon, yellow-breasted bunting, greenshank, Far-Eastern curlew and common terns. In the mature birch forest along the river there is a good chance of spotting a Steller's Sea Eagle.
Day 12	Departure This morning we disembark in Petropavlovsk Kamchatskiy where you will be transferred to your accommodation, transfers to the airport can be arranged.