Sea cruise to Chukotka

Day 1 Embarkation in Anadyr, Chukotka

After picking up at the airport you will be taken to the port of Anadyr. Once you are accommodated on the vessel, you will be invited to lunch and then have a safety briefing. You will get acquainted with the crew and the expedition team and then head out to the open sea. In Anadyr Bay, you will have the opportunity to observe beluga whales.

Day 2 Providence Bay

After a long passage through Anadyr Bay, the ship will enter Providence Bay. Here, you will see many tight bays surrounded by dark hills that reach 800 m in height, sometimes covered with snow. This is one of the most beautiful places on the Chukotka coast. The narrow bay stretches for 34 km, forming a unique and mysterious coastline due to the harsh climate and frequent fogs.

Day 3 Yttigran Island and Gilmimyl Bay

You will continue along the southeastern tip of the Chukchi Peninsula.

During the landing on Yttigran Island, you will see a unique monument of ancient Yupik culture called Whale Alley. It is a sanctuary made of bowhead whales' bones buried in the ground, believed to have been created no later than the 16th century.

In Gilmimyl Bay, you will walk along the blooming tundra and have the opportunity to bathe in hot springs. Afterward, you will return to the boat and cross to Pankigney Bay. Here, you will go on zodiac boats for encounters with gray and bowhead whales.

Then, a sea crossing to the village of Yanrakynnot awaits you. The village is located on a hill on the shore of Senyavin Strait. In the vicinity of the village, you will see the Whale Cemetery, which is a monument to traditional Chukchi whaling.

Day 4 Dezhnev Cape and Uelen village

Today, you will reach the easternmost point of continental Russia and Eurasia, Dezhnev Cape. From here, the mainland point of North America is only 86 km away. In good weather, you can even see the shores of the neighboring continent.

You will visit the Semyon Dezhnev monument and the lighthouse. Dezhnev Cape and the actual tip of Eurasia are 12 km away from the monument. Like the explorer Dezhnyov in 1648, you will not be able to land there due to a steep wall at that point.

Then, you will go to the Uelen village, the easternmost settlement in Eurasia and the largest center of traditional bone-carving art of the peoples of the North. You will visit the first bone-carving workshop in Chukotka, founded in 1931, and then taste local delicacies such as fish, caviar, whale, and walrus meat.

Day 5 Kolyuchin Island

Continuing along the Chukchi Sea, you will land on the tiny Kolyuchin Island, with an area of only 8 km². Here, you will see the remains of the Russian meteorological station, which was located on the island until 1992. Next to the abandoned buildings, one of the most spectacular bird colonies in the Arctic is found, where hatchets, kaira, and gulls nest. There are also polar bears living on Kolyuchin.

Days 6-7 Wrangel Island

For these 2 days, you will spend time in the protected area of Wrangel Island. Several landings on the shore are possible if the weather is favorable. You will get acquainted with the unique wildlife of the Arctic, including polar bears, walruses, musk oxen, Arctic birds, and the fantastic northern landscapes.

The natural complex of the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The density of polar bear dens here is the highest in the world, and more than 50 species of birds nest on this island. In the adjacent waters, you can find beluga whales, gray whales, and bowhead whales.

Wrangel Island is also home to more than 400 species and subspecies of plants, more than any other Arctic island. Approximately 40 species and subspecies of plants, insects, birds, and animals found here are unique to this island and are not found anywhere else in the world.

Day 8 Herald Island

Today, you will continue exploring the territory of the reserve. If the ice conditions are favorable, you will have the opportunity to approach Herald Island, located 40 km east of Wrangel. The island has high shores, which makes landings inconvenient, but from the expedition boat, you will be able to observe bird colonies and take photos of polar bears.

Day 9 Kolyuchin Bay

The ship will approach the coast of the Chukchi Sea. You will take zodiac boat trips on the rocky shores of Kolyuchin Bay to the places where whales, walruses, and other animals are most likely to be seen. You can also observe a variety of Arctic birds here.

Day 10 Bering Strait and Ratmanov Island

After rounding Dezhnev Cape, the ship will head towards the center of the Bering Strait. You will land on Ratmanov Island, the easternmost island of Russia, which neighbors the American Kruzenshtern Island. A date line passes between the islands, which is why they are called "Tomorrow Island" and "Yesterday Island."

Day 11 Lorino village

After returning to the coast of Chukotka, the ship will stop at Lorino village, the capital of Russian whaling. Only native peoples of the North are allowed to harvest whales in these waters. Not far from the village, you will be able to visit Lorino hot springs.

Day 12 Fishing on Achyon Lake

Today, you can leisurely fish on Achyon Lake, which is separated from Anadyr Bay by a narrow flat spit. For lunch, you will be served soup made from the fish you have caught, and then you will have a rest on the shore by the fire.

Day 13 Returning to Anadyr

Early in the morning, the ship will arrive at the port of Anadyr. You will be transferred to your hotel or the airport for your return flights.