Russian Far East inc. Kuril Islands in Luxury

Embark and set sail

Korsakov is used as a technical stop for ships clearing in and out of Russia. In addition to being a port of call for these formalities, the city was once home to an Ainu fishing village frequented by regional traders and early Russian expeditions. History also suggests that there may have been a significant Japanese population here at one time with reports of a Japanese religious temple on record. .

Tyuleniy means “seal” in Russian and during the summer months, tens of thousands of seals and sea lions haul ashore here during the breeding season and many thousands of young black pups all jostle for space on the crowded beaches that flank the small rocky island. Alongside the marine mammals, black-legged kittiwakes, slaty-backed gulls, tufted puffins, common murres and pelagic cormorants summer on the busy shores in the thousands.

Relax and enjoy onboard facilities

Yankicha is distinct in having at its center a caldera that is accessible by small boat only during high tide. Inside this extraordinary lagoon are fumaroles and hot springs. Fortunate visitors may encounter an Arctic fox or the rare whiskered auklet. Ashore it is also possible to see Arctic Warblers and Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warblers.

Matua is home to one of the Kuril’s most active volcanoes, with more than 14 documented eruptions in the past 250 years. Singing Eurasian bullfinches, Siberian rubythroats, ravens, eye-browed thrushes and some very active peregrine falcons are among the birds that can be spotted from the upper plateau of Matua either along dirt roads, or in dense thickets of alders. A Japanese military base that was set up here during WWII captured geothermal heat from the volcano to keep the runway open during winter. The newest building on uninhabited Matua is a tiny Russian Orthodox Church with room for four or five people inside

The Lovyshki Islands are comprised of clusters of rocks grouped together, making them a natural home to huge populations of sea mammals and birds such as northern fur seals and Steller sea lions,pigeon guillemots, smaller dark grey water birds with white wings and bright red feet, may also be spotted as they swim around the rocky outcrops of the islands.

Makanrushi is another uninhabited volcanic island. North of the Evreinov Strait, It is a roughly rectangular island with almost 50 sq. kilometres. As there are no sandy beaches, but mostly steep cliffs, we will intend a ship or Zodiac cruise along the shore and hope to have good views of the island’s highest peak.

The near-perfect cone of Alaid volcano dominates Atlasova Island with its 2000mpeak. It is the highest volcano in the Kuril Islands and over time generated the black lava beaches and the eroding Taketomi tufa limestone cone near the landing site. At one time a women’s prison, or gulag, was located on Atlasova. The women, many of them political prisoners during the Soviet rule, were sent here to raise foxes for fur. Peregrine falcons can sometimes be spotted flying above the beach, while buzzards, Eurasian wigeons, and tufted ducks have all been observed on the island.

Three small islands form Utashud and seem to be the remnants of a former volcano raising 80m out of Vestinik Bay. Utashud is one of the richest islands on the southeastern side of Kamchatka in terms of wildlife, notable for its population of sea otters Steller’s sea eagles, brown bears, harbour seals, spotted seals, grey whales and at least 10 species of seabirds.

South of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy is the 15km long Ruskaya Bay.  A river, used as a source of freshwater in former times, meanders through the valley and with our Zodiacs we will have to see how far we can explore, or if we hike to the small stands of trees found there.

Northeast of Petropavlovsk, on the eastern side of the Kamchatka Peninsula, is the mighty Zhupanova River. Strewn with ever changing shallows and sand bars, the 160km long river is used year-round by rainbow trout.  At the mouth of the river is a fish processing factory that is busy with local salmon during the summer season. Kamchatka brown bears also like salmon and there is a high chance of spotting a Steller’s Sea-Eagle fishing the river.

On the east side of Bering Island is Commander Bay and Vitus Bering’s final resting place on this windswept isolated island after his ship, the St Peter, was wrecked. Despite trying to survive on seaweed and the now-extinct Steller’s Sea Cow, Bering and several of his men perished here. These days Commander Island is protected as a Nature Reserve. A small monument accompanies the graves of Bering and the men who died there. Close to the graves is a creek that runs into Commander Bay and teems with salmon. The surrounding area is lush with diverse vegetation ranging from elegant grasses to plump crowberries.

Today we intend to visit a Steller sea lion rookery on the north side of Cape Severozapadniy.  Apart from the sea lions Arctic foxes can often be seen.  

Nikolskoye is a settlement of around 750 inhabitants established in 1826 by fur traders. This fishing village on Bering Island has colourful buildings and an Orthodox Church – one of Russia’s newest and one of the eastern-most. It has a small museum about the Aleut people and their culture, which also contains much information on Bering, as well as the bones of a Steller’s sea cow. .

Arrive and disembark