Across the Top of the World - Wrangel Island

Arrive independently to Nome, Alaska and join the transfer from a designated meeting point to the port to board your ship. After a warm welcome on board, settle into your home for the next 14 nights and join your expedition team on the bridge on the lookout for seabirds as your ship sets sail into the Bering Strait for your journey across the top of the world.

Our first stop will see us arrive in Provideniya in Russia to clear Russian Customs and Immigration. After all paperwork has been completed, there may be time for a exploration of this fascinating former Soviet military port.

The following day we will visit Yttygran Island, home to the monumental ancient aboriginal site known as Whale Bone Alley, where whalebones stretch along the beach for nearly half a kilometre. We will have time to enjoy a Zodiac cruise in search of the Grey whales that regularly frequent the area before making our way to Gil’mimyl. Here you can sample some of the local hospitality or enjoy a rewarding walk to the nearby hot springs for a memorable soak surrounded by beautiful scenery and impressive birdlife.

This morning we will hope to enjoy a Zodiac safari in the sheltered and rarely-visited bay of Bukhta Pultin, where a beautiful coastline lined by fields of wildflowers and good wildlife opportunities will impress. Alternatively you may wish to hike up the ridgeline for an even better view.

If sea conditions permit, in the afternoon we will attempt a landing at Cape Dezhnev. This remote outpost is the north-eastern most point of the Eurasian continent, and on a clear day it is sometimes possible to see the coast of America from here. It is also an historic landmark named after the Siberian Cossack, Semyon Dezhnev, who in 1648 became the first European to sail from the Arctic to the Pacific.

The next stop on our adventure will be Kolyuchin Island and Inlet, which was once an important Russian Polar Research Station. We will visit the remnants of the station and learn about the history of the area, with time to explore the island’s spectacular bird cliffs where puffins, guillemots and gulls can be observed and photographed up close. We will also hope to take a Zodiac cruise to the south-eastern end of the island to see the prominent walrus haul out that often congregates here.

We also plan to visit Belaka Spit near the mouth of the Kolyuchin Inlet. So huge that it is visible from satellite photos, it contains vast numbers of waterfowl and migratory waders. This wild and desolate landscape is also a strangely beautiful birding hotspot. Joined by Beringia National Park rangers, we plan to search the dunes and tidal areas for Emperor Geese. If we are lucky, the Gray Whales which frequent the area will be feeding just metres offshore.

We will then continue our journey across the Chukchi Sea where there may be sea ice to negotiate our way through as we get closer to Wrangel Island. This time at sea could offer our first opportunities to see Polar Bears, seals and walrus on ice.

The next few days will be the pinnacle of your expedition as you get to explore the majesty of the Russian Federal Nature Reserve of Wrangel Island and nearby Herald Island. Your exact itinerary here will be much dictated by ice and weather conditions, with your captain choosing the best course each day to make the most of all scenic and wildlife opportunities. Top of the list here will be searching for sightings of Polar bears, with Wrangel Island being a major Polar Bear denning area. With a little patience we should be rewarded with a number of encounters, and we may also get to see musk oxen and reindeers, which were introduced to the island in 1975 and 1948. Birding opportunities are also excellent here, and each summer thousands of birds migrate here to breed, including Snow Geese, Snowy Owls, skuas, Arctic Terns, Ross’s, Sabine and Ivory Gulls.

As well as wildlife encounters you will also have the chance to visit Dragi Harbour where the survivors of the Karluk which was crushed by ice in 1914 scrambled ashore and lived until they were rescued. The history experts accompanying you will keep you entertained with stories of the island’s past, and the nature experts will offer insight into the wild flowers and beautiful Arctic landscapes that you will see along the way.

Please note: There may be the option of a 3 day/2 night traverse of the island by tundra vehicle, which must be booked in advance. Please enquire for costs and full details.

Although the North Siberian Coast is well-mapped and charted, there have been very few expedition cruises here and, consequently, there is a lot of scope for expedition landings. Depending on weather and sea conditions we will attempt an expedition landing today.

We will spend the day exploring by Zodiac along the coastline through the narrow sand ridges, with numerous lagoons and inlets offering ample landing opportunities. On a constant lookout for whales, walrus and other wildlife, we will also visit some small Chukchi villages whose residents survive in an unforgiving climate, hunting seals and whales just as their ancestors did.

Our plan for today will be to visit Unnamed Bay where we can make land to enjoy a walk along the bay’s tundra terrain. Surrounded by hills, this protected bay is a great spot for gentle hikes that will reward in breathtaking views over the bay and sweeping valleys of the barren and striking landscape. We will also hope for observations of the Brown bears which are often spotted fishing in the river and the Sandhill Cranes that frequent the area.

In the afternoon we will make a landing at Lavrentiya Bay where we will enjoy a visit to the Chukchi Region’s administrative centre of Lavrentiya. We will explore the township and visit the local museum which displays an interesting insight into Yupik and Chukchi cultures. There may be an opportunity to view Chukchi song and dance and to interact with the locals.

Our penultimate adventure will see us land at Bukhta Penkingney, a long fiord cut into the coastline by glaciers and a popular spot for whale watching. As we explore this scenic location by Zodiac and on foot, we will be on the lookout for Arctic Ground Squirrels and Pikas, Willow Ptarmigan, Sandhill Cranes and brown bears attracted by the berries and the salmon-filled river.

In the afternoon we will make our way to Arakamchechen Island which is located just north of Cape Chaplino and is separated from the Chukotka mainland by the 8-kilometre wide Senyavina Strait. Gray whales are often spotted here along with a prominent walrus haul out.

We will clear Russian Customs and Immigration again in Provideniya and set sail back into the Bering Strait. The Bering Strait is of the world’s most nutrient-rich stretches of water and some time on deck should hopefully reward in sightings of Beluga, Bowhead and Gray Whales, walrus, Ringed Seals and numerous seabirds. This evening you can enjoy a farewell dinner and a special recap of our expedition as we sail back across the International Date Line.

Upon arrival in Nome the following morning, we will clear US customs and after breakfast it will be time to disembark and bid a fond farewell to your expedition crew. A complimentary transfer will take you either to the airport or to a downtown location.