Russian Arctic: Kamchatka & Chukotka
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Virtually guaranteed close encounters of polar bears, on Wrangel and Herald Islands
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Home to the critically endangered Spoon-Billed Sandpiper
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Rich seas harbouring sea otters, Belugas, Humpbacks, Orcas and Grey whales
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Nesting Stellar’s Sea Eagles and brown bears hunting for salmon
Steppes Travel cut its teeth selling trips to Russia in 1989 and have been offering voyages to the Russian Arctic for the past three seasons. Sue travelled to Wrangel and Herald Islands aboard the Spirit of Enderby and was lucky enough to encounter 103 Polar bears along with 2 Brown bears on the Russian coast. She counts this as definitely one of her top wildlife destinations, encountering Musk Ox and Polar bears at close quarters on foot.
The Russian Arctic stretches from Murmansk in the west round to Anadyr in the east, encompassing the Barrents, Kara and Laptev Seas along with the Bering Straits. The remote islands and archipelagos such as Wrangel, Herald, Novaya Zemla, Franz Josef Land and Severnaya Zemlya support a stunning array of birds and wildlife. Wrangel Island, the world's northernmost UNESCO World Heritage site, has polar bears in such great densities that voyages here often experience 100 plus sightings.
The waters of the Arctic Ocean are rich in marine life, Anadyrskiy Bay and the Lena river delta are a great place to see belugas. Grey, Orcas and Humpback whales are all frequently seen, along with the occasional Narwhal.
Technically not within the Arctic Kamchatka hangs off the east coast of Russia like an appendix. The 600 mile Kamchatka peninsula is a land of stunning bays and snow-capped volcanoes and is one of Russia’s most fascinating and least visited areas. Below Kamchatka the Kuril Islands reach down to the north of Japan and create the eastern edge of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Few people know much about Kamchatka and even fewer people have ever had the opportunity to visit. With the politics now relaxed having been closed off during Soviet times, it is possible to access this untamed wilderness on board a small ship.
Huge bird colonies dot the cliffs, extensive seal rookeries are scattered along the coast, while brown bears can be spotted foraging along the shore. Steller Sea lions, Sea otters, Northern Fur Seals, Big Horn sheep, Orca, Grey and Blue Whales have all also been seen on recent expeditions. It’s also an incredibly rich area for birds as a natural corridor for migratory species with over 200 species of bird identified.