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Cloud Ridge Naturalists
Polar Bear
  Realm of the Ice Bear
 

REALM OF THE ICE BEAR: A VOYAGE TO THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST AND WRANGEL ISLAND

August 27-September 11, 2008

Audrey Benedict, Dr. Geoff Hammerson, and the
Spirit of Enderby
Expedition Staff

AuckletsIn eastern Siberia, the essence of Chukchi shamanism is a belief in the unique relationship between humans, nature, and the world inhabited by spirits. In our culture, there are no shamans to remind us how rapidly anthropogenic global warming is impacting human cultures and ecosystems throughout the circumpolar Arctic. We need to heed those voices and to carry the message to all who will listen. A late summer voyage to the Russian High Arctic—the realm of polar bears, walrus, bowhead, beluga, and gray whales, seals, millions of seabirds, and the traditional homeland of the Chukchi people—is a gift made possible by melting sea ice and by the fall of the Cold War “Ice Curtain” that once separated the Russian Far East and Arctic Alaska. This amazing expedition aboard the 44-passenger Spirit of Enderby, an ice-hardened Russian ship under charter to Heritage Expeditions, will take us where few visitors have gone before!

Our voyage begins with an easy charter flight on Bering Air from Anchorage to Anadyr, located at 65°N in Russian Chukotka. Boarding our ship, we’ll set off across the Gulf of Anadyr, watching for the beluga whales and other marine life that frequent these biologically-rich waters. Aboard our comfortable ship and using zodiacs for shore landings, we’ll head north along the wild Chukotka Peninsula, navigating legendary “Whale Alley,” which is delimited by the beautiful and uninhabited islands of Arakamchechen and Yttygran. According to anthropologists, the extraordinary structures built from whalebone that we’ll see and the many other ancient sites found on Yttygran reflect its importance as a center for ritualized whale worship. A visit to these islands is an unforgettable experience.

Walrus - courtesy of Heritage ExpeditionsContinuing on towards Cape Dezhnev, we’ll visit the Chukchi village of Uelen, where villagers still make their living by hunting walrus in traditional ways. The Chukchi are unusual among Arctic peoples in having two distinct cultures: the village-based marine mammal hunters (ankalyn) and the nomadic reindeer herders (chauchu) of the tundra interior. They are also a handsome people, famous for their boat-making skills, especially their walrus-skin umiaks, their exquisitely beaded and decorated skin clothing, and for their expertise in domesticating reindeer. The Uelen Chuckchi are also renowned for their superb fossil mammoth and walrus tusk ivory scrimshaw and sculptures. Unlike many other Native groups, the Chukchis endured mass imprisonment and multiple attempts at cultural genocide at the hands of the Russians and were among the last groups to resist the eventual conquest of Siberia. Today, because of the disastrous state of the Russian economy, the Chukchi have re-embraced the “old ways” and have largely returned to a traditional, subsistence-based lifestyle. Our final landing in the area will be at spectacular Kolyuchin Island, now a wildlife sanctuary known for its seabird nesting cliffs and for its walrus haulout.

Traveling through the Bering Strait, we cross the Arctic Circle and sail into the icy waters of the Chuckchi Sea—arriving at our most anticipated and most northerly destination, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wrangel Island, located at 71°14´N. and sitting astride the 180° meridian. Wrangel is frequently referred to as the “Polar Bear Maternity Ward” because it has the highest density of polar bear dens in the world. In fact, polar bear biologists regard Wrangel Island as the single most important refuge for the increasingly threatened Alaska-Chukotka polar bear population. The timing of our trip and the high numbers of bears returning to their wintering areas should afford us some wonderful observation and photographic opportunities. Mountainous Wrangel Island is a biodiversity mecca for the naturalist, with some 417 plant species, 100 migratory bird species, the world’s largest population of Pacific walrus (up to 100,000 in recent years), good numbers of both musk ox and Siberian reindeer, Arctic fox, and Siberian lemming.

Heading south, we travel along the Siberian coast to Cape Schmidt, launching our zodiacs at the mouth of the Amguema River. We’ll explore tiny Lena Island and witness the vast flocks of migratory birds readying themselves for the long journey south. Continuing along the coast, we’ll visit wildlife-rich Kolyuchinskaya and Belyaka Inlets before heading southwards through the Bering Strait to Provideniya, situated at the head of a picturesque fjord. To conclude this amazing cultural and natural history voyage, we’ll travel inland across the tundra in sturdy Russian-built trucks (called Urals) to join a group of nomadic Chukchi reindeer herders at their encampment. Spending a night on the tundra in a reindeer-skin tent, or yaranga, is an experience to be savored. Please join us for this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime voyage to the Russian Far East!

Group Size: 10
Trip Rating: 3

Price: Land/cruise prices quoted below are per person based on double occupancy and according to the cabin category selected. The prices quoted do not include possible fuel surcharges to be determined by Heritage Expeditions, alcohol or other items of personal choice, gratuities to the ship’s crew, pre- or post-trip accommodations in Anchorage or Anadyr if desired, roundtrip airfare to Anchorage from your point of departure, or the roundtrip Bering Air charter flight to Anadyr.

(1) Main Deck Cabin: $6, 367.
Lower deck location, two lower berths, porthole, desk, washbasin, and shared bathroom.

(2) Superior Cabin: $6,852. Middle Deck location, window, upper and lower berths, desk, settee, and private bathroom.

(3) Superior Plus Cabin: $7,225. Middle or Upper Deck location, two lower berths, window, desk, settee, and private bathroom.

Registration Information: Cabins are reserved on a first-come, first serve basis. A deposit of 25% of the trip cost (payable by credit card; we’ll provide the form) directly to Heritage Expeditions is required to reserve space; the tour balance is due (payable to Cloud Ridge Naturalists) 90 days prior to our departure.

Passports and Visas: You must have a passport valid for at least 6 months after the intended date of departure from Russia. You will also need to obtain a Visa for entry into Russia. Tourist Visas are issued for 30 days. Visa application forms and completion guidelines are available on request.

Map

photographic images on this page are courtesy of Heritage Expeditions
Return to first trip for 2008 - CLICK HERE
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