An Expedition Cruise to Wrangel Island

You will spend the day crossing Anadyr Bay, a vast expanse of water that rivals many seas in size.

This day offers a chance to learn more about the region and life at sea. You’ll attend engaging lectures by researchers, watch documentary and feature films in the lecture hall, and meet the captain, who will share stories about the vessel’s history and its long voyages across the world’s oceans.

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

During your landing on Yttygran Island, you’ll explore Whale Bone Alley, a unique monument to ancient Eskimo culture. This sacred site consists of the bones of bowhead whales driven into the ground, and researchers believe it dates back to no later than the 16th century.

Next comes a sea crossing to Yanrakynnot Village. The village lies on a hillside overlooking Senyavin Strait, at the mouth of the Marich River. In the surrounding area, you’ll see the Whale Cemetery, where hundreds of enormous bones bear witness to the traditional Chukchi marine mammal hunting culture.

Today, you will reach Cape Dezhnev, the easternmost point of mainland Russia and Eurasia. The mainland coast of North America lies just 86 kilometers away, and in clear weather, you may be able to see the shores of the neighboring continent.

You will visit the monument to Semyon Dezhnev and the lighthouse. The monument stands 12 kilometers from Cape Dezhnev and the actual easternmost tip of Eurasia. As Dezhnev did in 1648, you won’t land at the very tip, where sheer cliffs make access impossible.

You will then continue to Uelen, the easternmost settlement in Eurasia and the largest center of traditional bone carving in the Russian North. You’ll visit Chukotka’s first bone-carving workshop, founded in 1931, and sample local delicacies including fish, caviar, whale meat, and walrus meat.

Continuing across the Chukchi Sea, you will land on tiny Kolyuchin Island, which covers just 8 square kilometers. Until 1992, the island was home to a Russian meteorological station, and you’ll see what remains of it today.

Today, the uninhabited island has been claimed by walruses and vast numbers of seabirds. Near the abandoned buildings is one of the Arctic’s most spectacular seabird colonies, where crested auklets, guillemots, and gulls nest. Polar bears also inhabit Kolyuchin Island.

You will spend these three days exploring Wrangel Island Nature Reserve, which encompasses two islands: Wrangel and Herald. Weather permitting, you’ll make several landings along the coast and discover the unique wildlife of the Arctic, with opportunities to see polar bears, walruses, musk oxen, Arctic birds, and spectacular northern landscapes.

The natural complex of Wrangel Island Nature Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has the highest density of polar bear maternity dens in the world, and more than 50 bird species nest here. The surrounding waters are home to beluga and gray whales, as well as, more rarely, bowhead whales. More than 400 species and subspecies of plants have been recorded on Wrangel Island—more than on any other Arctic island. Around 40 species and subspecies of plants, insects, birds, and mammals found here occur nowhere else in the world.

If sea-ice conditions are favorable, you’ll be able to approach Herald Island, located 40 kilometers east of Wrangel Island. The island has steep, rugged shores that make landings difficult, but from the expedition boat you’ll be able to observe seabird colonies and photograph polar bears.

The vessel will reach the coast of the Chukchi Sea. Today, you will explore Kolyuchinskaya Bay, a vast inlet clearly visible from space. Aboard Zodiacs, you will approach its rocky shores and bustling seabird colonies, home to a variety of Arctic species, including the striking emperor goose.

After rounding Cape Dezhnev, the vessel will head toward the center of the Bering Strait. Weather permitting, you’ll land on Ratmanov Island, Russia’s easternmost island, which lies just across the strait from the American island of Kruzenshtern. The International Date Line runs between these two rocky islands, which is why they are known as “Tomorrow Island” and “Yesterday Island.”

Today, you will encounter whales, take a dip in thermal springs, and explore Beringia National Park.

The vessel will enter Penkegney Bay, part of Beringia National Park. For those who enjoy longer hikes, there will be a 14-kilometer trek across the tundra to the hot springs. If you prefer a shorter outing, you can visit Merkinkan, an island inhabited by tufted puffins, observe whales, and take a short 3-kilometer trek from Gil’mimyl Bay to the hot springs.

Gil’mimyl Bay is also part of Beringia National Park. A short walk will reward you with a relaxing soak in the thermal springs and spectacular views of the park. Afterward, you will return to the vessel. Weather permitting, a picnic dinner may be arranged on shore in one of the park’s gazebos.

Novoye Chaplino is one of the few remaining Yupik settlements in Chukotka, with a population of around 400 people. Here, you will visit the local school and enjoy a traditional performance in Yupik clothing at the community center. You may also have a glimpse into the demanding daily life of marine mammal hunters, including the traditional processing of a whale or walrus.

The program also includes an opportunity to purchase handmade souvenirs and sample unusual dishes from Yupik cuisine. Whales frequently enter Tkachen Bay, where Novoye Chaplino is located, so there is a good chance of spotting them from the shore.

You will spend the day at sea on the way to the port of Anadyr.

There will be another full day of lectures and a chance to consolidate the knowledge and experience you’ve gained throughout the expedition.

Early in the morning, the vessel will enter the port of Anadyr. After breakfast, you will be transferred to your hotel or to the airport for your flight home.