Seabird numbers in the Sea of Okhotsk can only be described as spectacular. Other birds include guillemots, puffins, auklets and fulmars. But the richness of birdlife is not restricted to pelagic species. The Sea of Okhotsk has one of the highest concentrations of the majestic Steller's sea eagle of anywhere in the Russian Far East.
Highlights
Visit Iony Island, a spectacular place that very few people have seen it
Enjoy the chances of seeing some of the seals including Bearded & Ringed
See the largest colony of birds in North Pacific
Enjoy entertainment and a cultural display in Okhotsk Town.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
This morning meet at a local hotel or central point and take a coach transfer to the port of Magadan. (Full details of all these arrangements are provided upon receipt of booking.) After a security check (we have Russian-speaking staff to assist in this process) you and your luggage will be transferred to the Akademik Shokalskiy. Once onboard you are shown to your cabins and there is a chance to unpack and explore the vessel. We plan to get underway soon after you have embarked. There are briefings and introductions to the ship, staff, and crew after you have departed and a number of safety briefings are conducted.
As we sail southwest towards Iony Island, the day is filled with illustrated lectures and opportunities to spend time on the deck birdwatching and looking for marine mammals, relax in the bar and library, or join the captain in the bridge as you adjust to life at sea
Iony Island lies almost in the middle of the Sea of Okhotsk, about 120 nautical miles from the closest land. It is a tiny island, really just a rock, but what it lacks in physical size it more than makes up for wildlife. It is nothing short of spectacular and very few people have seen it. Iony is a well-known breeding ground for Steller Sea Lions. There is a small derelict research hut on the island, a relic from a time when there was possibly more money for research than there is now. The island is also teeming with birdlife. Birds appear to take up all available space. There are guillemots, kittiwakes, and various species of auklets, with Parakeet, Whiskered, and least being the most prominent. Zodiac cruise around the island as Steller Sea Lions occupy all the flat ground and the few rocky beaches make any landing impossible.
There are 15 islands in this little-known archipelago. Lying as they do in the western sector of the Sea of Okhotsk close to the continent, they are amongst the last places here to become ice-free each year. This late ice can sometimes restrict how far you can explore. On the other hand, if there is ice around, it increases our chances of seeing some of the seals including Bearded, Ringed, Largha, and Ribbon Seals that breed here. Potentially this area is one of the best to get observations and photographs of the beautifully patterned ribbon Seals. The seas around the Shantar Archipelago are also renowned for Bowhead Whales. Our chances of seeing these depend on the ice, the majority of sightings are in fact from later in the season, but we will be looking very hard. If we can land there will be birding, botany, and photography excursions led by our team of onboard naturalists. We have set aside two days here to maximize our chances of getting ashore and also having the best wildlife experiences.
The sight that greets you when you approach these three small offshore islands is ‘birds’. There are birds everywhere, in the air, in the water, and on the land. Numerous species breed here including large numbers of SpectacledGuillemots, perhaps the largest colony of these birds anywhere, as they are only found in the Sea of Okhotsk. Other birds include ancient Murrelet, RhinocerosAuklet, Parakeet Auklet, Horned and Tufted Puffin, CrestedAuklet, and both Common andBrunnich’s Guillemot. It is little wonder with the abundance of birds that there is a good population of Steller’s Sea Eagleson the island and adjacent mainland. Landing on the island is restricted to a small gravel spit and there are limited places to walk, however, on the mainland can stretch our legs and explore the taiga forest.
This town has featured in Russian far East history since the earliest Cossack explorers came from the west. Today Okhotsk is the region's fishing center. The port exports significant quantities of salmon and other fish. Visit the town, landing by Zodiac up the river near its center. The local people are generous and welcoming and provide some entertainment in the town center with a cultural display. This is a chance to experience genuine Russian Far East culture and embrace their hospitality.
An internationally known, but very difficult to get to, bird island, Talan lies offshore some 50 miles west of Magadan. It is infamous largely because of the hundreds of thousands of Crested Auklets that nest here. A lot of research has been done here in the past and there are several huts and obvious signs o human activity. There is also an extraordinary number of Black-legged Kittiwakes nesting along the cliffs, and not surprisingly a large population of Steller’s Sea Eagles. If weather conditions are suitable you circumnavigate the island by Zodiac before landing at the western end. Plan to return in the evening after dinner to witness the huge flocks of Crested Auklets amassing offshore before returning to the island. If the conditions are right it is one of those sights and nights, you never forget
This is a mountainous region to the southeast of the town of Magadan. Approximately one-third of it is protected by its inclusion in the Magadanskiy Zapovednik (a Federal Nature Reserve). This reserve protects among other animals brown bears and Snow Sheep. There are numerous places to land and the climate is very much affected by the Sea of Okhotsk. Very few visitors have ever landed on or explored, the Koni Peninsula. Many of our landings are expeditionary, in that although we have landed at a number of places along the coast, many are new and unknown to us, so we are never quite sure of what we will find. That is part of what makes our style of travel so interesting. We spend the day here with at least two landings at different sites.
These islands are also included in the Magadansky Zapovednik and are claimed by some biologists to be the largest bird colony in the North Pacific. According to bird counts, there are an estimated 7 million birds nesting on Matykil Island, the largest in the group. Birds include Common and Brunnich’s Guillemot, Crested, Parakeet and Least Auklets, Tufted and Horned Puffins, and Northern Fulmars. The most abundant of these is the Least Auklet. The islands are also a well-known breeding ground for the Steller Sea Lion and see large numbers both in the water and hauled on the few beaches on the island. We Zodiac around the coast as no landings are permitted, but you get a much better appreciation of the island and the abundance of the wildlife by cruising the shoreline.
Day 11: Magadan | Disembark
1 Breakfast
Plan to arrive in the Port of Magadan early morning. There is a complimentary shuttle to the central hotel in the city. In case of unavoidable delays with either weather and/or formalities we kindly ask you not to make any onward flight reservations until after 1300 hours. Those staying on board arrive in the Port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy on 30 June. Please don’t make any onwards plans until after 1200 noon
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$6,000
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Main Deck
Two lower berths, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private washbasin. Nearby shower and toilet facilities are shared with other Main Deck cabins. These cabins have a porthole.
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Superior
One bunk (one upper and one lower berth), writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. These cabins have windows.
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Superior Plus
Two lower berths, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. These cabins have windows.
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Mini Suite
Separate bedroom with a double bed and a sofa in the lounge, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. Mini Suites have windows.
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Heritage Suite
Large lounge area, separate bedroom with double bed and a sofa in the lounge, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. Large forward and side facing windows allow great views.
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Main Deck Triple
One bunk (one upper abd ibe lower berth) and one additional lower berth, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private washbasin. Nearby shower and toilet facilities are shared with other Main Deck cabins. These cabins have a porthole.
Notes
- Single clients are matched with a sharer of the same sex in a twin-share cabin. Payment of a single supplement guarantees a single cabin. The single supplement is 1.8 times the price of the voyage with the exception of the suites which are double the single rate.
-Emergency medical evacuation coverage for a minimum of US$100,000 per person required. Contact us for details on arranging travel insurance.
Initial deposit is 30%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
1 day ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
3 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
4 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
