"Discovery of the Commander Islands No. 2" — Cruise No. 15

Right after heading out to open sea, there will be a welcome lunch. Don’t forget to look out the portholes or over the side of the ship: even in the Anadyr Estuary, we have a 100% chance of spotting the mysterious milky-marbled belugas.

This place is officially considered the windiest and stormiest in Russia. Moreover, the majestic Cape, standing 500 meters above sea level, serves as a refuge for over a million birds. This record-breaking bird colony will greet us with endless noise and fluttering of its inhabitants over the stacks adjacent to the cape. If we’re lucky, we might see the endangered white-tailed eagle. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the water: spotting whales near Navarin is a common occurrence.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit a national Chukotka village with a tongue-twisting name — Meynypilgino (no need to memorize it, since even locals simply call it Mayna). Geography here plays a trick: Mayna is located between two lakes and is separated from the Bering Sea by a river connecting the lakes and a spit, through a single "breach" where the river flows into the sea. Can you picture it? If not — just check the map.

Mayna’s livelihood revolves around fishing, and it has an interesting museum of Chukotka culture and daily life. This tiny village is also a point of interest for ornithologists worldwide. Nearby, the largest population of the spoon-billed sandpiper — a rare species with only a few hundred individuals left and on the brink of extinction — spends its summer. Spoon-billed sandpipers are named for their shovel-shaped beaks and migrate every year some 8,000 km from Russia’s Far East to Southeast Asia. To help adult spoon-billed sandpipers produce more offspring and improve the survival of the newly hatched chicks, a special incubator has been established near Mayna.

Long and narrow, smoothly curved and surrounded by tall green hills, we will explore it with pleasure on Zodiac inflatable boats, approaching the haul-outs of Pacific walruses and colonies of seabirds. Nearby is Pavel Bay, and completing the biblical theme is Apostle Island — a picturesque rock located right between the entrances to the "apostle" bays.

If time and interest allow, we’ll also make a trip here. Be careful: brown bears, fond of the local fish, are often found along the shores of both bays and the island. After a long journey, in the afternoon, the "Professor Khromov" will approach another stunningly beautiful fjord, which — because it is separated from the sea by a sandy spit — is considered a lagoon.

In the center of the Tintikun Lagoon, there is an island, and just a few meters from the water lie the Govensky hot springs. After exploring the lagoon on Zodiacs, we’ll definitely warm up in the springs.

Outside the window stretches the vast Bering Sea, home to whales and rare seabirds. You can spend these two days in meditative observation of the water element, or enjoy heartfelt conversations with fellow expedition participants.

But even if leaving the mainland doesn’t appeal to you, this archipelago between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean will pierce your heart. Over four days, we will strive to see all its main wonders.

The Commander Islands consist of four islands: Bering Island (which accounts for 90% of the entire archipelago’s area and is home to the only settlement with fewer than 700 inhabitants), Copper Island, and the very small islets of Toporkov and Ariy Kamen. All this land, together with a marine area tens of times larger, is part of the eponymous national park. Its pride is the highest diversity of marine mammals in Russia.

At the largest haul-out on Bering Island, we will find a colossal gathering of pinnipeds: alongside sea lions and sea otters live Steller sea lions and Stejneger’s seals, each with its own behaviors. While cruising on Zodiacs along the shores, we may encounter various cetaceans: sperm whales, orcas, fin whales, humpback whales, harbor porpoises, and many others.

About a million birds nest permanently on the Commander Islands, with the main bird colonies located on the islets of Toporkov and Ariy Kamen. Toporki, sometimes called "sea parrots" because of their large orange beaks, dig burrows to incubate their offspring. So when walking on the islet named after these birds, tread carefully — you might step into a burrow. On the larger islands, you can spot the local blue Arctic fox and introduced reindeer.

A distinctive feature of the Commander Islands is the sandy dunes, sometimes stretching for kilometers. On the mountainous Copper Island, there are many waterfalls. On Bering Island, which has the most diverse landscapes, you’ll find the archipelago’s landmark — Steller’s Arch, a natural rock formation resembling a triumphal arch.

Georg Steller, a physician and naturalist, took part in Commander Vitus Bering’s expedition to the shores of Alaska. On the return journey, in late November, their ship was wrecked on the shore of an unknown island. Commander Bering, already ill by that time, died during the harsh wintering. Later, the island was named after him (his grave remains one of the local attractions), and his title gave the archipelago its name.

On Bering Island, we will also visit the Aleut local history museum, search for gems on the beach, and in the tundra look for cloudberries and cranberries.

Heading southwest, the "Professor Khromov" will stop near the mouth of the Zhupanova River. This spot is considered the best fishing location on the entire Kamchatka Peninsula.

On Zodiacs, we’ll explore the lower, calm part of the river and get our spinning rods ready. The top target is the mikizha, also known as rainbow trout, which can weigh 6 to 8 kg. But other local fish might also take the bait: pink salmon, coho salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, grayling, or char.

Nearby, a Kamchatka brown bear might be fishing, and in the sky — if we’re lucky — we could spot a white-shouldered eagle. This is one of the largest birds on the planet, with a wingspan reaching up to 2.5 meters.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located on the shore of Avacha Bay — the largest natural harbor in the world. The expedition is complete. Until we meet again aboard the "Professor Khromov"!