11-day cruise to Kamchatka: “Discovering the Commander Islands No. 2” — 2027 Cruise

Immediately after heading out to sea, we’ll have a welcome lunch. Don’t forget to look through the portholes or over the side of the ship: even in Anadyr Estuary, there’s a 100% chance we’ll spot the mysterious milky-white belugas.

There is an island in the middle of Tintikun Lagoon, and hot springs lie just a few metres from the water. Unfortunately, they are not suitable for bathing. Keep your eyes open here, as bears are not uncommon in this area. And if you’re lucky, you might even spot a wolverine — an animal feared even by bears!

Outside, there is the vast Bering Sea, with whales and rare seabirds. You can spend the day quietly watching the sea from the bridge, enjoying conversations with fellow expedition members, or listening to fascinating lectures.

But even if leaving the mainland behind for good is not your idea of happiness, this archipelago between the Bering Sea and the Pacific will go straight to your heart. Over four days, we’ll do our best to discover its greatest wonders.

The Commander Islands consist of four islands: Bering Island, which accounts for 90% of the archipelago’s total land area and is home to its only settlement, with fewer than 700 residents; Medny Island; and the tiny islands of Toporkov and Ariy Kamen. Together with the surrounding waters, which are many times larger than the land area, they form the Commander Islands National Park. Its pride is the greatest diversity of marine mammals in Russia.

At Bering Island’s largest rookery, we’ll find a huge concentration of pinnipeds: fur seals and sea otters share the coast with Steller sea lions and Stejneger’s seals, each with its own habits and character. Cruising along the shores by Zodiac, we may encounter a variety of cetaceans, including sperm whales, orcas, fin whales, humpback whales, harbour porpoises, and many others.

Around one million birds nest year-round on the Commander Islands, with the main seabird colonies on Toporkov and Ariy Kamen. Tufted puffins, sometimes called "sea parrots" because of their large orange bills, dig burrows in which to raise their young. So take care when walking around the islet named after these birds: you may find yourself stepping into a burrow. On the larger islands, you may also encounter the local Arctic fox and introduced reindeer.

A distinctive feature of the Commander Islands is their vast sand dunes, sometimes stretching for kilometres. The mountainous Medny Island is home to numerous waterfalls. And on the more diverse Bering Island stands the archipelago’s iconic landmark — Steller Arch, a natural rock formation resembling a triumphal arch.

Georg Wilhelm Steller, a physician and naturalist, took part in Commander Vitus Bering’s expedition to the shores of Alaska. On the return journey, at the end of November, their ship was wrecked on an unknown island. The commander, already seriously ill, died during the harsh winter. The island was later named after him — Bering’s grave remains one of the local landmarks — while his title gave the archipelago its name.

On Bering Island, we’ll also visit the Aleut local history museum, search the beach for gemstones, and look for cloudberries and crowberries in the tundra.

It is considered one of the best fishing spots on the entire Kamchatka Peninsula. Somewhere nearby, a Kamchatka brown bear may be fishing too, while in the sky — if we’re lucky — we may spot a Steller’s sea eagle. It is one of the largest birds on the planet, with a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres.

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