EAE3. Country of Whales and Walruses
The trip is an excellent chance to explore the most Eastern coast of Eurasia. Extremely low density of population, caused by remoteness and severe climate, has allowed to preserve unique diversity of sea mammals and birds as well as unique traditional culture of aborigine peoples – the Chukchi and the Eskimo (the Siberian Yupik). You will get to know local inclement but majestic nature and visit native settlements and field stands of aborigines and get acquainted with their real traditional lifestyles.
The main destination of the trip is the Senyavin Strait and its islands, exclusively rich with sea mammals and birds. You will see feeding grey whales, seals and walruses as well as multiple colonies of sea birds. If you are lucky, you will see hundreds or even thousands of walruses lying at a rookery. There are good chances to watch traditional walrus hunting by local Eskimo hunters. You will visit the world famous Whale Bone Alley – an ancient memorial of Eskimo culture. Walks in mountain tundra will acquaint you with specific local flora and fauna. Bathing in hot springs close to our field camp will charge you with additional energy for each next day. Local landscapes with water and isles surrounded with mountains are truly great at this most remote edge of the Eurasian landmass.
Type: Adventure
Tour duration: 8 days
Months of Operation: 15th of July - August
Recommended Group Size: 4 – 12 PAX
Mode of Travel: minibus, ATM bus, motor boat, on foot
Itinerary
Day 1. Arrival in Provideniya. Transfer to the settlement. Accommodation in apartments. Walking tour of the settlement. Visit to Museum of Local Lore and History.
Day 2. Ride (25 km) by ATM bus from Provideniya to the Yupik native settlement Novoe Chaplino. Acquaintance with the settlement. Visit to a local house and lunch with aborigines. Further ride (20 km) to Yupik sea hunters' base Inakhpack. Passage (30 km) by motor boat to Gylmimyl Lagoon. Good chances to observe grey whales (Eschrichtius robustus), walruses (Odobenus rosmarus), ringed and spotted seals (Pusa hispida) and sea birds as pelagic cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus), horned puffin ( Fratercula corniculata), pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba), tufted puffin (Lunda cirrhata) and others. Setting a base camp. Overnight in a hunting hut or in tents. (LD)
Day 3. Sea round trip (70 km) by boat: Gylmimyl - Yttygran Island – Nunengan Island - Gylmimyl. Visiting the ancient memorial of Yupik culture ‘Whale Bone Alley’. Lunch - picnic. Boat based observation of the huge seashore colony of sea birds as guillemot, seagull, pelagic cormorant. Return to the base camp. Hiking. Bathing in hot springs. Possible fishing. Dinner with tasting of dishes cooked with salmon and/or sea mammals’ meat, salmon soft caviar, tundra’s berries, mushrooms etc. Overnight in base camp. (BLD)
Day 4. Sea passage (40 km) along Senyavinsky Strait to the Penkigney Bay. Observation of the largest Chukotka birds’ rookery of horned puffins, pigeon guillemot and others at Merkinkan Island. Walking in mountain tundra along Pestsovaya River to explore endemic tundra plants (rough-bark poplar, red snowball tree) and to visit an old deserted field stand of reindeer herders. Continue the sea trip (45 km) to the native Chukchi settlement Yanrakynnot. Short tour of the settlement. Dinner with tasting of local cuisine. Overnight in a local house. (BLD)
Day 5. Boat trip (40 km) to Kygynyn Cape on Arakamchechen Island. Stopping at Kygynyn Cape
Map