The Shantar Islands,
Wrangel Bay: Bowhead whales, killer whales, white whales.
Whale watching expedition.
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1 - 12 August, 2023
  • 12 days
  • Adventures
    Whales
    Orcas
    SUP-boards
  • Difficulty level: easy
  • Price: 285 000 rubles per person

What's coming?
We are setting up in a comfortable camp area (with Russian sauna at our disposal) ashore the Sea of Okhotsk with individual and two-man tents. Every single day we are watching bowhead whales from the beach and from inflatable sup-boards.

The second part of our trip will take place on Ongachan tourist-base at convenient warm lodges. We will do 1-day boat trips to Shantar Islands
  • 1
    Bowhead whales!
    Sup surfing, watching with drones.
  • 2
    Killer whales!
    Looking towards a horizon each day in a hope to find high fins of killer whales passing by. Sometimes we will see orcas attacks for bowhead whales.

  • 3
    Shantar islands!
    A Unique corner of the planet. There are no men but the wild nature in its original state: giant bowhead whales, rocky rookeries, brown bears and spawning salmon. A trip to this amazing picturesque place will surely become a trip of a lifetime.
Itinerary
Day 1
Khabarovsk
Arrival to Khabarovsk, check-in in a hotel, free time to rest or to have some short walk around the city or along central embankment of Amur river.
Day 2
Khabarovsk – Nikolaevsk-na-Amure – Wrangler Bay
Domestic flight to Nikolaevsk-na-Amure town (1 hour 35 minutes). Automobile transfer to Perovski Cape by a gravel and forest roads (around 2-3 hours). Transfer by a high-speed catamaran from Perovski Cape to Wrangler Bay (around 4-6 hours, depending on a weather). Accomodation in a camping, Russian sauna, dinner.
Days 3 - 5
Watching whales in Wrangel bay
Next 3 days we will spend watching bowhead whales in Wrangel bay. The bowheads inhabit cold waters of the Northern hemisphere, their "southern" flock abides in the Sea of Okhotsk. They come in the bay for socialization and for hiding between shoal waters from killer whales. To be unnoticed by the animals while getting close we are going to use inflatable sup surfing boards. Also we will set special photo traps in a nearest forest area to catch some land animals in the frame.
Last year we got brown bears, foxes and reindeers. And our photo trap had even tiger shot.
Different trekking routes along the bay are available as well so we may walk and observe whales from upper points and rocks. Each our group for this kind of tour is accompanied by professional Team Trip biologist who conducts interesting lectures about sea mammals every evening. Accommodation in individual tents, russian sauna, comfortable inflatable mats are provided.
Day 6
Ongachan bay
In the early morning we'll go to Ongachan bay through open oceanic waters of Academy gulf by speedboats (68 kilometers, 2- 2,5 hours by open sea). We will encounter flocks of different types of seabirds – tufted puffins, ducks, seagulls. Route involves meeting bowheads and killer whales with some luck. We'll be accommodated in a comfortable warm tourist lodge (in four-man rooms) on the shore of Ongachan bay. There is also some good lodge infrastructure, such as cozy common lounge area, few nice view points, etc.
Days 7 - 8
Archipelago of the Shantar
During next days we will travel around archipelago of the Shantar – national park located on wild islands. On Bolshoy Shantar island there are semiprecious jasper-slates, white quartzes and marble veins right on the surface. We will also visit the only insular meteorological station with its four staffers servicing it and living there all year round. There's ruined whaling plant nearby the station, so workers of the Shantar Islands National Park will conduct an excursion into its history for us. We will see Utichy Island as well – it's a nesting place for many different types of sea-birds.
Each day spent in the Shantar Islands National Park implies full day sea-sailing excursion starting from the early morning and turning back to Ongachan base in the late evening.

These days we are very depend on weather.
Day 9
Nikolai bay, Gorbusha river
This day we will stay in Gorbusha campsite. We will search whales, watching salmon spawning and do some fishing,. Also we will see seals.

Overnight in tents.
Day 10
Nikolaevsk-na-Amure
6-7 hours boat transfer to Perovski Cape, then automobile transfer to a hotel in Nikolaevsk-na-Amure town.
Day 11
Khabarovsk
Domestic flight from Nikolaevsk-na-Amure to Khabarovsk (1 hour 35 minutes), transfer to a hotel.
Day 12
Khabarovsk
Transfer to the airport. Departure.
Price: 285 000 rub
Dates:
1 - 12 August, 2023
  • Included:
    • All transfer under the trip program.
    • Domestic flight tickets to Nikolaevsk-na-Amure and back.
    • Accommodation in a hotel in Khabarovsk – 2 nights.
    • Accommodation in a hotel in Nikolaevsk-na-Amure.
    • Accommodation in camping and tourist base (including use of common infrastructure and sauna)
    • Rental warm sleeping bags
    • 3 meals per each day of the trip (except meals in cities ).
    • Providing tents.
    • Rental sup surfing boards, wet suits and weight belts for free diving (we recommend to bring personal wet suits because of lack of needed sizes for rent).
    • Rental tents and mats.
    • National park permits.
    • Team Trip biologist-guide.
  • Not included:
    • Flight tickets to Khabarovsk.
    • Accident insurance with a helicopter extraction option.
Additional information about the area:
  • Average air temperature – from plus 15 to plus 20 degrees Celsius
  • Average water temperature – plus 5
  • Time difference with Moscow – minus 7 hours
Recommended list of personal equipment
For sailing:
  • Storm-weather suit (water- and wind-proof overalls or jacket and trousers)
  • High watertights or waders (for taking up or set down in a boat). Waders mustn't have thorns.
  • Warm insole boots
  • Wind-proof hat
  • Thermal or wool socks (2 pairs)
  • Water-proof gloves (neoprene recommended)
  • Buff or balaclava
For trekking and camping:
  • Light jacket with a hood (GORE-TEX recommended)
  • Light boots (sneakers or crocs)
  • Trekking trousers or anti-tick suit
  • Ball cap or light hat
  • Thermals (2 types: thin and thick)
  • Sleeping bag liner
  • Fleece sweater (2 types: thin and thick)
  • Underwear, T-shirts, socks (sufficient amount)
  • Towel
  • Swimming suit
  • Sleeping bag (0 degrees Celsius comfort limit). Inflatable pillow if needed.
  • Dry bag (100-120 liters for all your stuff)
  • Head lights (spare batteries)
  • Day pack (30-40 liters small backpack to put necessary stuff while trekking: thermos, flask, additional clothes etc.)
For sup-boarding:
  • Wetsuit (5-7 millimeters)
  • Wet socks
  • Wet gloves
For photography equipment:
  • Water-proof backpack or dry bag
  • Small dry bag (for sailing on boat)
Rest of stuff:
  • Personal first aid kit, cosmetician, tooth brush, wet napkins etc.
  • Multi-tool, Swiss army knife
Personal equipment needed:
  • Comfortable boots, 2 pairs (trekking boots, sneakers)
  • Thermal clothes
  • Head light
  • Insect Repellent
  • Waterproof jacket and pants
  • Rain coat
  • Warm hat, socks, gloves, sweater
  • Wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, wet gloves and socks
Book your trip
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Photo:
- Sergey Dolya
- Mike Korostelev
- Aglaya Tsidulko
- Yuriy Smityuk
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    Contacts
    Phone, WhatsApp: +7 495 181 10 88
    Telegram: @teamtrip
    E-mail: booking@team-trip.ru