These days will be dedicated to the observation of bowhead whales. They are 22 meters long and up to 150 tons weigh. Under favorable conditions, both 1-2 whales and 30-40 can enter Wrangel Bay at the same time.

Bowhead whales live only in the cold waters of the Northern hemisphere. The southernmost group of this cetacean species is found in the Sea of Okhotsk. In the shallow waters of Wrangel Bay, they come for socialization, as well as to hide from carnivorous killer whales.

This location is great for whale watching and is a point of attraction not only for tourists, but also for scientists. During your staying in Wrangel Bay, 2 marine biologists who have many years of experience in whale researching will also live in the campsite. They will tell you about the peculiarities of life and behavior of these sea giants both during daytime observations and at evening lectures. If you wish, you can help with whale tracking and collecting of biological materials — this data will help them to study the population of bowhead whales in the Sea of Okhotsk.

Under favorable conditions, you can watch whales at any time of the day: at dawn, during the day or at sunset. You can do this either from the sandy shore or the rocks surrounding the bay, or by going out into the ses on a boat or SUP-board — an inflatable board for swimming. Even those who have never tried SUP surfing before can easily manage the SUP-board. The use of this board is completely safe for both whales and humans. Even marine biologists regularly use SUP-boards to monitor whales.

If you are lucky, in addition to whales in Wrangel Bay, you can see other wild animals: killer whales and seals, bears and foxes, chipmunks and seabirds. If you want, you can go sea fishing, pick mushrooms and berries, play beach volleyball or deckstop games.

Early this morning you will go to Ongachan Bay by a speed boat (journey time is 2-2,5 hours). The route will pass through the Academy Bay and the open sea. You will meet flocks of sea birds — tufted puffins, ducks, gulls. In addition, there is a high probability of meeting whales and killer whales.

When you arrive at the bay, you will stay at the base, have lunch and relax. This place will be the starting point for your travels in the following days.

These days you will enjoy boat trips around the Shantar archipelago. In the morning, you will go by boat to explore different Islands, and in the afternoon you will return to the base in Ongachan Bay.

The Shantar Islands consist of 15 wild, uninhabited ones in the Sea of Okhotsk. Some of them reach a length of tens of kilometers, while others are quite tiny. The flora and fauna of the archipelago is unique, and therefore this territory was declared to be a national park in 2013.

Under favorable weather conditions, you will visit several Islands at once — some of them you will see from a boat, and also make landings to another.

The island of Bolshoy ("Big") Shantar is the largest in the whole archipelago, it is 65 km length from north to south and 47 km length from west to east. This island is famous for several interesting places:

• a marine weather station where only 4 people live and work all year round
• an abandoned whale factory where sawmills, meat grinders and fat burners are still preserved
• abandoned military unit that previously served as part of the Soviet air defense system
• chapel of St. Nicholas, built by the famous Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov
• Cape Raduzhniy (Rus. for "Rainbow"), where there are huge rocks of jasper in different colors, from bright red to green. During a walk in this part of the coast, you can find semi-precious jasper shales, white quartz and marble veins.

If the weather is good, you can also spend the night in tents in Pankov Bay at the Bolshoy Shantar Island.

Ptichiy ("Bird") and Utichiy ("Duck") Islands are considered to be a nice places for birdwatching. Spectacled guillemots, Steller's sea eagles, tufted puffins and gulls are nesting here.

While cruising by boat, you will also see other islands of the archipelago. Some of them are very picturesque thanks to the marine rocks of bizarre shapes called "kekury". Encounters with whales, orcas, belugas and seals are also possible here.

You will get up early in the morning and will start sea crossing by boat to Wrangel Bay (the travel time is abour 2-2,5 hours).

When you arrive at the campsite you are already familiar with, you will have breakfast and say goodbye to the whales that are likely to be in the bay at this moment.

Today you will start your long way back to the Mainland.

You will take the voyage from the Islands to Cape Perovsky (travel time is 4-6 hours. There will be hot tea and lunch boxes for you on board).

From Cape Perovsky you will go to Nikolaevsk-on-Amur by minibus (travel time-2.5-4 hours on a forest gravel road).

When you arrive in the city, you will stay in a hotel, relax and have dinner (extra charge).

Today you will return from Nikolaevsk-on-Amur to Khabarovsk by local airlines plane (flight time is 1 hour and 35 minutes).

After arriving to Khabarovsk, you will say goodbye to the group and go to the hotel on your own to relax after a long and eventful expedition.

Due to the possibility of regional flights being delayed, we strongly recommend that you buy tickets to fly home the next day. This way you will not only reduce the risks of delays, but also be able to walk around Khabarovsk, as well as rest before a long flight home.

The expedition to the Shantar Islands will be held in places remote from civilization. Therefore, the accommodation will be quite simple, but comfortable.
From the first to the fifth day of the trip, you will stay at a campsite located in Wrangel Bay, right on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. On the territory there are residential tents, large tourist tents for catering, lectures and recreation, 2 steam baths, a house for drying clothes and shoes, 4 toilets and a washbasin area. The camp has electricity, which is supplied by generators. The bathhouse is heated every day.
Your accommodation will be arranged in high camping tents (Maverick Montblang/Wind), each of which is designed for two people. Inside the tent there are two sleeping compartments, each with a folding bed. In addition, the tent has a common tambour, which contains a small table with chairs and a clothes rack.
From the fifth to the tenth days of the expedition, you will stop at the base in Ongachan Bay, located on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, 5 kilometers from the Shantar archipelago. On the territory of the base there are warm houses, a lounge, a gazebo, a hot shower, a sauna, a house for drying clothes and shoes, toilets and a washbasin area. The camp has electricity from generators. The sauna is heated every day. In the lounge you will find a collection of films about whales and the nature of the Sea of Okhotsk.
You will live in houses, each of which is designed for four people. Inside the house there are wide plank beds with mattresses, pillows and blankets, hangers and a small table.
Please, keep in mind that in addition to your group of up to 14 people, other tourists can also live in Wrangel Bay and Ongachan Bay.

Included:
* Accommodation
* Full board
* Air tickets Khabarovsk-Nikolaevsk-Khabarovsk
* Transfer Nikolaevsk - Vrangel Camp - Nikolaevsk
* 1 night hotel accommodation in Nikolaevsk
* Guide and instructor service
* All necessary entry permission
* Excursions according to the program
* Equipment (except personal items)
* Boats, speed boats, sup boards
* Banya (sauna) daily

Not included:
* Air tickets to Khabarovsk (we will book the flight for you, if required)
* Accommodation in Khabarovsk (we will book the hotel for you, if required)
* Meals on the way (Day 1, Day 10) - we will stop in the roadside cafe
* Accident Insurance (we can provide if you don't have it)
* Equipment rent
* Foreign-speaking translators