[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":184},["ShallowReactive",2],{"journey:commander-islands-the-marine-nursery":3,"journeys:related:commander-islands-the-marine-nursery:3":155},{"slug":4,"status":5,"title":6,"subtitle":7,"excerpt":7,"seasons":8,"cover":10,"about":14,"params":17,"days":45,"stays":144,"seo":153},"commander-islands-the-marine-nursery","published","Commander Islands: The Marine Nursery","Fur seal pups, sea lions, otters and whales in the Bering Sea",[9],"summer",{"src":11,"mobile":12,"alt":13},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fcover.jpg","\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fcover-mobile.jpg","Northern fur seal and her pup on the rocky shore of the Commander Islands",{"paragraphs":15},[16],"BBT planned this expedition for the short summer period when northern fur seals are with their pups on the Commander Islands. Two dedicated rookery days let guests observe how mothers recognise their young and how a colony changes through the day, guided by marine naturalists at permitted viewing sites. The sea voyage connects these encounters with Steller sea lions, sea otters, seabird colonies and Aleut history. Eight nights in the same ship cabin avoid repeated packing, before a planned helicopter day above Kamchatka’s volcanoes and thermal springs.",[18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42],{"label":19,"value":20},"Season","Late July–first half of August · dates to be confirmed",{"label":22,"value":23},"Duration","11 days \u002F 10 nights",{"label":25,"value":26},"Format","Expedition group · Up to 70 guests (up to 35 twin cabins planned)",{"label":28,"value":29},"Route","Kamchatka → Bering Island → Medny Island → Toporkov \u002F Ariy Kamen → Kamchatka",{"label":31,"value":32},"Airports","Yelizovo \u002F Yelizovo",{"label":34,"value":35},"Rhythm","Eight nights on one expedition ship; multiple days with marine wildlife",{"label":37,"value":38},"Physical activity","Low to moderate · Small-boat boarding and short rocky shore walks by choice",{"label":40,"value":41},"Best suited to","Wildlife-minded groups interested in animal families, island culture and sea exploration",{"label":43,"value":44},"Est. price per person","$54,400",[46,55,64,73,82,91,100,109,118,127,136],{"title":47,"text":48,"experience":49,"arrangements":50,"images":51},"An Evening in Kamchatka","The journey starts with rest and an introduction to the animals that will shape the sea voyage.","Welcome dinner; marine mammal specialist explains the late-July and early-August fur seal breeding season.","Reserved cars to Sputnik 5★ in Paratunka; thermal pool and rest.",[52],{"src":53,"alt":54},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-1\u002F1.jpg","Waiter serving a salmon dish at a restaurant table",{"title":56,"text":57,"experience":58,"arrangements":59,"images":60},"Leaving Avacha Bay","The expedition vessel becomes the group’s base for eight consecutive nights.","Embarkation and safety introduction; sail past the Three Brothers rocks and out into the Pacific towards the Commander Islands.","Cabins with windows and private bathrooms; restaurant, viewing decks and lounges.",[61],{"src":62,"alt":63},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-2\u002F1.jpg","Travellers on the deck of a ship looking at the Three Brothers rocks",{"title":65,"text":66,"experience":67,"arrangements":68,"images":69},"Whales off Eastern Kamchatka","The outward passage is used for whale observation rather than treated as a transit-only day.","From the deck, look for humpback whales and seabirds with a marine biologist; small-boat viewing if sea conditions permit.","On-board meals and a continued passage towards the islands.",[70],{"src":71,"alt":72},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-3\u002F1.jpg","Humpback whale raising its tail above the sea",{"title":74,"text":75,"experience":76,"arrangements":77,"images":78},"Bering Island and Aleut Heritage","People and island history introduce the place before the days devoted to wildlife families.","Nikolskoe and the Aleut local-history museum; encounter with community members and artisans, including traditional crafts and island materials.","Coastal boat journey where possible; return to the expedition vessel.",[79],{"src":80,"alt":81},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-4\u002F1.jpg","Aleut craftswoman weaving a grass basket as travellers watch",{"title":83,"text":84,"experience":85,"arrangements":86,"images":87},"The Fur Seal Nursery","The first main rookery session focuses on mothers returning from the sea to their pups.","Extended observation of northern fur seals and pups at authorised shore points or from expedition boats, accompanied by a naturalist.","Time for photographs; return to the same cabin and dinner aboard.",[88],{"src":89,"alt":90},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-5\u002F1.jpg","Northern fur seals and pups on a pebble beach",{"title":92,"text":93,"experience":94,"arrangements":95,"images":96},"Voices of the Colony","A second rookery day allows guests to recognise behaviours that a single visit cannot reveal.","Further observations of males, females and pups; coastline exploration around Steller’s Arch on Bering Island.","Small-boat approach to the rock arch, followed by free time on board.",[97],{"src":98,"alt":99},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-6\u002F1.jpg","Northern fur seal colony on the coastal rocks",{"title":101,"text":102,"experience":103,"arrangements":104,"images":105},"Sea Lion Families on Medny","On Medny Island, guests compare the social behaviour of Steller sea lions with the fur seals.","Naturalist-led observation of adult sea lions and pups on rocky ledges; expedition boats pass cliff niches, sea caves and waterfalls.","A short landing is planned where suitable; meals and overnight aboard.",[106],{"src":107,"alt":108},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-7\u002F1.jpg","Steller sea lions resting on a rock in the sea off Medny Island",{"title":110,"text":111,"experience":112,"arrangements":113,"images":114},"Sea Otters in the Kelp","Sheltered island bays reveal an animal that spends much of its life at the surface.","Guided boat observation of sea otters, their pups and kelp habitats without disturbing the animals.","Further viewing from the open deck or time to rest in the cabin.",[115],{"src":116,"alt":117},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-8\u002F1.jpg","Sea otter with a pup floating among kelp",{"title":119,"text":120,"experience":121,"arrangements":122,"images":123},"Islands of Seabirds","The final Commander Islands outing focuses on the nesting life of steep ocean cliffs.","Expedition boats around Toporkov and Ariy Kamen; tufted puffins, horned puffins and cormorants; a shore observation point if available.","After lunch the ship begins its return to Kamchatka; evening review with the biologist.",[124],{"src":125,"alt":126},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-9\u002F1.jpg","Two tufted puffins on a grassy cliff above sea stacks",{"title":128,"text":129,"experience":130,"arrangements":131,"images":132},"Volcano Flight and Hot Water","A planned helicopter flight replaces the sea horizon with Kamchatka’s volcanic interior.","Disembarkation; small-group helicopter sightseeing above volcanoes and a planned landing at natural thermal springs.","Return to Sputnik 5★, time to rest and farewell dinner.",[133],{"src":134,"alt":135},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-10\u002F1.jpg","Travellers walking from a helicopter towards steaming hot springs",{"title":137,"text":138,"experience":139,"images":140},"Departure","Breakfast and private transport complete the island expedition.","Transfer to Yelizovo Airport.",[141],{"src":142,"alt":143},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fcommander-islands-the-marine-nursery\u002Fday-11\u002F1.jpg","Driver unloading suitcases from a black minivan below a volcano",[145,149],{"name":146,"description":147,"nights":148},"Sputnik 5★","One night before embarkation and one after the planned helicopter outing, with a thermal pool.",2,{"name":150,"description":151,"nights":152},"Expedition Ship","One cabin for all eight sea nights, with a private bathroom and access to the restaurant and observation spaces; ship and cabin allocation to be confirmed.",8,{"description":154},"BBT planned this expedition for the short summer period when northern fur seals are with their pups on the Commander Islands.",[156,165,175],{"slug":157,"status":5,"title":158,"excerpt":159,"seasons":160,"cover":161,"maxGuests":-1,"dates":-1},"brown-bears-on-the-baikal-shore","Brown Bears on the Baikal Shore","An early-summer wildlife voyage from Irkutsk to Olkhon",[9],{"src":162,"mobile":163,"alt":164},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fbrown-bears-on-the-baikal-shore\u002Fcover.jpg","\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fbrown-bears-on-the-baikal-shore\u002Fcover-mobile.jpg","Brown bear on the rocky Baikal shore below mountains at dawn",{"slug":166,"status":5,"title":167,"excerpt":168,"seasons":169,"cover":171,"maxGuests":-1,"dates":-1},"baikal-from-night-sky-to-deep-water","Baikal: From Night Sky to Deep Water","A summer journey joining astronomical observation with the lake’s deepest waters",[9,170],"autumn",{"src":172,"mobile":173,"alt":174},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fbaikal-from-night-sky-to-deep-water\u002Fcover.jpg","\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Fbaikal-from-night-sky-to-deep-water\u002Fcover-mobile.jpg","Milky Way above Lake Baikal, with travellers and a telescope on the shore",{"slug":176,"status":5,"title":177,"excerpt":178,"seasons":179,"cover":180,"maxGuests":-1,"dates":-1},"taiga-harvest-berries-and-mushrooms-of-baikal","Taiga Harvest: Berries and Mushrooms of Baikal","A late-summer journey with reserve specialists, forest food and local hosts",[9,170],{"src":181,"mobile":182,"alt":183},"\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Ftaiga-harvest-berries-and-mushrooms-of-baikal\u002Fcover.jpg","\u002Fimages\u002Fjourneys\u002Ftaiga-harvest-berries-and-mushrooms-of-baikal\u002Fcover-mobile.jpg","Baskets of mushrooms and blueberries in a pine forest above Lake Baikal",1793255422167]