Wrangel Island

Lying in the Chukchi Sea just north of the Bering Strait, Wrangel Island is a mysterious forgotten land with an abundance of wildlife.

A Federal Nature Reserve of international importance, Wrangel Island is a major denning area for polar bears, where large numbers of cubs are born. Reindeer and musk ox and were introduced in 1948 and 1975 respectively. The island is the last landfall for migratory birds flying north to breed, and in summer the many thousands that congregate here include snow geese, snowy owls, skuas, Arctic terns, and Ross’s, Sabine’s and ivory gulls.

The journey to the isolated and pristine Wrangel Island and the wild coastline of northeast Siberia is only made possible by the retreat of the pack ice in summer and the thawing in regional politics in recent years. Sailing through the Bering Strait that separates Russia from the USA, we continue west along the Chukotka coast, to one of the world’s last great undiscovered wildernesses.

Zodiac outings and multiple landings provide memorable opportunities to see the magnifient polar bears who breed here, plus wolverine, Arctic fox, reindeer and musk ox. The birds include snow goose, snowy owl and king eider, plus gulls such as glaucous, ivory, Ross’s and Sabine’s, while vast seabird colonies on nearby Herald Island and elsewhere hold everything from tufted puffin to black guillemot. The sea boasts the largest population of Pacific walrus, and grey whales migrate from their breeding lagoons off Baja California, on the Mexican coast, to feed here. Killer whales, belugas, humpback, fin and bowhead whales and various beaked whales are all present too.

The soils of the ancient steppe nurture over 400 plant species, many of which are endemic, while the presence of mammoth tusks and skulls, and the sheer variety of terrains and geological formations within such a small area all attest to Wrangel’s rich natural history and unique evolutionary status. The island’s human history is just as fascinating and its rich past will entertain us as we explore the northern coast of Chukotka, with guided walks, Zodiac trips and lectures to help us understand and appreciate the High Arctic landscape.