Few destinations can offer such anawe-inspiring combination of wildlifeand breathtaking scenery as theRussian Far East and the volcanic KurilIslands of the north Pacific. Thisspectacular region has largely escaped theravages of mankind and to this dayremains one of the few true wildernessesleft on Earth. Here a wide range of excitingbirds and animals, towering snow-cappedvolcanoes, virgin forest, pristine tundra anda rich indigenous culture await the wildlifeenthusiast, and what better way to explorethis land of fire and ice than by spending12 nights aboard the 'Spirit of Enderby'.This vessel is an expedition ship thatcarries a maximum of just 48 passengersand is fully equipped with inflatableZodiacs and a highly skilled crew. Fromthis comfortable base we can expect tosee a wonderful range of birds andmammals, including more than a dozenspecies of auk, millions of breedingseabirds, the mighty Steller's Sea Eagle,Sea Otter, Brown Bear and a wide range ofcetaceans which may, hopefully, includethe world's top oceanic predator, the Orca. We begin our holiday with a flight, viaMoscow, to the remote Russiancommunity of Petropavlovsk, lying on theKamchatka coastline and backed by someof the most beautiful scenery in the world.Here we board the 'Spirit of Enderby' andbegin our 12-night exploration of thisseldom visited and inaccessible region.The Commander Islands are our firstdestination, a remote group of smallislands named after the early explorer,Commander Vitus Bering, who wasshipwrecked and died here in 1741. The'Commanders' are home to a small Aleutpopulation, who are very welcoming tovisitors, and a huge population of nestingseabirds. Here we will have our firstopportunity to experience the sights andsounds of a North Pacific auk colony andenjoy such sought-after species as Tuftedand Horned Puffin, Crested and ParakeetAuklet, and Brünnich's Guillemot, plusPigeon Guillemot, Short-tailed Shearwater,Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, Red-facedCormorant and the rare Red-leggedKittiwake.We next cross back to the KamchatkaPeninsula and spend two days exploringits coastal bays, islets, rocky shorelineand forests. Backed by the snow-cappedcones of the numerous volcanoes thatgive the 'Ring of Fire' its name, thescenery here is truly breathtaking. On oneday we will head along the ZhuponavoRiver and enjoy walks over flower-filledmeadows in search of SiberianRubythroat, Pechora Pipit, LanceolatedWarbler, Yellow-breasted Bunting and Far-Eastern Curlew. We will also have our firstopportunity to look for the magnificentSteller's Sea Eagle, whilst Brown Bears,Sea Otters and Orcas are often sighted aswe cruise along the coast. SpectacledGuillemots also occur here, as do Long-billed Murrelets; the former has a veryrestricted distribution in the north Pacificand is yet another speciality of the region. The Kuril Islands are of internationalimportance on account of their hugecolonies of breeding seabirds and wehave seven days to island-hop down thechain and enjoy its breathtaking wildlifespectacles. As we cruise through thearchipelago we will use Zodiacs to goashore at convenient locations and obtaincloser views of particularly interestingstretches of coastline. Enormous aukcolonies cover the cliffs, some of whichhave been estimated to contain over half amillion birds! Tufted Puffins are common,as are Rhinoceros Auklets and CrestedAuklets (indeed feeding flocks of the lattercan number in the thousands!), whilstsmaller numbers of Horned Puffins, Ancient Murrelets and Brünnich'sGuillemots add to the variety. The teemingmasses of auks also include the rare andlittle-known Whiskered Auklet, togetherwith the equally enigmatic Crested, orJapanese Murrelet. The best place to lookfor the former is Yankicha Island whichholds the world's largest colony of this tinyseabird and, although it is one of therarest of the Pacific auks, we can expect tosee thousands of this diminutive andattractive species. The scenery here isnothing short of spectacular, the islandbeing a dramatic volcanic caldera,inundated by the sea, where the shorelineliterally steams from the meeting of coldocean waters with hot gases from thedrowned giant! As well as the auks of theKuril Islands, many other seabirds are tobe seen, amongst them vast numbers ofNorthern Fulmars, Short-tailedShearwaters, flocks of handsomeHarlequin Ducks risking life and limb onthe surf-line and even the rare Blakiston'sFishing Owl is possible on Kunashir Island,one of the most southerly in the chain.Our cruise route will depend on both thelocal weather conditions and the whim ofRussian bureaucracy and red tape, but weare assured an amazing wildlife experienceno matter which of the islands we arepermitted to explore. Our journey aroundthe 'Ring of Fire' must sadly come to anend, however, on Sakhalin Island. Here wemust say farewell to the 'Spirit of Enderby'and, with memories of wheeling flocks ofauklets backed by snow-capped volcanoesstill fresh in our minds, we board our returnflight for the long journey home. Kamchatka - A Voyage Around the Ring of FireA 16-day holiday, including a 12-night voyage to the remote and spectacular landscapesof Kamchatka, the volcanic Kuril Islands and the remote Commander Islands.Thursday 24th May - Friday 8th June Cost: from £7,595Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationRUSSIARUSSIASEA OFOKHOTSKBERINGSEAJAPANSAKHALINISLANDKURIL ISLANDSYUZHNOSAKHALINSKHOKKAIDOPETROPAVLOVSKCOMMANDERISLANDSKAMCHATKA PENINSULAOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Moscow.Day 2Fly Petropavlovsk.Day 3Arrive Petropavlovsk.Day 4Board 'Spirit of Enderby'and begin cruise.Day 5/6Commander Islands.Day 7/8Kamchatka Peninsula.Day 9/15Kuril Islands.Day 16Fly London.AccommodationThis expedition voyage will be aboardthe 'Spirit of Enderby' (see page275). Twin-bedded cabins withshared facilities are included in theabove price. Twin-bedded cabinswith private facilities are available atan additional cost. Please refer to theTrip Itinerary for a full price list. InPetropavlovsk we use a comfortabletourist hotel with private facilities.FoodAll included in the price, except forlunches and dinners in Sakhalin andPetropavlovsk. GradingGrade B. Day walks only. Sometricky landings.FocusBirds, plants, cetaceans, sceneryand a little history.Leader(s)Rodney Russ, plus Andy Smith (forgroups of 10+).Single room supplement On request. Web quick search: RUS01269Brown BearsTufted PuffinYankicha Island

Far out in the Indian Ocean, nearly600 kilometres to the south-west ofIndia, lie the beautiful coral atolls ofthe Maldives. These really are the desertislands of our dreams - warm turquoisewaters lapping against white sandybeaches edged with gently swaying palmtrees! Many of the 1,192 islands that makeup the archipelago (only 300 are inhabited)are also ringed by pristine coral reefs,famed for their marine-life which attractsdivers and snorkellers from around theworld. For many people these exquisiteislands and encircling coral reefs requirelittle introduction, but the waterssurrounding the Maldives hold a lesswidely known, but equally exciting naturalattraction, cetaceans. In the past twoyears, 18 species of whale and dolphinhave been recorded in these waters.Spinner, Bottlenose and Risso's Dolphinsare all common, as are Short-finned PilotWhales, Sperm and Dwarf Sperm Whales.Even the Blue Whale, the largest animalthought to have ever inhabited the Earth, isseen regularly; and in recent years therehave been increasing sightings of severalof the beaked whale species, that group of rarely observed, deep ocean cetaceansthat we still know very little about. With such an abundance of marine-life onoffer, the best way to explore thisarchipelago is by boat. We have thereforetaken the exclusive charter of the 32-metreMV Ari Queen - a comfortable cruisevessel that accommodates just 16 guestsin en suite, air-conditioned cabins - forthis voyage. This will be our home forseven nights as we explore the many bays,atolls and reefs in search of cetaceans,huge Manta Rays, graceful White-tailedTropicbirds and an abundance of othermarine-life. Our holiday begins with a flight to Malé,the capital of the Maldives. After a night toenjoy our first taste of this tropicalparadise, we will board the MV Ari Queenand head out to explore the multitude ofislands and atolls that dot these turquoiseseas. Our exact itinerary will be keptflexible and in the hands of our guide, Dr.Chas Anderson, a professional marinebiologist who has lived and worked in theMaldives since 1983. Each night we willanchor in a sheltered lagoon within one ofthe many atolls and start each day with theopportunity to snorkel on the reef. We willthen head out to sea in search ofcetaceans and other wildlife, returning toshelter once again in the evening, tosnorkel, eat and sleep. The great attraction of whale and dolphin-watching in the Maldives is the diversity ofspecies that can be seen here. On this tripwe can expect to see about a dozenspecies, the calm clear waters oftenallowing unrivalled views. Large pods ofSpinner Dolphins are a common sightleaping out of the water and twirling in theair as their name suggests. Risso's andStriped Dolphins are also regularly seen,together with Cuvier's Beaked Whale andShort-finned Pilot Whale. Dwarf SpermWhale, the smallest 'whale', is common inthe Maldives, but rarely seen elsewhere.Indeed, this cruise probably offers the bestopportunity to see this elusive speciesanywhere in the world! Other species tolook out for include Bryde's and SpermWhales, pods of False Killer Whales and afew rarities such as Rough-toothedDolphin and Blainville's Beaked Whale. Forthe very fortunate there is the ultimate goalof a Longman's Beaked Whale, one of therarest species in the world, but one that DrAnderson has seen, and photographed,several times in these waters!Birdlife on the Maldives is not prolific, butthere are some interesting and beautifulspecies to look out for. The graceful White-tailed Tropicbird is likely, along withAudubon's Shearwaters and the menacingoutlines of Lesser Frigatebirds. Of all thebird families, however, it is the terns thatdominate here and we could see 10 or sospecies including Saunder's Little Tern,Lesser Crested Tern, Black-naped Tern and Lesser Noddy. The Maldives are rightly famous for theirsea-life and, in addition to the cetaceans,our cruise will introduce you to a wealth ofmarine creatures from the diminutive clownfish to the mighty Manta. Over 1,000species of fish have been recorded hereand you can expect to see over 200 ofthese whilst snorkelling. Hawksbill andGreen Turtles are another treat to look outfor on the reefs, whilst flying fish areabundant in the open water and regularlyflushed into the air as we cruise from oneatoll to the next. Even a Whale Shark ortwo is possible! There will also be theopportunity to snorkel with Manta Rays,one of the ultimate marine experiences.The sight of one, or more, of thesemagnificent creatures (which have awingspan of over two metres) effortlesslygliding past beneath will not only fill yourthoughts on the long journey home but besure to remain in the memory for life. Mantas, Dolphins & Coral Reefs - A Maldives CruiseA 10-day holiday, including a 7-night whale-watching cruise through the warm, turquoise waters surrounding the Maldives.Friday 17th February - Sunday 26th February Cost: £3,395270Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryMALDIVEISLANDSSUVADIVAINDIANOCEANEQUATORMALÉOutline itineraryDay 1Depart London.Day 2Malé.Day 3/9Maldives cruise.Day 10Fly London.AccommodationFor this voyage Naturetrek hasexclusively charteredtheMV AriQueen (see page 278). Cabins aretwin-bedded and air-conditionedwith en suite facilities. In Malé weuse a comfortable tourist resort onone of the palm-fringed islandsnear the airport. Food All included in the price, except formain meals in Malé. Grading Grade A. Easy and optional daywalks only. FocusCetaceans, birds, Manta Rays andother marine-life. LeadersDr. Chas Anderson and Roy Taylor.Single room supplementNot available.Web quick search: MDV01Friday 23rd September -Sunday 2nd OctoberCost: £3,295EXCLUSIVENATURETREK CHARTERBryde's WhaleSpinner DolphinThe Maldives