The Shantar Islands. Expedition to the world of wildlife

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The tour to the Shantar Archipelago is an incredible and amazing adventure to one of the most unexplored and little—explored wild places on planet Earth.

We suggest you visit exactly such a place where you can forget about the hustle and bustle of the city, looking at gracefully passing whales, frolicking killer whales, imposing brown bears in their satiety, where you can relax while admiring the amazing landscapes of the Far Eastern taiga against the backdrop of majestic hills and the harsh, but no less beautiful Sea of Okhotsk.

Location

Russia, Khabarovsk Territory, Komsomolsk-on-Amur

from

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

Whale watching

Only here you can watch bowhead whales, killer whales, swim next to them in their natural habitat.

The most remote and uninhabited corner

You will feel like real travelers, so that you can be proud of the fact that we managed to overcome ourselves.

A variety of activities

Take hiking trips deep into the islands and mainland to try your luck in mountain rivers, lakes and sea fishing

Itinerary

Day 1 - Transfer from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to the shore of Nikolai Bay
The transfer starts from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where we take you from Khabarovsk the day before the transfer starts, so that you can relax after the flight and prepare for the trip to the bay.
The transfer starts at 03:00 a.m. local time. The journey time will be from 16 to 24 hours (much depends on weather conditions and road conditions).
Meals on the way are provided in the form of sandwiches with tea (coffee) and canned food.
If you have special food conditions (vegetarians, allergies to certain types of foods), please inform our manager when booking.
The transfer is the hardest part of the expedition, as there are no highways or highways for 600 km, but there is a dirt road that runs through the taiga, the Amgun River with a ferry crossing, passing by two toll checkpoints.
There is a section of forest road where the speed is 20-30 km/h. You will also have to overcome fords, drive through areas with blurred roads, huge ruts, and no one is immune from transport breakdowns, because the load on equipment is enormous.
Gain strength and patience, because to get to such a wild and inaccessible land, you need to be a little crazy!
Accommodation at the transshipment base is shared, 5-6 people each in comfortable tents with a stove.
Accommodation at the transshipment base may take a day or more, depending on weather conditions (storm, fog, low tide), which do not allow our ships to set sail.
Day 2 - Arrival on the island
On the morning after the first day, we will have a sea crossing from the transshipment base to the main camp on the same island. The crossing can take from 1.5-3 hours, depending on weather conditions, as well as the presence of whales in the bay. Very often we meet them on the way to the island, then of course we stop and watch the animals in the open water.
Upon arrival of the boat on the island, we settle in comfortable tents.
If you are afraid of living with people of the opposite sex or do not want to live in a tent with a stranger, then we have a paid "single room" service for you. Plus 50,000 rubles to the cost of the tour and you live comfortably in a tent alone. The "single room" service is paid upon conclusion of the contract and does not change or recalculate at the end of the tour, regardless of the number of nights spent on the island.
The first day on the island is an introductory one, we introduce you to the team, the territory and the arrangement of the island, we are instructed on safety and rules of being on the water.
We are conducting a trial lesson on boots.
We are discussing the program of hiking and boating individually with each group, depending on your wishes and weather conditions, as well as the migration of whales and killer whales in the bay.
In the evening we spend time around the campfire, communicate with each other, relax. You can use our library.

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Day 3 - Bay expedition, hiking and fishing
If the weather permits, we go out on the SUP board and watch whales and seals from the SUP board or from the shore (we only watch killer whales from the shore or boat).
During these days, services will be available to you for an additional fee (all additional services are paid only on site, for more information, see the sections "Paid separately" and "Important to know"):
meeting with the inhabitants of the "Whale Harbor" right under the water;
you will be able to get your star, make friends with the charming jellyfish and enjoy the beauty of the underwater world of the Okhotsk Sea in its pristine form. We will be with you every step of the way, capturing dives on a video camera.;
You will take with you not only unforgettable impressions, but also vivid videos that will remind you of an underwater adventure for many years to come.;
Under the guidance of experienced freediving instructors, you will immerse yourself in the world of sea giants in their natural habitat.;
You will be among the first to make an unforgettable dive into the depths of the Sea of Okhotsk, watch friendly sea seals underwater or from the sand and experience the feeling of weightlessness in underwater space.
We always rely on the weather, the tour program may vary by day.
On one of the days of the tour, we undergo a briefing and a trial dive with certified professional instructors. So that you can go diving in the bay with the sea seals. Your underwater dive will be captured on video by a professional video diver so that you can take home with you not only incredible emotions, but also captured memories.
From day 3 to 5, the group will make an expedition, which includes:
guided tour of Nicholas Bay, sea crossings to picturesque places with incredibly beautiful places, cliffs, rocky beaches, where the probability of getting close to whales and killer whales is almost 98 %;
excursion "hike to Cape Tugurka" with a colorful panoramic view of the Bay of Nicholas and Cape Lamsdorf. Depending on the weather conditions, as well as the time of the tides, hiking is possible with a boat trip and disembarkation in the bay, or for the most advanced adventurers, a completely hiking route along the coast with climbing to altitude and passing the taiga trail.;
excursion to Wrangel Bay and some islands of the Shantar archipelago;
guided tour of the bay to Cape Lamsdorf, where you can admire the picturesque rocky shores and cliffs up close, as if carved from the depths of the sea;
an excursion to the most mysterious place of the surroundings called "zimushka". In Soviet times, there was an operating gold mine in this place, where goldsmiths worked, now it is a fishing lodge and a place where we will arrive and go rafting on SUP-boards along the river, and after the rafting we will drink tea brewed from harvested local herbs and berries.;
for fishing enthusiasts, depending on the weather conditions and the time of pink salmon spawning, we can arrange a trip to the spawning river to try our luck and catch fish with our own hands.;
It is also possible to go out for mushrooms, mussels and wild berries, depending on the seasonality of maturation of a particular type of agricultural product.
We will spend the night in tents throughout the days, please take this into account.
Sleeping bags, wetsuits, wet socks and sup boards are provided absolutely free of charge.
The equipment and inventory that is provided to you for use is provided as collateral. In case of damage to the property, the deposit is refunded minus the cost of the damaged equipment at the current market value. If you don't want to use this equipment, you can bring your own.
Please note that all boat trips and hiking trips are completely dependent on weather conditions. In the presence of fog, storms and large waves, the boat does not go out to sea.

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Day 4 - Wrangel Bay
We always rely on the weather, and the tour program may vary by day.
On one of the days of the tour, if the weather and the sea allow, we will go with you on one of our favorite and beautiful excursions - to Wrangel Bay.
It takes all day. Early wake-up, breakfast on the island, loading onto the boat, we take our ski bags and wetsuits with us. We walk along the Bay of Nicholas, pass near Cape Lamsdorf, reach a beautiful mountain valley with a stream and stop there. We cook dinner over a campfire, walk around the neighborhood, and then go to Wrangel Bay, disembark on the saps and wait for the whales. We spend 2-3 hours on the water, watching whales, taking beautiful photos and videos. After that, we happily return by the same route to the island, where a warm and delicious dinner awaits us.
We will spend the night in tents throughout the days, please take this into account.
Sleeping bags, wetsuits, wet socks and sup boards are provided absolutely free of charge.
The equipment and inventory that is provided to you for use is provided as collateral. In case of damage to the property, the deposit is refunded minus the cost of the damaged equipment at the current market value. If you don't want to use this equipment, you can bring your own.
Please note that all boat trips and hiking trips are completely dependent on weather conditions. In the presence of fog, storms and large waves, the boat does not go out to sea.
Day 5 - Fishing on the Pink Salmon River
We always rely on the weather, and the tour program may vary by day.
On one of the days of the tour, we will go with you to a place called Pink Salmon, where pink salmon fish spawn. We'll take fishing rods with us, the most dexterous will be able to catch fish with their bare hands. We'll cut it up right there, cook a delicious fish soup, as it should be with charcoal and our signature "blackmail". Lunch will be held outdoors. On the way back, we spend the setting sun directly in the sea. Filled and happy, we will return to the island for dinner.
We will spend the night in tents throughout the days, please take this into account.
Sleeping bags, wetsuits, wet socks and sup boards are provided absolutely free of charge.
The equipment and inventory that is provided to you for use is provided as collateral. In case of damage to the property, the deposit is refunded minus the cost of the damaged equipment at the current market value. If you don't want to use this equipment, you can bring your own.
Please note that all boat trips and hiking trips are completely dependent on weather conditions. In the presence of fog, storms and large waves, the boat does not go out to sea.
Day 6 - Rest at the base camp on the island
The penultimate day of our tour takes place in a calm mode.
In the morning, you can go out on your boots to the bay. At lunch, we can go to Cape Tugurka, take a short hike up to a beautiful panoramic place. Sit on the cape, enjoying the beauty of the bay, while drinking delicious tea. Upon our return, we begin to prepare for departure to the transshipment base, pack our suitcases, hand over our equipment, wetsuits, etc. We have dinner on the island and depart for the transshipment base on the evening tide.

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Day 7 - Departure
We are leaving for Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
You will need to book your own accommodation in Khabarovsk before and after the expedition.

Difficulty

Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Tent

6 nights

Comfort

Basic

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The tour includes accommodation at a transfer base in tents (2 nights) and at the main base camp on the island in glamping tents (4 nights).

The cost of the tour is 220,000 rubles/person.

Discounts:

Family discount – 5%. The discount applies to husband and wife, parents and children, upon presentation of a supporting document, and can be used for tours without a discount (for arrivals from 07/01/25 and 09.09.25, this discount cannot be applied.

The cost of the tour for single occupancy is 320,000 rubles/person. If the number of days and nights on the island is reduced due to changes in weather conditions, the cost of single accommodation will not be refunded.

Accommodation in a double room is random. If you are traveling alone, then perhaps you will be accommodated with another person — a man or a woman.

Please note that the conditions at the transshipment base are quite ascetic and field-like, but everything you need to wash up after a long journey and spend the night in a warm space is there.

Tour conditions

Group

From 1 to 9 tourists

Minimum age

7 years old

Duration

7 days 6 nights

Group meets at

Russia, Khabarovsk Territory, Komsomolsk-on-Amur

Included in price

transfer from Komsomolsk-on-Amur (during the transfer, meals will be provided in the form of sandwiches with tea (coffee) and canned food, meals at the cafe are at your own expense);
hotel accommodation in Komsomolsk-on-Amur: one day before the tour and one day after the tour;
excursion to the Shantar Islands and excursion to Wrangel Bay (depending on weather conditions);
Khabarovsk — Komsomolsk-on-Amur — Khabarovsk railway ticket;
1 dive with photo and video shooting (the following are available for an additional fee);
accommodation and meals on the island in comfortable tents;
heating by a stove;
bed linen, sleeping bag, wetsuit, sap.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Khabarovsk;
accommodation in Khabarovsk hotels;
individual fishing trips are organized whenever possible (including depending on available boats) — negotiated and paid separately;
services for an additional fee (on-site payment):
- excursions:
- personal professional underwater photo and video shooting — 20,000 rubles for 1 hour.;
- additional immersion – 9,000 rubles/hour.
- freediving / snorkeling — 9,000 rubles for 1 hour.;
- personal mobile photo and video shooting (artistic or portrait) — 8000 rubles for 1 hour.

It's important to know

Documents:

Passport of the Russian Federation.
Medical insurance policy.

Clothing and accessories:

Warm jacket/down jacket (waterproof, windproof).
Warm pants.
Pants (membrane, waterproof, windproof).
Hoodies (or hoodies).
T-shirts under hoodies.
The shoes you will wear + a replacement pair (sneakers will do, preferably waterproof).
Rubber boots.
Warm socks.
The hat is not woolen, but warm.
Lingerie.
The suit is anti-enciphalytic.
Raincoat, raincoat, or waterproof suit.
Gloves.
Fleece jacket.
Thermal underwear (it is warm to sleep in a sleeping bag).

Equipment and accessories:

Sunglasses.
A warm sleeping bag.
Koremat.
Thermos.
Lantern.
Waterproof case for phone and documents.
Binoculars.
Other accessories that you take on trips (including for photos).

Medications:

Anti-allergens.
Painkillers.
Dramina (from seasickness).
Individual medications.
Activated carbon.
Medicines for your own needs.

Personal hygiene:

Toothpaste and a brush.
A bath towel.
Sunscreen.
Insect repellent cream.
Cream for wound healing (smears and abrasions).
Instead of lenses, it is better to take glasses.

Dates and Prices

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1 – 7 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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6 – 12 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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11 – 17 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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16 – 22 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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21 – 27 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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26 Jul – 1 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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31 Jul – 6 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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5 – 11 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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10 – 16 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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15 – 21 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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20 – 26 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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25 – 31 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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30 Aug – 5 Sep 7 days 6 nights

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4 – 10 Sep 7 days 6 nights

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9 – 15 Sep 7 days 6 nights

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