When we awoke to thick fog, the ship had already anchored near St Paul Island, population 417, in the middle of the Bering Sea. The ship had cruised through the night. We are closer to the international date line than we had realized.
Location of ship docked near Saint Paul Island, one of the Pribilof Group
We Sea Otters were called to take the tender boats to the dock early.
Old boats near the dockTender boat
The volcanic island was covered with dense green foliage and wildflowers. No trees.
Cormorant on cliffBugleweedLupine leaves had ice on their edges
The town was small, but nice, with good gravel and sand roads. We did wish to see street name signs.
The town’s only storeRussian Orthodox Church and the gold onion dome that came off in a windIn museum adjacent to the church Seashell flowers on a large bone, in the museumHouses painted in a variety of colors
We wandered around lost for a while, but finally found the correct road.
All the roads are sand or gravelStatues of fur sealsStatue of Aleut fur trader, near seals, was placed in 2011, 100 years after the international agreement to conserve the seals.
Our goal was the Zolotoi Seal Sanctuary, and we were not disappointed.
Thousands of seals in numerous coves along the roadThe Northern Fur seals are happy in their sandy coveThese signs kept us from disturbing the seals
Video of seals from a blind set up by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Another goal was the bird cliffs.
Sea gull nestsCormorants and puffinsPahoehoe basalt flow adjacent to a cinder cone remnantCliffs of volcanic flows, sills, and ash.Saint Paul Island is composed of Holocene and Recent (as young as 3200 years ago) alkalic basalt with smaller amounts of more felsic rock. These rocks are considered an example of intraplate volcanism.Plaque commemorating the forced relocation of native peoples from these islands after the Japanese attacked during WWII
In the Explorer Lounge, after dinner, some of the crew performed in a makeshift band, featuring electric guitars and an electronic drum kit. Clare and others danced to a few familiar tunes.
Bunch of Geeks go Traveling 