Day 3 - Camping and Belugas

Friday, 29th July

DW got up early and explored a nice area close to the hotel and then we were up and ready packed for breakfast in the restaurant at 6.45. rice pudding, pancake and jam, bread, cheese, sausage.

We chatted to a couple of american ladies that we'd met in the port the night before before collecting our bags and taking everything to the dock where our small boat, the Victoria, was waiting. They had to tie up next to another boat so everything had to be passed across the bows of the other boat.

 

The crossing took about an hour at about 35 kph and we saw 2/3 Belugas from about half way across – but distant and difficult to see. We enjoyed views of Arctic skua, guillemot and black guillemot on the way.

The captain headed for the shore and cut the engines making for a bay where it became very shallow, so we came in on a rising tide very slowly to avoid the belugas and to steer round the boulders. The captain put on waders and jumped overboard to manoever the boat so as to make it possible to unload the gear and us in as shallow an area as possible – originally we put on wellies but decided to remove them and go in barefooted as the depth was over the wellies. We climbed along the narrow side deck of the boat and slipped off the bow into calf high water, slowly making our way to shore. The captain brought all our gear ashore and Dimitri collected it and took it up the beach, finally the boat was manhandled back out of the boulders and took off to Solovetski.

The gear then had to be taken from the beach to the camp space – a lovely spot in a small pine wooded area. There was a wooden hut and the site was set up for the research group who may be here today/tomorrow. The toilet was a drop pit about 50 yards away in the forest, and there was a forest shower about 50 yds the other way.

We found several flowers and butterflies including Marsh cinquefoil, small cowheat, chickweed wintergreen, common spotted orchid, a Seapea , with Silver-studded Blue and Painted lady butterflies.

We set up the tents, blew up the mattresses and were ready for an early lunch organised by Dimitri of self grilled hunters sausages on the fire, bread, soup, cake, biscuits water and tea.

I took an afternoon nap while sabrina and DW went for a walk. After I woke up, following a cup of tea we revisited to see the lesser butterfly orchids, dune pansy, silver studded blue, cranberry blue butterfly, spiked speedwell and crane's-bill.

Around 5 we donned aqua-shoes, collected out gear and set off for the island, splashing through calf high water before walking along the beach to the point, avoiding the tern attacks and noting the tern chicks. We could see the Belugas before we got there we then set up our cameras as close to the edge as we could and settled down to enjoy the whales. This pod as about 50 meters off shore and there were several bouts of activity with some quieter spells. The youngsters are born a browny grey and get whiter as they mature. We saw lots of different behaviour including water spitting, rolling, jumping and head/tail waving.

About 8 oclock we had to pack up and leave to avoid getting stranded and returned for a pasta and beef supper before turning in for bed. The midges were a bit of a nightmare but we survived.