July 6 – 20, 2017 | 15 Days | Aboard the Silver Discoverer

WILD ALASKA

Expedition Highlights • Photograph a variety of wildlife including several species of whales, northern fur seals, otters, Arctic foxes, and brown bears digging for clams in Geographic Harbor.

• Visit remote Bering Sea and Pribilof Island communities, including a Siberian Yupik community.

• View Alaska’s iconic landscapes— mountains, fjords, waterfalls, and tundra—during numerous Zodiac excursions.

• Search for a variety of seabirds, including horned and tufted puffins, common murres, parakeet auklets, and red-legged kittiwakes.

• Attend a fascinating cultural performance in Provideniya, Russia.

• Itinerary .................................... page 2 > • Flight Information ...................... page 4 > • Ship, Deck Plan & Rates ............ page 5 > • Featured Leader ........................ page 6 > • Know Before You Go ................. page 6 >

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H A R V A R D M U S E U M S O F S C I E N C E & C U L T U R E | W I L D A L A S K A

Itinerary Based on the expeditionary nature of our trips, there may be ongoing enhancements to this itinerary.

Thursday, July 6, 2017 HOME / ANCHORAGE, ALASKA Arrive in Anchorage and check-in at our hotel. In the evening gather for a welcome dinner and briefing.

Friday, July 7 ANCHORAGE / NOME / EMBARK SILVER DISCOVERER After breakfast transfer to the airport for your flight to Nome. With the discovery of gold in 1898, this boomtown’s popula-tion swelled to nearly 20,000 miners, furiously panning along 15 miles of beaches that fringe Norton Sound. Today’s town of 5,000 offers a peaceful contrast to the lively legacy reflected in the colorful local saloons and museum displays. Embark the Silver Discoverer in time for lunch and set sail in the evening.

Saturday, July 8 KING ISLAND / ARCTIC CIRCLE In true expedition style, board Zodiacs and explore the craggy ledges of King Island to view thousands of least and crested auklets as they make their way from nests to the sea. You will also enjoy a crossing of the Arctic Circle at 66°33’N right on the International Date Line—a feat few adventurers can claim.

Sunday, July 9 Day Lost Crossing International Date Line.

Monday, July 10 PROVIDENIYA, RUSSIA This morning spend time on deck watching for the marine life that thrives in these nutrient rich waters as well as seabirds such as

short-tailed shearwaters, northern fulmars, Laysan albatross, and fork-tailed storm petrels. When the weather is clear, the views across the Bering Strait reach to Russia and Alaska. Alternatively, enjoy lectures from our staff as they introduce the many historic and natural facets of this fascinating region.

In the afternoon, go ashore in Provideniya, located at the southern limit of the Arctic ice pack, it is the main commercial port of this sparsely populated region. Tour the regional museum and sail by Plover Bay, the Russian landing site of the Harriman Expedition. When we return to US waters this evening, we gain a day by crossing the International Date Line.

Monday, July 10 SAVOONGA, ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND, ALASKA A Siberian Yupik community hosts our visit to St. Lawrence. The hardy locals living on this windswept pebbly spit subsist on the bounty of the sea. As you walk through the village, you may see walrus hides stretched on drying racks, later to be fashioned into skin boats, or umiaks. During a performance of traditional dances, note that the accompanying drums are made of stretched walrus stomach skin. Birders enjoy a brisk hike to seek the red-necked phalarope, long-tailed duck, yellow and white wagtail, and, possibly, the rare emperor goose.

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GEOGRAPHIC HARBOR HORNED PUFFIN

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FUR SEALS

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Tuesday, July 11 HALL & ST. MATTHEW ISLANDS

Harriman Expedition participant Louis Fuertes collected bird specimens at Hall Island, which he found to be an ornitholo-gist’s paradise. Walrus have occasionally been spotted here, and we keep a lookout during Zodiac excursions, passing by arches, waterfalls, and sea stacks packed with birds.

Fascinating geological formations are a trademark of the deserted island of St. Matthew, a result of cooling igneous volcanic rock. Countless numbers of thick-billed murres, black-legged kittiwakes, fulmars, and puffins call the cliffs and columns their seasonal home. Enjoy a walk through meadows of blooming pink and yellow louseworts and blue Jacob’s ladder. We may spot the rare McKay’s bunting, which breeds here; Arctic foxes scurrying along the hillsides; and endemic St. Matthew singing voles scampering among the rocks.

Wednesday, July 12 ST. PAUL ISLAND, PRIBILOF ISLANDS Due south in the Bering Sea lies the tiny archipelago comprising the five Pribilof Islands. They were discovered in 1786 by the Russian explorer Gerassim Pribilof who successfully located what he was hoping to find: fur seals by the thousands, which the Russians later harvested nearly to extinction. Today, the northern fur seal is protected and cannot be hunted commercially. The Pribilof breeding population now numbers more than 700,000. Bird colonies abound, with some 225 species recorded in the islands. St. Paul is home to 800 Aleuts, the largest such community in the world. Enjoy a stroll through town, then walk among a profusion of tundra wildflowers, watching for Arctic foxes. Zodiac excursions and walks to the edge of the cliffs reveal birds by the thousands—horned and tufted puffins; red-legged kittiwakes; red-faced cormorants; and crested, least, and parakeet auklets.

Thursday, July 13 ST. GEORGE ISLAND Explore the small town of St. George whose residents include about 150 people of Aleut and Russian descent. A picturesque Russian Orthodox church commands a vista of the Bering Sea, and a cliff-top blind provides a remarkable view of a fur seal rookery. More parakeet auklets breed on St. George than any-where else, and the nearly quarter million nesting red-legged kittiwakes make up 98 percent of the world’s population.

Friday, July 14 DUTCH HARBOR, UNALASKA ISLAND / BABY ISLANDS Dutch Harbor was originally used by the North American Commercial Company to process fur seal pelts. Today, it is the busiest fishing and processing port in Alaska. Stroll among WWII relics of the US Army, visit the Museum of the Aleutians and the WWII Historic Center, and view the oldest onion-domed Russian church in Alaska.

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WHISKERED AUKLET

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In the afternoon sail among the Fox Islands group of the Aleutians, watching for minke whales, the smallest baleen whale in the northern Pacific. The five tiny, volcanic Baby Islands, our day’s final destination, teem with puffins and whiskered auklets.

Saturday, July 15 OTTER COVE, UNIMAK ISLAND / HIGH ISLAND After breakfast board Zodiacs and head for the largest Aleutian island, Unimak, which is ringed by sandy beaches, carpeted in flowering tundra, and crowned by the Shishaldin Volcano. This is the only island in the Aleutians with a population of brown bears. Enjoy one of several walks offered today, from beach explorations to a tundra hill walk with stupendous views. As we cruise the coast of High Island this afternoon, watch for the thousands of horned and tufted puffins along its cliffs.

Sunday, July 16 UNGA ISLAND, SHUMAGIN ISLANDS Anchor at Unga Island today; its multiple bays offer excellent Zodiac opportunities to spot sea otters and birds, including peregrine falcons. Ashore, enjoy botanizing amid fields of wildflowers and spongy tundra. Scattered pieces of multicolored petrified wood are remnants of an ancient meta-sequoia forest, evidence that the region once enjoyed a warmer climate. In the evening search for whales in these waters famed for seasonal migrations as we head toward the Semidi Islands.

Monday, July 17 SEMIDI ISLANDS The Semidi Islands are home to two and a half million birds. Make a Zodiac landing to walk on a small, sandy beach covered in driftwood sea-carved into intriguing silvery shapes. Also by Zodiac, trace the shores of Aghiyuk Island, home to huge colonies of seabirds—northern fulmars, common murres, and black-legged kittiwakes.

Tuesday, July 18 GEOGRAPHIC HARBOR, KATMAI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE Nearly hidden at the far reaches of Amalik Bay, Geographic Harbor is surrounded by magnificent volcanic scenery (access through the narrow entrance of the harbor is tidal dependent). We cruise the area by Zodiac, watching for brown bears that dig for clams along the beaches at low tide.

Wednesday, July 19 KODIAK, KODIAK ISLAND Dock at the town of Kodiak, a bustling port settled by Russian fur traders in 1784. By 1792, Alexander Baranof established the town as the first capital of Russia’s North American colonies. Visit the 1794 Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox church, with its prominent blue onion domes, and Erskine House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1809 and now housing the Kodiak Baranof Museum. Exhibits in the Alutiiq Museum detail the history and culture of these native people who lived here millennia before the Europeans arrived.

Cruise toward Seward this afternoon. As we pass islands with steep cliffsides, watch for nesting puffins and cormorants and scan the waters for acrobatic humpback whales and pods of hunting orca, as well as fin and sei whales.

Thursday, July 20 SEWARD / DISEMBARK / ANCHORAGE / HOME We disembark the Silver Discoverer in Seward and board motorcoaches bound for Anchorage and the airport where we connect with independent homeward flights.

Flight Information You will need to purchase airfare from your home city/Anchorage/Nome and Anchorage/home city.

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ANCHORAGE

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The Silver DiscovererThe Silver Discoverer is an elegant 120-guest vessel, ideally suited for expedition cruising. Her fleet of Zodiacs allows us to explore anywhere nature or curiosity dictates. All staterooms have an ocean view, spacious wardrobes, individually controlled heat/air conditioner, personal safe, flat-screen television, sitting area, and en suite bathroom. Facilities on board include a single-seating dining room, two lounges, small library, and outdoor pool.

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Deck Plan

Rates

Solo Travelers: Single accommodations are limited. Please call our office for availability.

CATEGORY 1 $14,980 CATEGORY 3 $16,880 CATEGORY 5 $22,180 SUITE $32,280

CATEGORY 2 $15,980 CATEGORY 4 $18,380 CATEGORY 6 $26,780

Rates

INCLUDED:

• Daily activity options including Zodiac cruises, nature walks, and cultural tours• All gratuities• All accommodations• World-class lecture and expedition team• All onboard meals and group meals ashore, including soft drinks, beer, and wine with lunch and dinner• All entrance fees, taxes, and landing and port charges• Arrival and departure transfers on group dates• Gift certificates for recommended expedition gear and reading materials• Medical expense coverage and emergency evacuation insurance

NOT INCLUDED:

• Airfare from your home city/Anchorage/Nome and Anchorage/home city• Excess baggage charges• Airport arrival and departure taxes• Transfers for independent arrivals and departures• Passport and/or visa fees• Travel insurance• Items of a personal nature such as laundry, alcoholic beverages, (other than listed at left), and other incidentals• Email/Internet/fax/telephone charges

A 25% per person deposit will secure your space on this expedition. All rates are per person, based on double occupancy, quoted in US dollars, and must be paid in US dollars. Rates and itineraries are subject to change.

H A R V A R D M U S E U M S O F S C I E N C E & C U L T U R E | W I L D A L A S K A

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Know Before You Go For most activities, a relatively moderate level of exertion is required. You will need to climb, unaided, in and out of Zodiacs for excursions ashore. Many of the landings will be “wet” and require that you wear waterproof, knee-high boots. Ashore, you must be able to walk moderate distances over occasionally rough and often slippery terrain. We’ve designed our shore excursions to accommodate both those who enjoy gentle strolls and those who prefer more active hikes. Summer temperatures in Alaska range from approximately 40º to 60ºF, but can get down into the high 30sºF, and high winds are also possible. Flexibility is a must, as itineraries are subject to change, and landings may be tidal or weather dependent.

Featured LeadersOur leaders have visited Alaska numerous times and will provide valuable insight and commentary on the history, culture, wildlife of this intriguing region. Fascinating lectures, photo presentations, daily recaps, and informal discussions will enhance your understanding and appreciation of the wonders you will see. Leaders from additional fields of study will join the leaders featured below.

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MICHAEL MOORE (EXPEDITION LEADER) – A Chicago native, Michael earned both his B.S. in biology and an M.S. degree in ecology, ethology, and evolution at the University of Illinois. He then spent 10 years conducting research around the Pacific Rim, where he lived in the highlands of New Guinea, logged hundreds of hours beneath its waters working for conservation organizations,

and taught field biology courses for the University of PNG. His research around the world led him to a career as an expedi-tion leader taking travelers from the equatorial forests of New Guinea to Alaska’s arctic tundra and many places in between.

JAMES J. MCCARTHY – Jim is Harvard’s Alexander Agassiz Professor of Biological Oceanography and former Director of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. He holds a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and is one of three U.S. scientists who had held leadership roles in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when it shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He also

had major roles in the 2005 Arctic Climate Impact Assessment and the 2007 Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment. Appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, he also serves as chair of the Board of Directors of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

BALD EAGLE

To make your reservation, contact: HARVARD ALUMNI TRAVELS

124 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA tel: (617) 495-2463 or fax: (617) 496-8782

Email: hmsctravel@hmsc.harvard.edu | Web: travel.hmsc.harvard.edu