Cruises from Shumshu Island
Shumshu in Russia is the second northernmost island of the Kuril Islands chain, and at a height of 189m is the least elevated. The terrain is low-lying and covered with numerous lakes and marshlands. It has a seasonal population of around 100 inhabitants. Interestingly, there are many bomb craters in the area as well as wrecks of several ships, a legacy from WW11. Read more
The wildlife, such as the hundreds of sea-otters in the kelp beds just offshore, make fabulous viewing from Zodiacs, which can get close to the otters as they go about their daily business.