Reasons to Visit

South Kamchatka State Nature Zakaznik, or wildlife refuge, was established on April 8, 1983, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Kurilskoye Lake is the symbol of South Kamchatka Zakaznik, and a number of superlatives can be used to describe this unique body of water.

Kurilskoye Lake was formed 8,000 years ago at the site of an intense volcanic eruption. Today the lake represents Asia’s largest spawning grounds for sockeye salmon, one of the world’s most valuable species of fish. Each year 1.5 to 3 million spawners enter the lake, and in some years the number can reach 6 million – the population of a large city!

Salmon, in turn, attract some of the world’s biggest – in both the literal and figurative sense – fish lovers – bears. Kurilskoye Lake is their kingdom! The shores of the lake and the immediate surrounding area are home to the largest concentration of brown bears on Kamchatka.

The lake also boasts the world’s highest seasonal concentration of Stellar’s sea eagles. It is far easier to observe these striking predators here, in South Kamchatka Zakaznik, than in any other place on Kamchatka.  ....more

Getting Here

South Kamchatka Zakaznik is located at the very southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The fastest – and only – way to reach the zakaznik is by helicopter.  ....more

Zakaznik Territory

South Kamchatka Zakaznik is located at the very southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Its area totals 225,000 hectares and includes Cape Lopatka, an adjacent 3-mile wide coastal zone of the Sea of Okhotsk and Pacific Ocean, and Gavryushkin Kamen and Utashud Islands.

Much of the zakaznik’s terrain is volcanic in origin. There are several inactive volcanoes here, along with 3 active volcanoes – Kambalnyi, Koshelev, and Ilinsky.

Like the majority of Kamchatka’s waterways, the rivers of South Kamchatka Zakaznik are mountain rivers, some of which drain into the Sea of Okhotsk, and others – into the Pacific Ocean.

The main lake in the refuge is Kurilskoye Lake, a unique place that is more than just a body of water. Kurilskoye Lake is the symbol of Southern Kamchatka, and is the region’s most important natural attraction.

Cape Lopatka and the small island of Utashud are scarcely inhabitable for people, but are ideal places for birds and marine mammals. ...more

Climate

The zakaznik’s climate is largely defined by the proximity of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk. The weather here is changeable, humid and very windy, and wet summers and snowy winters are characteristic features.  ...more

Fauna

 The fauna of the zakaznik is some of the most diverse and abundant in all of Kamchatka.

South Kamchatka Zakaznik is home to Kamchatka’s largest and most famous symbol – the Kamchatka brown bear. The shores of Kurilskoye Lake and the surrounding areas are Kamchatka’s bear country.

Baleen whales, killer whales and dolphins inhabit the nearby waters of the Pacific. Sea otters, larga seals and anturs breed on the rocky shores of Utashud Island and Cape Lopatka.

The arrival of cold temperatures at Kurilskoye Lake is accompanied by a phenomenal event – by mid-winter up to 700 Stellar’s sea eagles gather on the lake shores, representing the world’s highest seasonal concentration of this rare bird of prey.

The zakaznik provides protection for Kamchatka salmon spawning grounds (chum, coho and pink). Kurilskoye Lake is particularly important for salmon – it represents the largest sockeye spawning grounds in all of Asia.....more

Flora

The flora of South Kamchatka Zakaznik is representative of the taiga forest, which is fairly typical for Kamchatka as a whole. Almost the entire territory of the refuge is covered with nearly impassable, creeping forests of cedar elfinwood and Kamchatka alder.

Mountain tundras dotted with alpine bushes, mosses and lichens spread out across volcanic dales, and endemic plant species are found near thermal vents on Kambalnyi, Koshelev and Dikii Greben Volcanoes.....more

Tours and Trails

Zakaznik History

The Itelmen (Tarin) were the first humans to settle in southern Kamchatka; their culture developed here in the 5th century BC. Intensive exploitation of valuable fur-bearing animals and marine mammals began after Kamchatka became part of the Russian Empire, and this situation continued until the end of the 19th century. In 1882 a tsarist decree ordered protection for extensive territory in southern Kamchatka. In 1927 the Soviet Union approved creation of a state zapovednik (nature reserve) on Cape Lopatka and enforcement activities began, but the reserve was abolished in 1932.

The South Kamchatka State Zoological Zakaznik – today, South Kamchatka State Nature Zakaznik – was created on April 8, 1983. The refuge has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Since 2002 the zakaznik has actively collaborated with a joint project of the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF), and with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). ...more

Our Work in the Zakaznik

South Kamchatka Zakaznik is a multiple-use, federal level nature reserve. The activities conducted here are designed to achieve difficult, but very important objectives – restoring the unique natural ecosystems of southern Kamchatka, particularly the Kurilskoye Lake ecosystem; ensuring protection for migratory birds during their migrations; protecting the sea otter, bighorn sheep and Kamchatka brown bear.

Zakaznik activities can be classified into three main categories – protection and enforcement, scientific research and monitoring, and environmental outreach and education. ...more

Important Information

The management of South Kamchatka Zakaznik does not work directly with individual tour groups and independent travelers. Visits to the zakaznik can be arranged only through a tour firm, and all questions related to visitation should also be discussed with a tour agency....more

Interactive Trail Map

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Photo Gallery

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Information

Email - zapoved@mail.kamchatka.ru

Contact Information: 684000, Russia, Kamchatsky Krai, Elizovo, ul. Rybikova , 48. Phone: 007(41531)716-52, 007(4152)411-674

Establishment: South Kamchatka State Nature Zakaznik was established in 1983, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Since 2002 the zakaznik has received support from a joint project of the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF), and from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Size and Location: South Kamchatka Zakaznik is located in the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, and its territory also includes Gavryushkin Kamen and Utashud Islands. The total area of the zakaznik is 225,000 hectares, including a 3-mile wide adjacent coastal zone of the Sea of Okhotsk and Pacific Ocean.

Director: Tikhon Igorevich Shpilenok ...more