“Kronotsky Nature Reserve and sustainable andcruise tourism”
Roman Korchiginwww.kronoki.ru

Geographic Location of protected areas

Kronotsky
Reserve

PetropavlovskKamchatsky
South Kamchatka
Sanctuary

Kronotsky Reserve
Kronotsky is one of the oldest reserves in Russia, established in 1934. However, theГlegacy of its preservation dates back to ancient times, when the itelmen – eastern
Kamchatka’s
native people – firstbegan to revere a silver
fir grove. Sable hunting in theеографическое
положение
охраняемой
region surrounding Kronotskoye Lake was forbidden as early as 1882.
территорииIn December 1996, the Reserve was included in the “Volcanoes of Kamchatka”
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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4 431 square miles – is the total area
26 volcanoes, 8 of them – active
3 528 m – the highest point –Kronotsky Volcano
More than 40 geysers
8 km – length of the largest glacier(Tushevsky)

Uzon Caldera

Valley of the Geysers

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54 species of mammals
More than 700 brown bears
244 species of birds
104 fish species (5 species of salmon,
spawning on the territory)
767 species of vascular plants

Death Valley

Kronotskoye Lake

Kronotsky Reserve aims to:
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Conserve biological diversity and maintain protected ecosystems intheir pristine natural state;
Organize and carry out scientific research, including compilation of theannual Chronicles of Nature;
Implement of ecological monitoring;
Conduct ecological education;
Participate in state ecological assessments of plans for concerning theconstruction of commercial and other facilities;
Assist in the training of scientists in environmental conservation.

South Kamchatka Sanctuary
South Kamchatka Sanctuary established in 1983, is situated on the southernmost
tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula, on the site of the Asacha and Lopatka Beaver reserves,
created here in the late XIX century.
The Sanctuary was included in the List of World Heritage Sites under Volcanoes ofKamchatka nomination. Powerful geological and volcanic processes created the uniquelandscapes, and areas of the South Kamchatka Sanctuary are examples of exceptional
beauty.
•••••322 000 hectares – is the total area
4 active volcanoes
2 161 – the highest point – Kambalny
Volcano316 m – maximum depth of Kuril Lake
5 million salmon enter the Lake forspawning

Kuril Lake

Kutkhiny Baty

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more than 200 brown bears
more 2 000 sea ottersmore than 750 birds of prey winter on the
territory
50 settlements of marine birds

Heart of Alaid island

Ilyinsky Volcano

South Kamchatka Sanctuary

The regime of the Sanctuary is strict, similar to that of
Kronotsky Reserve. The Sanctuary has the following goals:•••

Conservation of South Kamchatka’s natural ecosystems, including theunique Kuril Lake Basin ecosystem;
Conservation major migratory routes for birds;
Preservation of sea otter, bighorn sheep and brown bear population.

Tourist routes of the Kronotsky Reserve

Unique ecosystems of the Kronotsky Reserve
The Valley of the Geysers
The Valley of the Geysers was
discovered on July 25, 1941 bynature reserve scientist T. I. Ustinova
and her assistant A. P. Krupenin.
The eight-kilometer-long canyonof the Valley of the Geysers reaches
four-kilometers wide in places, andup to 400 meters deep. The canyon
was carved by the Geyser River.
There are dozens such canyons in
Kamchatka, but this one is unique
due to its more than 40 geysers andmany hot springs all within a sixkilometer stretch.

Unique ecosystems of the Kronotsky Reserve
Uzon Caldera

This unique phenomenon, like anatural laboratory, provides a live
demonstration of thermal ecosystemprocesses. The hydrothermal system of
the Uzon is one of the most powerfulin Kamchatka. Here one can observe,
unlike anywhere else on Earth, anumber of processes involved in thecreation of volcanoes, products of theglacial period, and fields with virgin
sulfur beds and colorful rockformations created by hydrothermal
forces.
The caldera (from the Spanish forbowl or kettle) is a bowl-shaped basin,
9×12 km in size. The highest point of
the caldera wall is Barany (Ram) Peak,
1,617 m above sea level, while thelowest point is 650–700 m. The caldera
was formed about 40,000 years ago.

Unique ecosystems of the Kronotsky Reserve
Kronotskoye Lake
Kronotskoye Lake is the largest
freshwater lake and drainage basin on
Kamchatka; it is the second largest interms of water volume and the third
deepest on Kamchatka. Kronotskoye
Lake was formed after the ancient
Paleokronotskaya River was dammed
by a massive lava flow along with
pyroclastic sediments from eruptionsof the Kronotsky and Krasheninnikov
volcanos. The lake is unique not only
due to its origin, but also because of
the natural ecosystems within its
watershed.
A population of kokanee (afreshwater form of the sockeye) with
about 30 million fish evolved here fromanadromous sockeye as a result of
long-term isolation.

Unique ecosystems of the Kronotsky Reserve
Graceful Fir Grove
The Kamchatka or Graceful Fir
Grove, which is surrounded by adeciduous forest of Erman’s birch in
the lower reaches of the Novy (New)Semyachik River, is one of the taigaconifer islands of Kamchatka. The
native Itelmen people have known
about and avoided this forest for morethan 250 years. The grove inspired fearin the Itelmen because of its mystique.
Even today two of its mysteries remainunresolved — its origin and taxonomy.
Some believe that this grove
survived the glacial epoch.
The Graceful fir is an importantscientific, historical, esthetic, andeducational natural phenomenon.

Unique ecosystems of the Kronotsky Reserve

Semyachiksky Liman (Lagoon)

The Semyachiksky Liman issituated on the southern border of theReserve. In summer, the waters of thelarge shallow lagoon grow warm.
During low tide, numerous shallows
appear, offering rich feeding grounds
for marsh birds.
The lagoon and neighboring
Novy Semyachik River are migrationroutes for Pacific salmon, whitespotted char (kundzha) and Doly
Varden, which in turn attract fisheating birds, bears, and otherpredators.
The mouth of the lagoon during
fall and winter hosts one of the largest
populations of larga seal.
Semyachksky Liman is included
into the List of the Wetlands of special
national importance. The reserve has
designated Semyachinsky Liman as anarea with significant scientific value.

Sightseeing tours of Kronotsky Reserve
1. “Geysers of the Kronotsky Reserve” —a one-day guided tour
2.

“Uzon’s steaming earth” — a one-day
guided tour

3.

“Miracles of Kamchatka” — a three-day
walking tour of the Uzon-Geyser area

4.

“Death Valley” — a one-day guided tour

5.

“Winter’s Tale” — a snowmobile or ski
tour to the Kipeliye springs

6.

“Lake in the High Mountains” — a oneday tour on the Kronotskoye Lake

7.

“To the Deep-sea Dwellers” — a tour ofthe sea waters

“Geysers of the Kronotsky Reserve” — a one-day guided tour
The eco-informational focus of the tours
involves observation of nature in a uniquegeothermal region. Here, visitors to the
Kronotskiy Reserve will see steam fountains
erupting from geysers in a beautiful
mountain landscape, thermal fields, colorful
earthen chambers, many jets of water, noisy
hot springs and small geysers, streams, andwaterfalls, learn about the causes andconsequences of the catastrophic landslideTime on the territory: 2–2.5 hours
from 2007 and see Geyser Lake.
Often, groups are able to spot theKamchatkan brown bear — king of thisterritory.
• Level of difficulty: a generally accessible route for people with full physical mobility.
Special sports training is not required.
• The number of visitors is limited to 5 000 a year to reduce the ecological impacts ofrecreational activities on wildland resources.

• The tour’s operation is restricted to May and June. Specific dates are outlined everyyear.

“Uzon’s steaming earth” — a one-day guided tour
As far as contemporary volcanism is concerned, the Uzon Volcano caldera is aunique spot in all the world. The Itelmen call Uzon “Steaming Earth.” Walking overits wooden platform, visitors feel the gigantic energy trapped in the Earth’s bowels.
Uzon amazes you with the wealth and forms of its volcanic manifestations.
The eco-informational focus of the tours involves observation of nature in aunique geothermal region. Along the way, visitors will see the Bannoye, Chloride,and Figure Eight Lakes, Murky Geyser, earthen chambers, and mud volcanoes, andview different panoramas.
• Time on the territory: 2–2.5 hours• Level of difficulty: a generally accessible
route for people with full physical mobility.
Special sports training is not required.
• The number of visitors is limited to 5 000 ayear to reduce the ecological impacts ofrecreational activities on
wildlandresources.
• The tour’s operation is restricted to May
and June.

Tourist routes of the South Kamchatka Sanctuary

Unique ecosystems of the South Kamchatka Sanctuary
Kuril Lake
Kuril Lake was formed about
8,000 years ago as a result of a seriesof enormous volcanic explosions whichshook southern Kamchatka.
Kuril Lake as we know it today
covers 77 square kilometers, holds 15
cubic kilometers of water, and has anaverage depth of 195 meters.
The largest population of sockeye
salmon in Eurasia spawns in Kuril Lake.
The lasting abundance of sockeye
is one of the most importantcharacteristicsof
thisnaturalecosystem. To feed on the abundance,over 200 bears come here at the end of
the summer. This is the best place forobserving these beautiful animals.
Foxes and otters also come here to
feed on salmon.

Unique ecosystems of the South Kamchatka Sanctuary
Ilyinsky Volcano
Ilyinsky Volcano is one of themost beautiful volcanoes on Kuril Lakewith its perfectly-formed cone. With aheight of 1,578 meters and a diameterat its base of eight kilometers, this is
one of the youngest active volcanoes
on Kamchatka. This volcano is the mostnoticeable adornment in the lake’s
panorama on calm, sunny days.
A hot beach with thermal springs
lies in the place where the volcano’sslope touches Kuril Lake’s waters, inTyoplaya (Warm) Bay. The only known
eruption was in 1901, when four crater
funnels were formed, the largest ofwhich is 800 by 1,200 meters with adepth of over 400 meters.

Unique ecosystems of the South Kamchatka Sanctuary
Lopatka Peninsula

LopatkaPeninsulaisthesouthernmost point of Kamchatka. It is
25 km long and between 2 and 7 km
wide. The peninsula is largely wetlands
and has numerous tundra-lakes.
A population of an endemic
species of rock sandpiper is situated on
Lopatka Peninsula and Shumshu Island,
numbering only several hundreds ofpairs. The Southern Kamchatka rock
sandpiper is listed in the Red Data
Book of Russia.
Lopatka Bay plays a special role
during bird migrations. In autumn, theabundance and intensity of birds is thehighest in the Far East when, during
peak migration periods, 9,000–11,000
birds fly through the bay.

Unique ecosystems of the South Kamchatka Sanctuary
Utashud Island

Utashud is a small island rising 80
meters from the Vestinik (Messenger)
Bay, found kilometers from shore,across from the estuary of the Vestnik
River high.
One of the richest islands on thesoutheastern side of Kamchatka,
Utashud is notable for its population ofsea otters (up to 300 individuals), as
well as its Steinneger’s harbor seal andspotted sealrookeries. From spring
until late December, a group of grey
whales feeds here.
Utashud is inhabited by 10
species of marine birds with a totalabundance over 22,000 pairs, including
one of the largest colonies of slatybacked gulls (4,000 pairs) and tufted
puffins (10,000 pairs).

Sightseeing tours of the South Kamchatka Sanctuary
1. “The Kingdom of Salmon and Brown Bear” — a one-day guided tour
2.

“Guests of the Brown Bear” — multiple-day guided tour

3.

“Secrets of Kuril Lake” — a boat excursion to the islands and archipelagos

4.

“There in the Fog” — a multiple-day excursion on Kambalnoye Lake (South
Kamchatka Sanctuary)Guided tours to the Kingdom of Kuril Lake
The ecological education program aims to gain a deeper understanding of the Kuril
Lake ecosystem, the behavior of brown bears during the salmon spawning period, andthe special features of the salmon population in Kuril Lake. A special platform has been
built for tourists. From it, they can observe the behavior of animals in safety andcomfort. There are boat tours of the lake, explorations of the islands, visits to fish
research facilities near the river source, and strolls on the pumice flats beside the bay
and tundra.
• Level of difficulty: a generally accessible route.
Special sports training is not required.
• Safety: The tour travels along flat paths and mustbe accompanied by a Reserve inspector and tour
guide.
• Season: The tour’s operation is restricted to May
and June.
“The Kingdom of Salmon and Brown Bear” — aone-day guided tour.
Time on the Sanctuary
territory: 1.5–
2.5 hours.of the Brown Bear” — multiple-day guided“Guests
tour. Length of excursion: 1 day. If you wish to extend
your stay in the South Kamchatka Sanctuary, it’s
possible to purchase additional tours for each day.

Our facilities. Building of a Visitor Center in theValley of the Geysers

Our facilities. Building of a Visitor Center on
the Kuril Lake, Travyanoy Cape

Number of sea Visitors a year
9000
8000

8000
7000

6161

6000
4204

4111

2000

0

3920

2867

3000

1000

3957

3450

6045
5143

4975

5000
4000

5930

6895
6306

882

2011

1404

2012

4246

4000

2550

1678
1554 1404

2013
2014
2015
Kronotsky reserve

2016
2017
2018
2019
South-Kamchatka sanctuary

2020

2021

Numbers of marine tours visitors
Visitors

Vessels

2016

533

5

2017

224

5

2018

178

4

2019

406

7

2020

27

2

2021

48

7

Marine tours

TOURIST AND RECREATION SUSTAINABLE CLUSTERЗапорожье

влк. Желтовская сопка

Каменный городок

Теплый
Шумный

влк. Ильинская сопка
Озерный

Паужетка

Озерновский

Вестник

Кутхины батывлк. Дикий Гребень

ГеоЭС

г. Толстая

Травяной
Белые водопады
4-я речка
Кошелевский

г. Тугумынк

влк. Кошелева
Верхне-Кошелевскиет ермальные ист очники
Южно-Камбальноет ермальное полевлк. Камбальная сопка

оз. Камбальное

Прибрежный

г. Высокая

г. Лысая

территория развития

водный маршрут

населенные пункты

объекты показа

территория ЮКЗназемный маршрут

вулканы и горыкордоны и кемпинги

населенные пункты

комб. маршрут

горячие источники

остановки на водеTOURIST AND RECREATION SUSTAINABLE CLUSTERTOURIST AND RECREATION CLUSTER "RESERVE KAMCHATKA: LAND
OF PEOPLE, VOLCANOES AND SALMONS"PURPOSE: Preservation of the pristine nature of the south of Kamchatka and improving thewell-being of the population
Objective 1: Create a model area operating on the principles of sustainable development,
and further extrapolate the experience gained to other attractive natural areas of Kamchatka;
Objective 2: To involve the local population in an economy based on the preservation of aunique nature, and not only on the consumption of natural resources.
What do we need to do:
Redirect the tourist flow through settlements, bordering on the reserve;
Solve the "garbage problem" in the villages and, as a result, reduce the numberof outings of bears to settlements;
Conduct scientific research, namely a comprehensive
study of the ecosystem of the Kuril Lake basin, which will allow
minimize the man-bear problem and maintain a sustainable
use of the resource "Ozernovskaya sockeye".

8Multiplicative effect•new jobs andemployment growth, incl.
in rural areas;•income of travelcompanies, catering andentertainment
enterprises;•increase in the numberof SMEs;•increase in tax
revenues to the regional
budget;•combating poaching
through public control;

Kronotsky Nature Reserve is not a tour operator!

Additional information on territories visitation
Getting there: Tourist agencies throughout Kamchatka organize tours to
the Kronotsky Reserve and the South Kamchatka Sanctuary. For more
information, call the Kronotsky Reserve’s Division of Ecological Education
and Tourism at +7 (41531) 7 16 52.
You can buy souvenirs, books, and photo albums in the visitor-centers
situated on the territories - all proceeds will be used for the preservationof natural systems, research of the territories, and growthof environmental education.

Thank you for your attention!
Welcome on www.kronoki.ru
Roman Korchiginkorchigin@kronoki.ru