Kuril lake in Kamchatka: description, features, nature, flora and fauna

Among the many reservoirs with which our planet is rich, the Kuril Lake stands out for its pristine beauty. This is one of the main natural objects of the Kamchatka Territory, which is of great importance for scientific and cognitive tasks.

Description

Lake Kurilskoye is in second place among all freshwater reservoirs located on the territory of Kamchatka. Its area is 77 square kilometers, and the greatest depth reaches 306 meters. The lake is filled with numerous streams and mountain streams flowing into it from the surrounding hills. Replenishment of water is due to rain and snow. The highest water level is recorded in June, the lowest level in April. Its average temperature varies from 7.8 to 10.6 ° C.

One of the shores of the lake is adorned with the cone of the volcano Ilyinsky, and on the opposite is the Kambalnaya hill. Weather conditions in this climatic zone can not be called favorable. They are unstable. Thaws, accompanied by snowfalls, are replaced by frosts, when the thermometer's column drops to 20 degrees below zero. Quite often there are strong winds in the area of the lake, the speed of which reaches more than 30 meters per second.

Where is the Kuril Lake

Despite its name, this picturesque lake is not at all on the Kuriles. It is located in the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the land of which belongs to the South Kamchatka Federal Wildlife Refuge. A lake was formed in the hollow of an extinct volcano, the height above sea level is 104 meters. It is hidden among wild rocky coasts and bushes, so you can get to it only by helicopter.

Origin

According to experts this unique reservoir was formed more than 8 thousand years ago. The origin of the Kurile Lake is associated with a beautiful legend, which tells that on this place a huge mountain rose before, covering the sun for the nearest neighboring mountains. This caused quarrels and indignation on their part. As a result, a high mountain, tired of strife, went to sea. And in its place a lake appeared.

The true reason for the formation of this unique body of water found scientists. The powerful volcanic eruptions that took place in this place during the Holocene epoch devastated the volcanic bowels and formed a hollow, the depth of which exceeded 300 meters. Gradually over millions of years, this caldera filled with water, and the Kuril Lake was formed, the tectonic origin of which is confirmed by pumice deposits up to 150 meters in thickness.

Features and attractions

The unique phenomenon on the Kuril Lake is the spawning of sockeye salmon, which lasts from April-May to October. The only flowing river Ozernaya, along which the largest in Eurasia herds of salmon move upstream, literally swarming with fish. Sometimes, up to 6 million producers enter the lake. All this attracts many brown bears. Avoiding each other under normal conditions, they are so keen on fishing that they do not pay attention at all at this moment to their relatives. In one place can fish with up to 20 bears at the same time.

Nature near the Kurile Lake is simply fantastic. As well as many lakes of the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and Kamchatka, it attracts with its beauty a huge number of tourists. The present decoration is the active Ilyinsky volcano, whose height is 1578 meters. Particularly noteworthy is its shape in the form of a right cone, as well as young lava flows descending directly into the lake.

The main rivers

Several small rivers flow into the lake. Among them are Etamynk (18 km), Khakytsyn (24 km), and Kirushtuk and Vychenkia. The water in these rivers is unusually clean and transparent, as it flows from high-mountain springs, formed as a result of melting snow. During the spawning period sockeye salmon with bear cubs gather near the mouth for sockeye salmon. Adult males catch fish a little higher upstream, where the channel is narrower. On the banks of the rivers flowing into the Kuril Lake, there are dense and impenetrable forest thickets. Here you can move only along the bear trails.

Its origin from the Kuril Lake is taken by a single river, which is called - Ozernaya, flowing into the Sea of Okhotsk. Its length is 62 kilometers, and the width closer to the mouth can reach up to 100 meters. In the Ozernoy, grayling, kuja, arctic char, ninth-headed stickleback are constantly found, spawning of chum, pink salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon. The river supply is provided by 18 tributaries.

Vegetable world

The flora of the South Kamchatka zakaznik, where the Kuril Lake is located, is simply unique. On the shore, in height, a fern rises in human growth. It produces a stupefying odor, from which the head is spinning. Here there are 380 species of various plants. Some of them grow only in this region. In the lake basin, large areas are occupied by rare thickets of stone birch in combination with Kamchatka motley grass. There are also alder, willow, cedar.

Animal world

Numerous herds of sockeye salmon, rising during spawning in the lake, are lured to the shores of neighboring bears. By the end of the summer they are going to be here up to two hundred. Bears are real gourmets. In fish they are only interested in caviar. Gutted remains are thrown directly on the shore. They are instantly gathered by waiting for their turn foxes. Red cheats do not bother hunting themselves. They know perfectly well that their patience will be rewarded.

The largest population of brown bear inhabits the territory where the Kuril Lake is located. Kamchatka is a place where you can safely observe these animals. Being protected by the reserve, bears are very trustful and completely not afraid of man. Nevertheless, tourists are not allowed to approach them.

The largest colony of the Pacific gull inhabits the islands located in the center of the Kurile Lake. Its number reaches 2,5 thousand pairs. Closer to winter here are harvested birds of prey: Steller's sea eagle, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle. On the unfrozen water surface, swan-swans, ducks, winters. For all these birds, the main food is sockeye salmon and its caviar.

The Islands

The eruption of the volcano, which is associated with the origin of the basin of the Kuril Lake, contributed to the formation of several islands that adorn the water surface today. The names of some of them are related to legends. Thus, the rocky island of Alaida Heart, located in the southern part of the lake, appeared, according to legend, after a high mountain left in the sea left its heart in the lake. The trail left by the mountain later became the channel of the Ozernaya River.

From a geological point of view, the Heart of Alaida, as well as other islands of the Kuril Lake (Low, Chayachiy, Samang Archipelago) are of volcanic origin. Their domes, created from lava, reach a height of up to 300 meters. The northernmost island was also called Alaid (named for the volcano), then it was renamed to the island of Atlasov. The volcano Alaid is the most active on the archipelago, its last eruption was recorded in 1996. This is the highest point of the Kuril ridge, the top of the volcano is at an altitude of 2339 meters.

The heart of Alaida and Chayachiy are islands, inaccessibility of which makes these places convenient for breeding gull chicks. But since the feed in the lake is not always enough, you can often see a picture when gulls fly 40 kilometers to the Sea of Okhotsk. There at the fish-processing plant, they recruit fish production waste and return back, belching the young half-digested food into the beaks of the chicks.

Hot Springs

This is one of the main attractions of the Kuril Lake. Sources are located on the shore in Warm Bay, which was formed due to the flow of lava coming down from the volcano. They are small streams of water with a temperature of 35-45 ° C.

Kuril Lake is a true nature monument. The South Kamchatka Wildlife Sanctuary, in whose territory it is located, is listed as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.