Description of the attraction
"Cancer Lakes" is a state nature reserve of regional importance, established in 1976. The reserve is located between the villages of Klimovo, Streltsovo and Granitnoye, 40 km southeast of Vyborg. "Cancer lakes" occupy an area of 9, 7 thousand hectares, the water area of the lakes is about 600 hectares.
The main goal of creating a nature reserve is to preserve the productive complex of lowland bogs and eutrophic lakes of the Karelian Isthmus, as well as to protect the migratory camps of near-water waterfowl, their mass nesting sites, spawning and feeding grounds for commercial fish.
The Cancer Lakes Wildlife Refuge is located in the center of the Karelian Isthmus in the southern part of the Baltic crystalline shield, which is covered by water-glacial deposits. Places of water bodies coincide with glacial basins and form a common system. The coastline of Bolshoy Rakovy, Maly Rakovy and Okhotnichy lakes is heavily indented and irregular in shape. The area adjacent to the lakes is overgrown with bushes and is heavily swampy. The lakes themselves are rather shallow, the prevailing depth here is about 1 m.
Powerful rafts are formed on the lakes, which gradually turn into sphagnum and grassy bogs. On the shores of the lakes, lake reeds, river horsetails, reeds, reeds, broad-leaved and narrow-leaved cattails, long-leaved buttercup, cinquefoil, hedgehogs, watch, chastukha grow. Milestones are common. Among the species with floating leaves and submerged species, they are quite abundant: yellow and small egg capsules, floating pond, pure white water lily, submerged hornwort, vodokras, tail, duckweed, dichotomous mulberry, the entire water column in shallow reaches is often filled with elodea. Impenetrable thickets around artificial fairways are formed by telores. Water rice is also planted here. Algae and mosses are represented in a wide variety. Black alder forests grow on the shores of the lakes.
Birch forests are located on the former Finnish agricultural land. The coniferous forests of the reserve are mainly represented by green moss pine forests. The slopes and ridges between Bolshoy Rakov and Okhotnichy lakes are covered with pine forests with linden undergrowth. The herbaceous layer is represented here by the spring rank, the common ditch, and the May lily of the valley. Much smaller areas are occupied by spruce forests. On the site of the former estate of A. Kollontai in the vicinity of the village of Klimovo, introduced species are noted. Pike, ide, bream, perch, crucian carp, roach constantly inhabit and spawn in the lakes.
The territory of the reserve is of the greatest value as a stopping place during migrations and nesting of water-marsh birds, huge flocks of which gather here during the periods of spring and autumn migrations. Here they stop for rest: barnacle and black geese, white-fronted geese and bean geese, diving and river ducks, whooper and tundra swans. On the lakes, pintail, mallard, witch, teal (whistle and cracker), broad-headed duck, tufted duck, red-headed duck, gogol and many rare species nest, such as: big bittern, gray-cheeked and red-necked toadstools, osprey, great spotted eagle, golden eagle, eagle white-tailed crane, short-eared owl, corncrake.
The reserve is inhabited by: raccoon dog, muskrat, weasel, ermine, American mink, marten, polecat, wolf, elk, wild boar. Russian and Finnish researchers have been conducting scientific observations on this territory for over 100 years.
The territory of "Cancer Lakes" is promising for photo hunting, ecological and children's tourism, amateur fishing. The territory is a wide field for research of ornithologists, students and schoolchildren undergo practical training.
Specially protected objects on the territory of the reserve include: natural complexes of lakes, places of migratory camps for near-water and waterfowl, places of their mass nesting, spawning grounds for fish; rare species of animals: osprey, big bittern, golden eagle, spotted eagle, gray crane, tundra swan, water shepherd, white-tailed eagle, corncrake; rare species of animals: crescent and chamomile grass, meadow and spring lumbago, single-leaved pulp, two-leaved lyubka, umbellifera winter lover, common millipede, water rice, Omsk sedge, marsh gammarbia, small egg capsule.
On the territory of "Cancer Lakes" it is prohibited: autumn hunting without a special permit, spring hunting for waterfowl, winter hunting for wolves with traps and poisoned baits, making fires, fishing with fishing gear, using motor boats on the Bolshoy Cancer and Hunting Lakes, stay on the lakes in the zone during the nesting of birds, the passage of vehicles.
