Description of the attraction
Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve is the largest and most famous reserve in Kamchatka. Almost all landscapes of the peninsula are represented in the reserve: shrub and wooded middle mountains, tundra coastal lowlands and, of course, volcanic high mountains with glaciers.
The state nature reserve was founded on the site of the former Soboliniy zakaznik in Kronoki. In 1951 it was liquidated, and then restored. In 1961 the reserve was liquidated again. Its final restoration to its former borders took place in January 1967.
In 1985, the reserve became part of the international network of biosphere reserves, and since 1996 it has been on the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites “Volcanoes of Kamchatka”. The main goal of the reserve was to restore the number of a valuable fur-bearing animal - sable.
There are many unique natural objects on the territory of the reserve. Here you can see the amazing Valley of Geysers and the Valley of Death, the Uzon volcano caldera, the Semyachik estuary, Kronotskoye lake and larch forest, an elegant fir grove, Shapinsky spruce forests, Tyushevsky and Chazhminsky hot springs, Semyachiksky hot springs, Semyachiksky estuary and Kronotsky glaciers.
The Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve is home to 54 species of mammals, including the endangered species of marine animals - sea otters and sea lions. Not far from Cape Kozlov there is the only sea lion rookery off the coast of the peninsula (the population numbers up to 400 individuals). The Kronotsky Nature Reserve is home to the world's largest natural population of brown bear and wild reindeer. In addition, there are large numbers of fox, sable and otter.
In the Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve, you can find stone birch groves, thickets of alder and dwarf cedar, beautiful coniferous larch forests.
