One Month at Kurile Lake in Kamchatka

I consider myself a very fortunate man for having had the opportunity to reside for one whole month at Ozornaya Ranger Station on the shore of Kurile Lake in Kamchatka. Definitely one of the most unique places I’ve ever chanced to visit.

The Kurile lake is a caldera located near the southernmost tip of the Kamchatkan Peninsula. It is surrounded by lofty volcanoes and mountains and vast expanses of pristine tundra. It is home to a great diversity of rare wildlife, whose best representative are the brown bears: the irrefutable ruler of the area.

The area is sparsely visited by people. During the time of my stay, we were on average some 40 people, either workers or scientists, stationed there. Small groups of rich tourists also visit the area during the peak of the summer. A day trip to Kurile Lake costs around $700, and several thousand for a multi-day one. A group of some 20 Japanese photographers stayed for over a week once. I cannot even imagine what they must have paid. During the winter, only a handful of people remain to maintain the station.

So I spent a month at Kurile Lake: working, wondering at the miraculous environs and contemplating my existence, eating salmon and caviar pretty much every day, and drinking vodka and samogon with the rest of the folks in the evenings…

Here I make this short post with the videos and some of the best photos I took while there…

Bears of Kurile Lake

It is said that Kurile Lake hosts the densest concentration of brown bears in the world – and I have every good reason to believe that. Just on my first day at the lake, I saw more bears than I’d seen in my entire life so far. They had recently woken up from hibernation when I got there, and they worked hard to put up some weight and make it for another winter. Either alone or together with their staggering cubs trying to keep up with them, they literally roam around all over the place like dogs, looking for their favorite edible plants. The big party starts later on in August when hordes of salmon travel up the rivers to Kurile Lake to lay their eggs and die in the same place where they were given birth. The bears then accumulate by the riverbanks in the hundreds and deprive as many of the unsuspecting fish as they can of their chance to reproduce. The surprise I experienced while running into those noble creatures during the first days eventually gave off, but the excitement never.

Bears strolling in front of Ilyinsky Volcano kurile lake kamchatka russia — Bears strolling in front of Ilyinsky Volcano

Bear cub looking for something in the woods kurile lake kamchatka russia — Bear cub looking for something in the woods

Bear mother and cub having an evening rest kurile lake kamchatka russia — Bear mother and cub having an evening rest

Bear crossing the bridge kurile lake kamchatka russia — Bear crossing the bridge

Bear waiting for a meal kurile lake kamchatka russia — Bear waiting for a meal

Bear by the bank of Ozernaya River kurile lake kamchatka russia — Bear by the bank of Ozernaya River

Istok Bay

This is the small bay formed at the mouth of Ozornaya River. The main station of the Kurile Lake Nature Reserve is located there. This is where I resided. This is where I woke up every morning during that month and stared at the subtle mist layer covering the lake gradually dissolving and the Ilyinsky Volcano making its grand appearance out of it. This is also, of course, the place where I took the most pictures.

Through kurile lake on a truck kurile lake kamchatka russia — Through the lake on a truck

kurile lake kamchatka russia construction of kiosk — Building a kiosk with my Ukranian friends

kurile lake kamchatka russia Peaceful morning by the shore — Peaceful morning by the shore of Kurile Lake

kurile lake kamchatka russia Ozernaya Ranger Station and Ilyinsky Volcano — Ozernaya Ranger Station and Ilyinsky Volcano

kurile lake kamchatka russia Beach in Istok Bay — Beach in Istok Bay

kurile lake kamchatka russia Preparing the boat in the morning — Preparing the boat in the morning

Sunrise over kurile lake kamchatka russia — Sunrise over Kurile Lake

kurile lake kamchatka russia Drinking and singing under the attendance of Lenin — Drinking and singing under the attendance of Lenin

kurile lake kamchatka russia Tents of Japanese tourists — Tents of Japanese tourists

kurile lake kamchatka russia Beautiful sunset over Istok Bay — Beautiful sunset over Istok Bay

kurile lake kamchatka russia Bridge across Ozernaya River at sunset — Bridge across Ozernaya River at sunset

kurile lake kamchatka russia Amazingly vividly colorful sunset over Ozernaya River — Amazingly vividly colorful sunset over Ozernaya River

kurile lake kamchatka russia Diky Greben Mountain at dusk — Diky Greben Mountain at dusk

kurile lake kamchatka russia Ozernaya River and Ilyinsky Volcano — Ozernaya River and Ilyinsky Volcano

Taking pictures at the shore of kurile lake kamchatka russia — Taking pictures at the shore of Kurile Lake

kurile lake kamchatka russia One of many helicopters coming to the lake — One of many helicopters coming to the lake

Kutkhiny Baty

This is geologically very unique and impressive outcrop formed entirely by pumice. The pumice obelisk-like formations reach heights of up to 40 m. In the language of the Kamchatkan aborigines Itelmen, Kutkhiny Baty means ‘boats of god Kutkhu’. According to their belief, Kutkhu used the pumice towers to go fishing in the lake during a period he lived there. One day, a small group of people, we took the 4-km walk to wonder at this uncommon spectacle.

Crossing the bridge to Kutkhiny Baty kurile lake kamchatka russia — Crossing the bridge to Kutkhiny Baty

kurile lake kamchatka russia Inside the Kutkhiny Baty gorge — Inside the Kutkhiny Baty gorge

kurile lake kamchatka russia Exploring the area — Exploring the area

Domashnaya Sopka

Right above the west coast of Istok Bay and by the eastern foot of Diky Greben Mountain, stands a small mountain called Domashnaya Sopka (home knoll). It reaches a maximum height of 571 AMSL, or nearly 500 meters above the lake surface. On a fair afternoon, we took the hike to its top. The views of the lake and the surrounding mountains and volcanoes were one in a lifetime.

kurile lake kamchatka russia On the way up to Domashanya Sopka — On the way up to Domashanya Sopka

Panoramic view of Kurile Lake from the top of Domashanya Sopka kurile lake kamchatka russia — Panoramic view of Kurile Lake from the top of Domashanya Sopka

kurile lake kamchatka russia Panoramic view of Diky Greben Mountain and Ozernaya Valley from the top of Domashanya Sopka — Panoramic view of Diky Greben Mountain and Ozernaya Valley from the top of Domashanya Sopka

kurile lake kamchatka russia Ilyinsky and Zheltovsky Volcanoes from the slope of Domashnaya Sopka — Ilyinsky and Zheltovsky Volcanoes from the slope of Domashnaya Sopka

kurile lake kamchatka russia Staring at the volcanoes — Staring at the volcanoes

kurile lake kamchatka russia Chilling on the top — Chilling on the top

Severnaya Bay

Severnaya Bay, meaning ‘north bay’, is – well… – the bay found on the northern shore of Kurile Lake. The shore, almost in its entirety, is occupied by a long, heavenly pebble beach. We also took this beautiful hike on another fair afternoon.

kurile lake kamchatka russia At the beach of Severnaya Bay — At the beach of Severnaya Bay

kurile lake kamchatka russia Panoramic view of Severnaya Bay — Panoramic view of Severnaya Bay

Etamynk Bay

This is the bay on the southern shore of the lake. A secondary, smaller ranger station is located on a small, elevated promontory. Only 4 people were usually staying at this station. Every time we took the boat ride to the south shore to pay a visit, I felt kinda envious of them. Not that we were many people at the north station, but perhaps I would have preferred to be at the south one where chances for profound contemplation and meditation would have been even better. The bay is, apparently, the bears’ favorite, too, as the fish abundance is greater and the fishing conditions more convenient for them at the mouth of Khakytsin River near the south station.