🏞️ Koryak Nature Reserve

Koryak Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' Located in the north of the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the valley of the Kuyul River in the Russian Far East, and in separate coastal areas on the coast of the Bering Sea. The reserve includes the surrounding mountains of the Gauvin Peninsula and adjacent waters in Lavrov Bay, and one fourth of the total area covers waters of the Bering Sea. Koryak is an important area for large colonies of nesting waterfowl and migratory seabirds; studies have found that the majority of the seabirds migrating along the Kamchatka Peninsula spend their winters in Japan. Protecting this connection was one of the reasons for the establishment of the reserve in 1995. The rivers of Koryak are important spawning grounds for salmon. Also protected are the floral communities of the reserve, which include prime examples of "Bering forest tundra". The reserve is situated in the Koryak Okrug of Kamchatka Krai. The reserve covers an area of 327,106 ha (1,262.96 sq mi). The site is part of a Ramsar wetland area of international importance.