The southern tip of Kamchatka is a federal reserve created in 1882 to protect the sea otter population at the same time Kronotsky Preserve was designated by Tsar's order. Nowadays, the reserve is under the administrative umbrella of the Kronotsky Biosphere Preserve. Since the historic origins of the reserve, a broader appreciation for the natural resources it contains has evolved largely due to abundant sockeye salmon runs into Kurilskoye and Kambalnoye Lakes. The salmon mean plentiful food for the largest population of brown bears in the world and the largest populace of Steller Sea Eagles on the planet as well as other predatory mammals and birds.  During winter, large numbers of Steller Sea Eagles and Golden Eagles congregate to feed on spawning salmon.

     Renowned for some of the most violent storms in the Pacific as the peninsula comes to a point at Lopatka Cape where the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea collide, the Yuzhno-Kamchatsky Reserve’s frequently wet, windy, and foggy weather shrouds the reserve in mystery and isolation. Spring and fall migratory birds use the wetlands as a vital stopover place for feeding, resting, and restoring energy reserves. One of the most amazing places on Kamchatka is Kurilskoye Lake in August and September, the time when bears come to feed on the abundant red salmon, ripening berries, and pine nuts.

     Besides being a haven for brown bears, Yuzhno-Kamchatsky's shorelines have some of the peninsula's most important haul out places for marine mammals like ringed seal, sea otter, and the endangered Steller Sea Lion.

     Outstanding in this amazing wild ecosystem is Kurilskoye Lake, Kamchatka's second.

     largest fresh water body. The lake was formed 8300-8400 years ago by a gigantic volcanic eruption and resulting subsidence of the earth. The Lake at its deepest 306 meters and is surrounded by a surreal volcanic and mountainous skyline commanded by ilyinsky Volcano.

     There is a chance to see red foxes trotting along the lakeshore or if you are lucky, a river otter, or mink. The lake also boasts the highest population density of Steller Sea Eagles in the world. Every winter as heavy snowfall blankets the surrounding territory, from 300 to 700 of these giant raptors winter along the lakeshore, as well as 100 to 150 White-Tailed Sea Eagles and 50 Golden Eagles making this one of the world's most important raptor refuges.

     Millions of sockeye salmon pour into Kurilskoye Lake each summer, entering the Ozernaya River from the Sea of Okhotsk. This is the largest sockeye-spawning run in Asia and accounts for between 1.5 and 3.5 million fish with peak runs of over 6 million fish. Amazingly, this spawning and presence of sockeyes extends from July through March.