Kamchatka
In 1999, I lived and studied in Moscow, Russia, a place I will never forget.
Most of my time was spent studying Russian language and politics, playing chess, volunteering in a clinic, and pulling all-nighters at the Moscow clubs. However, when I was not doing those things, I would sometimes hang out in the dorm of a fellow Canadian, Doug, who had a huge map of the old Soviet Union hanging on his wall. We frequently spoke about seeing the rest of Russia. I particularly longed to see the east, most particularly a place called Kamchatka. I often imagined what this place was like.
The Kamchatka Peninsula is sparsely populated, hosting just over 300,000 inhabitants, perhaps 10,000 or so of which are Koryaks, the indigenous people of the land (1). Roughly translated, Koryak means "with the reindeer" which is apt, for they were a nomadic people who rode reindeer to move from one place to another, fitting them with harnesses and attaching them to sleds to transport goods. Interestingly, the Koryak even cut off the antlers of their reindeer to prevent injuries. But now they just use snowmobiles. |
Images of Kamchatka (2). |
The majority of Kamchatka's population, which is now mostly ethnic Russian, live in the capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which was founded in 1740 by Vitus Bering, a Dane in Russian service (3). Bering was an accomplished explorer and cartographer, and the successes of his ventures are borne out by the fact that the Bering Strait, the Bering Sea, the Bering Land Bridge, the Bering Glacier, and Bering Island (where he died) all bear his name. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky's history is riddled with skirmishes between the Russians and Koryaks, with the brave defence of the city during the Crimean War against the British and French being a particular stand-out event. The capital city remained an important stopover point for traders and explorers venturing over to the Russian Alaskan territories until 1867, at which point the sale of Alaska to the United States resulted in a loss of much of the city's traffic and commerce.
Yet despite its interesting people and history, these are not the most captivating aspects of Kamchatka.
The Land
Kammchatka is a land riddled with glaciers and volcanoes, and for this reason it is known as "the land of ice and fire."
Kamchatka boasts 460 or so glaciers which are scattered throughout the peninsula (4). There have been a number of phases of glacial advance and retreat over the last several thousand years, with the most extensive advance 8,000 years ago. The glaciers feed Kamchatka's diverse rivers, lakes, and wetlands. The Kamchatka River is the largest of these rivers, with a length of 758 kilometers, and it follows a snake-like meandering course through emerald forests as it rushes towards the sea. |
The meandering Kamchatka River. |
There are approximately 160 medium to large Kamchatkan volcanoes (and more than 1,000 small volcanoes), 29 of which remain active (4). The mighty Klyuchevskaya Sopka rises to 4,750 meters, the highest and most regal active volcano in Eurasia. The somewhat more complicated Ksudach contains several overlapping calderas, cauldron-like hollows formed after the magma from a chamber has emptied, that merge together to form two beautiful lakes at its summit, surrounded only by wilderness and hot springs. Yet of all the volcanoes of Kamchatka, it is Kronotsky that has achieved the most fame, after it was suggested to be the most beautiful volcano in all the world by celebrated volcanologists Robert and Barbara Decker. The conical form of Kronotsky, with its forlorn ice-capped summit, is nearly perfectly symmetrical in shape, reminiscent of Mount Fuji in Japan and Mayon Volcano in the Philippines. |
Mighty Klyuchevskaya Sopka (5).Beautiful Kronotsky (6). |
In the center of the Kamchatkan Peninsula lies the Valley of Geysers, the second-largest concentration of geyers in the world (after Yellowstone). There are approximately 90 geysers, including the giant Velikan Geyser which can produces jets of water up to 40 meters in height. Although an enormous mud slide blanketed 60-70% of the geysers back in 2007, the devastation left by the slide has partially receded, and continues to do so. Moreover, Velikan was never buried, and continues to be active.
Truly, the land of ice and fire has earned this name.
The Life
Kamchatka contains a diversity and abundance of wildlife, with 27% of the total area under protection (3).
Kamchatka probably contains the greatest diversity of salmon in the world, including all six species of Pacific salmon (1). It is estimated that 20% of all Pacific salmon originate in Kamchatka. Nearly all the rivers serve as spawning grounds, and Kuril Lake is the largest sockeye spawning ground in Eurasia. In 2006, the world's first full-basin protected area for salmon was established, and other species are being consideration for protection given worldwide decreases in salmon stocks. |
Salmon spawning at Kuril Lake (7) |
Kamchatka contains 50% of the world's population of Steller's sea eagle, the heaviest eagle in the world at 5 to 9 kilograms (it just slightly outweighs the Harpy eagle) (4). The eagle displays a characteristic dark brown plumage, white wings, and a yellow beak and talons. Steller's sea eagles feed mainly on fish, particularly pink and chum salmon, but they have no qualms about hunting mammals such as foxes, dogs, or even young seals. Yet despite the formidable dimensions and behaviour, Steller's sea eagle is listed as a vulnerable species. |
The formidable Steller's sea eagle (8). |
Kamchatka is also home to the Chukotka moose, arguably the largest moose in the world and the largest in Eurasia (1). The white moose located in Kamchatka's north are particularly large and can match the size of the Alaskan Moose, making them among the largest - if not the largest - antlered animals in the world. Chukotka moose mostly live along the Kamchatka River, but many of them occupy the surrounding regions as well. There are perhaps only 2,900 of these moose in existence. |
The massive Chukotka Moose (9). |