Ecotourism Development Fund Dersu Urzala

Best Nature Sights of Kamchatka

This tour program is similar with the tour “To the Kingdom of Salmon and Bear” described above, but does not include a 3-days trekking in the Kosheleva volcano area. The longest field trip will include two days of moderate hiking (up to 15-18 kilometers per day).

Birds of Siberia and Central Asia

Ecotour to Nature Reserves Around Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is a natural wonder of our planet. It is the deepest (1,700 m in depth) lake on the Earth. It is also one of the oldest (25 million years) and largest lakes of the planet. It contains 20% of the world’s freshwater - as much as North America’s five Great Lakes all together. A specific feature of Lake Baikal is the remarkable clarity of its water, which is transparent for depths as great as 40 meters. Two thirds of the unique flora and fauna of this "Gem of Siberia" are endemic species and cannot be found anywhere else in the world, such as the Baikal Seal, local varieties of Artic cisco and gobies. The virgin Baikal forests are famous for their abundance of the very valuable sable, as well as high densities of the brown bear, Siberian stag, roe deer, musk deer, reindeer, capercaillie, and black grouse. In 1996, UNESCO declared Lake Baikal a World Heritage Site. Baikal is a legendary place famous for its breathtaking views, ancient traditions and sacred rituals of Buddhism and shamanism. This tour will offer the unique opportunity to visit the network of protected areas around Lake Baikal, to experience the most beautiful areas of primordial nature, as well as to learn about local culture and traditions.

Fishing and rafting down the river Kyzyl-Khem

Altay-Sayans mountain region is a land of numerous rivers and lakes, a true paradise for those fond of rafting and fishing. The specific feature of all rafting tours in this region is its abundance in interesting objects and contrasts: rapids, waterfalls, fabulous landscapes changing during one tour from glaciers of mountain peaks to sandy hills of steppes. In the upper reaches of rivers, fishing is always very good. There is a plenty of berries, mushrooms and cedar nuts. Kyzyl-Khem (called in Mongolia Shishkhid-Gol) is a tributary of mighty Yenissei river. It is considered to be the most beautiful rafting river in Tuva and even in whole Eastern Siberia. It is also famous because of excellent fishing (taimen Hucho, grayling Thymallus, and lenok Brachymystax lenok). Traditionally, Mongolia dwellers do not use fish in their food, and, probably, this (together with difficult access) is one of the reasons for the abundance of valuable fish in the upper reaches of Kyzyl-Khem. There are few places on Earth that have preserved its severe primordial beauty to such extent. Characteristic feature of Kyzyl-Khem is its ''ship rocks'' – the rocky islands covered by spruce, therefore its upper parts seem to be wider than the bottom. In the upper reaches, for dozens of kilometers high steep rocky banks hang over the river, with white threads of waterfalls drooping among the emerald verdure of the taiga. The river winds through deep forests and narrow valleys, but changes dramatically when it enters the two steep canyons. There, steep walls constrict the river and turn it into a continuous class boulder garden. The hydraulics here is powerful. Due to the absence on any roads, travel along the river Kyzyl-Khem is possible only by rafting (we use catarafts). The major portion of the route passes in absolutely uninhabited areas, only close to its final point some settlements of the Old-believers appear (they are ethnic Russians who split off from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1966 and sought to live a self-sustaining life, in the most remote place they could find). The tour involves visiting the communities of the Tuvans and Russian Old-Believers, learning the Tuvan culture, attending to a shaman's ritual and listening to a world-famous Tuvan throat-singing.

Ichinsky volcano – Mutnovsky and Goreliy volcanoes

The central part of Kamchatka peninsula being remote from the main roads is still untouched by the human presence and keeps unique mountainous landscapes and volcanic plateaus. We offer this tour to the experienced backpackers who value the charm of pristine nature and prefer to travel in the expedition style. The total length of the trekking part is 150 – 170 km, but it is designed in the way that travelers will have time for rest and taking pictures. The trekking will start in Esso the indigenous village of reindeer-herders who still keep their traditional reindeer-breeding practices in tundra. The caterpillar off-road vehicle will transfer the travelers to the foot of Ichinsky volcano that is thought to be one of the most spectacular volcanoes in the world. On the way the two food deposits will be made that will allow the travelers to carry food supplies only for three days during the whole trekking part. There will be quite reasonable chances to view brown bears, snow rams, marmots, foxes and a variety of birds in their natural habitat.

Rafting and fishing tour on the Opala River

Opala River is rich on fish, with all of Kamchatka’s salmon species represented, and flows through an uninhabited area. It is situated relatively close to the town Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and surrounded with beautiful landscapes. The river flows through the caldera of the Opala Volcano. There are very high chances to see a Brown Bear. Opala River (length 161 km, surface area 4070 km2) is a large river on the South-Western part of the coast of Kamchatka and plays an important role in the reproduction of the Far-Eastern Salmonides. There are no human settlements along the river banks. Fishing is organised from rafts and river banks. Rafting begins in the middle reach of the river, some 100 km away from the river mouth. The river is 100-200 m wide. The summer temperature of the water is not higher than 5-7°C. The rafting goes by two groups of springs: Verkhne-Opal`skie (thermal) and Nizhne-Opal`skie (mineral). One part of the rafting route goes through an old cauldron of the Opala Volcano, 5 km from its slopes. Species that can be observed in Opala River during spawning: King Salmon – a few hundred individuals Sockeye Salmon – a few thousand individuals Pink Salmon – up to 5 million individuals in peak years Chum Salmon – more than 55,000 individuals Silver Salmon – up to 25,000 individuals There are big numbers of Malma and Rainbow Trout in the river. There is also a small number of sima, Steelhead and East Siberian Char. The spawning sites of the salmon start some 10-12 km from the mouth.

Ussuriland: to the kingdom of amur tiger

The Russian Far East, known as the “northern jungle”, is one of the world’s most interesting natural regions. It is famous for the unique mixture of species typical to the northern taiga and southern subtropics, which reside in the same neighborhood. The region possesses the highest flora and fauna diversity in Russia, as well as a great number of endemic and rare species. It is the primary habitat for the Amur Tiger, Far Eastern Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Amur Goral, Blakiston’s Fish Owl, Red-crowned, White-napped and Hooded Cranes, Scaly Merganser, etc.

Volcanoes and Bears of Kamchatka

Being a part of the Pacific Rim of Fire, the unique Kamchatka peninsula encompasses 28 active and over 160 dormant volcanoes, as well as more than 200 curative mineral springs. It is home to largest brown bears in Russia, magnificent Steller’s sea eagles and six species of salmon. In summer and autumn, fast running Kamchatka rivers are “boiling with hundreds of thousand salmon moving to their spawning grounds. This tour combines visiting the most well known volcanoes of Kamchatka and learning about traditional way of life of local indigenous people. Several days during the trip will be devoted to moderate hiking across rugged volcanic terrain and ascending volcanic craters (the hiking distances are up to 20 kilometers or 12 miles per day).