Tolmacheva Lake. Where to see bears in Kamchatka?
Tolmacheva Lake attracts more and more tourists with its picturesqueness and the presence of an extensive list of possible activities and recreation. Geographically, the lake is located in the southeastern part of the peninsula. The road from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky takes 3-4 hours, it is about 190 km. To get to Tolmachev Lake, you need to pass through the checkpoint with a issued pass for a car.
Maar Bowl
On the way to Tolmachev Lake there is an interesting natural phenomenon — maar. About 4600 years ago, an eruption occurred here, leaving behind flat-bottomed craters, in which lakes were formed. The diameter of the Maar Bowl is about 800 meters, and the depth is about 250 meters. Bears like to rest here in the shade of cedar elfin, so another name for this crater lake is Bear Bowl. Next to the maar Bowl, you can see the Ermana birch (stone birch), which is more than 400 years old.
Tolmacheva Lake
The lake was formed as a result of the collapse of rocky rocks in the valley of the Tolmacheva River. During the collapse, there was a spawning of Pacific salmon fish— sockeye salmon - in the lake. Isolated in this ecosystem, the fish did not die out, but adapted and became freshwater. This kind was called Kokani.
The area of the lake is large — about 25 km2. In good weather, you can see the active Opal stratovolcano, whose height is 2475 m. Also near the lake are the volcanoes Mutnovsky, Gorely, Ksudach and Hodutka.
Bears of Tolmacheva Lake
The habitat of bears in Kamchatka is conditioned by the presence of a power source. The diet of bears includes fish, plants, berries, nuts, cones and much more — they are omnivorous. On the shores of Lake Tolmacheva there are spacious fields where you can feed on shiksha berries and blueberries. Therefore, the lake is included in the list of "bearish" places in Kamchatka. In one day you can meet up to 10 individuals here.
What to do on the lake
In 2021, we built a camp on the shore of Lake Tolmacheva. A tent camp with wooden decking, a stationary camp with a kitchen, a dining room and a recreation area. Here we are based in the summer and offer to try different types of outdoor activities. A walk in the water area of the lake on sea kayaks, a walk on inflatable SUP-board boards, a walk on an inflatable boat near the shore of the lake with the purpose of searching and observing brown bears. You can stay in the camp with an overnight stay, and our chef will take care of you with three meals a day.
