This bay is notable for the fact that it contains the island of Karaginsky. The name of the gulf, like the islands, came from the word “karagi”, previously used by locals (Koryaks) to mean stones and basalt rocks on the coast of Kamchatka. However, the river that flows into the bay has a similar name.
Below is a short story about the Karagin Bay (Kamchatka), known as the habitat of a large population of whales. It should be noted that in the Koryak language the word “Korangy-now” means “deer place”.
Location
The Gulf of the Bering Sea is washed by the waters of the Kamchatka coast (northeast). It is located between the Ozernoye and Ilpinsky peninsulas. Its open part is directed to the east. It extends to the coast of Kamchatka for 117 km. In the very center of the bay is the large Karaginsky island, separated by the Litke Strait from the mainland. Verkhoturov Island is located in the northern part of the bay.
The main settlements located on the coast of the bay are Karaga, Ossora, Makaryevsk, Tymlat, Ilpyrskoye, Belorechensk and Ivashka.
Administratively, the bay belongs to the Kamchatka Territory of Russia.
Description of the area
Many rivers flow into the Karaginsky Bay (photo is presented in the article), the largest of which are Kichiga, Makarovka, Karaga, Tymlat, Kayum, Istyk, Ivashka, Uka and Nachiki. Along the coast are Cape Ilpinsky, South Entrance, Kuzmishchev, Paklan, False-Kuzmishchev, etc.
The shores of the bay are rocky and steep, in places they are cut by numerous small bays, the largest of which are the following: Anapka, Kichiginsky, Uala. Bays: Ossora, Tymlat, Karaga and Ukinskaya Bay.
Many rivers and streams flow into the bay (Karaga, Lamutskaya, Hailulya, Uka and others). At the entrance to the mainland, the bay is 239 kilometers wide and 60 meters deep. Mixed tides reach values up to 2.4 meters. The bay is covered with ice from December to June.
Karaginsky island
The Karaginsky island located in the central part of the bay is separated from the mainland by the Litke Strait. Winter is long, there will be a lot of snow, the thickness of which in some valleys can reach up to 5 meters. Thanks to the ice covering the Litke Strait from December to June, Karaginsky Island is connected to the mainland.
In the western part of the island, the shores are low, and in the east - rocky and steep. Despite the fact that there are a lot of bays, only one is suitable for the parking of ships due to the fact that the rest are not much land.
The island is of volcanic origin, it even has places covered with volcanic ash. The depths around it are shallow: at a distance of one kilometer from the coastline, the depth of the sea is only about 19 meters.
A mountain range stretches along the island along the central axis (heights reach up to 1 km). On both sides of it parallel ridges extend lower. In the southeastern part of the island, the mountains go ashore, forming steep and high capes. Here tundra vegetation reigns, sometimes interspersed by large thickets of cedar dwarf, mountain ash, alder and birch. A lot of berries lingonberries, blueberries and shiksha (or crowberry).
There are a lot of short and small streams and rivers on the island. There are also numerous swamps and lakes (Yelnavan - the largest). It is noteworthy that the island was named after the Karaga River, which does not flow through its territory (it flows from the Kamchatka Peninsula into the Karaginsky Bay).
Evidence of an intense and fierce whaling is whitened on the shores of the island by piles of bones of marine giants left by whalers during fishing.
Fauna and flora
Despite the proximity of the island to the mainland, there was not and there is no permanent population on it. This is due to the large roll-over of the wave and the close location of the rocks, which prevent vessels from approaching the shore close. And the winter here is frosty (up to -40 degrees Celsius) and long, which is unbearable for life.
But there are many marine animals and vegetation. In addition to the mentioned whales, seals, sea lions, lahtak and seal are found in the waters. Among large land animals, bears live here. A huge number of fish: chum, pink salmon, sockeye salmon and coho salmon. In the rivers there are pike, burbot and crucian carp. The entire territory of the island and the adjacent marine area (including the Karaginsky Gulf) is considered reserved land of international importance.
On the Karagin island there are many species of birds, including endangered ones. Both migratory and marine colonial birds are protected. Rare species: Steller's sea eagle, peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, golden eagle, magpie, magpie Aleut, long-billed Asian fawn. Despite the seemingly uniformity, more than 500 varieties of plants grow here. Even sedge has 40 species.
The local population is engaged in reindeer herding (about a thousand heads), fishing, fur trade and picking berries.