The year of creation of the Opuk reserve is 1998. This unique natural zone on the territory of Crimea was created for the study and subsequent conservation of flora, fauna and archaeological sites of the peninsula. In the reserve you can see rare animals, admire the ancient ruins and many other attractions.
Location
Where is the Opuk reserve? It is located in Crimea, on the southern side of the Kerch Peninsula. Mount Opuk is part of the reserve. It was in her honor that he was named. Also, the territory of the reserve captures Lake Koyashskoye and the rocks of Elken Kaya.
Short description
The area of the Russian Opuksky reserve is 1592.3 hectares. Of these, 62 hectares are part of the Black Sea, including the Rocks-Ships, located four kilometers from the coast. The mountain is like a large hill surrounded by steep ledges and deep tectonic cracks. This divides Opuk into separate blocks, forming a generally amazing landscape.
Due to climatic and orographic features, unique floristic, faunistic and landscape complexes were formed on the territory of the reserve. And in the whole Crimea they have no analogues.
Flora
The Russian Opuksky Nature Reserve has 766 plant species. 452 of them are higher vascular, 176 are algae, 113 are diverse lichens and 16 are bryophytes. The endemic core consists of 48 species. Many plants are very rare and are listed in the Red Book. For instance:
- Crimean saffron;
- Schrenk tulips ;
- Katran Mithridates and many others.
Fauna
In the Russian Opuksky reserve, a very diverse fauna consisting of more than a thousand species. Most are spineless animals. 30 species of mammals, 411 fish, 205 - feathered and 9 - reptiles. Many are very rare and are listed in the Red Book, 8 are on the European List and 87 are protected by the Berne Convention.
Of the crustaceans, the permanent inhabitants of the reserve are marble, hairy and stone crabs. There are large populations of rare reptiles: yellowforks, runners, steppe viper and others.
The Opuksky nature reserve has more than two hundred species of birds on its territory. Of these, 54 nests make their nests, 33 winter, 112 fly overwinter. Among the birds 32 rare species found in the Red Book. For instance:
- pastor;
- black-headed oatmeal;
- bustard;
- cinder;
- Saker Falcon and many others.
From mammals live hares, foxes. Of the rare:
- large jerboa;
- steppe ferret ;
- Mediterranean bat;
- horseshoes big.
The Black Sea is home to many rare species, some of which are also listed in the Red Book:
- Black Sea Seahorse;
- gray squeaky;
- gurnard;
- Black Sea salmon;
- dolphins azovka and bottlenose dolphins;
- Mediterranean monk seal.
Opuksky Nature Reserve: Historical and Cultural Monuments
On the northern slope is the ancient settlement of Kimmerik. On the eastern edge of Mount Opuk is the Citadel. There are several ancient settlements located in different areas of the reserve. Thanks to the work of archaeologists, they have survived to this day. Each of them is unique and has its own “highlight”. On the western slope of Mount Opuk, a Monument to military topographers V. Mospan and D. Vizulla is installed.
sights
The Russian Opuksky reserve, the photo of which is in this article, has many attractions. There are special land ecological trails :
- Natural boundary Opuk.
- Between the sea and the lake.
- Coastal.
- Elken Kaya.
One of the unique sights is Koyashsky pink lake. It is separated from the sea only by a two-hundred-meter sandy embankment. The pink color of the lake and the rich blue sea nearby create a fantastically beautiful sight. This lake is the most saline in the Crimea. At its bottom is silt healing mud. In its healing properties, it can quite compete with Saki mud. A large number of visitors come here especially on mud, both residents of the peninsula and visitors to the Crimea.
The depth of the lake is not more than a meter. And it acquires a pink color due to the huge colonies of Artemia crustacean and dunaliella algae. And the drying tops of the stones protruding from the lake shine with crystals.
The Opuksky Nature Reserve has a unique wildlife. Pink starlings are another of the wonders of this heavenly place. It is the only one in Crimea where whole colonies of these rare birds live. Pink starlings arrive in the reserve in May and live until the end of July - only three months. Then fly away to Asia.
Another natural living attraction is bats. Their colonies are located in the former catacombs of Opuka. Basically, bat assemblages consist of sharp-eyed nocturnals, the population of which reaches up to twenty thousand individuals. In the cave, they look like grapes hanging from the ceiling. Mice do not pay attention to tourists - they are used to it. Therefore, they do not even respond to camera flashes. And tourists who want to photograph bat colonies come there quite a lot.
The Opuksky Nature Reserve has its own amazing “zest” - Rocks-Ships. Huge stone statues are located four kilometers from Mount Opuk. When viewed from the side, they really resemble sailboats, which is why they got this name. Official - Elken Kaya. Previously, these cliffs were connected to the shore, but over time, "Stone Ships" were at sea. They consist of strong reef limestones. Therefore, they are not afraid of any storm. The highest stone "sailing ship" reaches twenty meters. Among these rocks there is a fresh spring. This is a very rare occurrence. Colonies of sturgeon and beluga are constantly sailing to stone “ships” for spawning.
The ancient settlement of Kimmerik is an ancient attraction. This is the former capital of Cimmeria, which arose in the sixth century BC and existed until the fourth century BC. Tourists can see the ancient settlements, the citadel, ancient wells, the ancient port.
This is not all the enumeration of the attractions of the Opuk reserve. You can admire many places, wildlife and the underwater world from a boat, during boat trips. This pearl of the Crimea is one of the Russian wonders.