Lake Kronotskoye

It was formed about 10,000 years ago when lava and pyroclastic flows from eruptions of the Kronotsky and Krasheninnikov volcanoes dammed the Kronotskaya River.

[1] The lake drains an area of 2,330 square kilometres (900 sq mi),[1] with the Listvennichnaya, Unana, and Uzon being the largest rivers to flow into it.

[1] The area surrounding the lake is uninhabited and protected as Kronotsky Nature Reserve, a component of the Volcanoes of Kamchatka World Heritage Site.

[1] Massive rapids at the head of the Kronotskaya River prevent fish from entering or leaving the lake.

[2] There are 11 islands in the eastern side of the lake which cover a total area of around 0.5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi) and host a colony of about 600 pairs of slaty-backed gulls.

Aerial photograph of Lake Kronotskoye
Aerial photograph of Lake Kronotskoye (left) in November 1985. The Kronotsky and Krasheninnikov volcanoes are visible between the lake and the Pacific coast to the right (southwest). North is at the upper left.