Kamenistaya Bay is located in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, a natural and protected area reserved for the study of natural sciences in the remote Russian Far East, on the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
This area has Russia's only geyser basin, plus several mountain ranges with numerous volcanoes, both active and extinct. Due to its often harsh climate and its mix of volcanoes and geysers, it is frequently described as the Land of Fire and Ice.
It is mainly accessible only to scientists, plus approximately 3,000 tourists annually who pay a fee equivalent to US$700 to travel by helicopter for a single day's visit.[2] Kronotsky Nature Reserve has been proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The nature reserve around Kamenistaya Bay boasts over 800 brown bears, some of the largest in the world that can grow to over 540 kg (1,200 pounds). The 800-plus population make it Eurasia's largest protected brown bear population. Bears in the Kronotsky reserve often encounter each other at salmon streams in the park where they can socialize freely with each other.
Unique flora and fauna, particularly seabirds, fish and sea mammals abound in this area.
Cruises generally commence in late Spring (April/May) and the season ends in September. The shorter season reflects the more northerly latitude of the region, however daily temperatures through the region are generally a pleasant 20c/70f through summer and can rise to the mid to high 20’s. April and September are cooler.