Kutkhiny Baty: impressive pumice rocks in Kamchatka

Many have seen such natural attractions of Kamchatka as volcanoes, geysers and thermal lakes. But few people know about the bizarre white rocks on the territory of the Kathina Bata nature monument. Today we will talk about this amazing place and how it was formed.

According to the legends of Itelmens, the indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka, the white ledges of the rocks are wooden boats that the raven Kuth set to dry after fishing. The wise raven Kuth is considered the creator of Kamchatka and is a sacred deity among Itelmens, and the very name of this fabulous place - Kutkhiny Baty - is translated as "Kutha boats".

The Kutkhina Baty nature monument is located in the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula 4 kilometers west of Kurilskoye Lake, not far from the Ozernaya River flowing from the lake. A stream flows along the bottom of this picturesque crevice, which served as the reason for the formation of so many magnificent places.

White cliffs in this area are nothing less than the familiar pumice - volcanic rock. Pumice, or pumiceitis, is formed as a result of rapid solidification of acidic lava masses. During cooling and hardening from viscous hot rock, gases evaporate and bubbles and voids characteristic of pumice are formed. The bedrock in this place is represented by a pumice stone, on the surface of which the first plants settled over time, soil formed and forests grew.

In the recent geological past, the stream, which is the right tributary of the Ozernaya River, began to actively erode the topsoil and the rock itself, forming a valley. As a result of water erosion, bedrock was exposed and white pumice stones became available to the eyes of tourists and researchers. There are small areas of such outcrops in neighboring valleys near Lake Kurilsky, but the natural monument of Kutkhina Baty is the most impressive. Travelers who follow the hiking route to the Kuril Lake must come here, because there is no such miracle of nature anywhere else in the world.