Avacha Bay

Avacha bay is a drowned volcanic depression about twenty-four kilometres long with an entrance some three kilometres wide, up to twenty-six metres deep and large enough that it is regularly described as one of the biggest natural harbours in the world - which is why Petropavlovsk was founded on it in 1740 by Bering's expedition and named for his two ships. At the entrance stand the Three Brothers, three rock stacks in a line that are the emblem of the city and carry a local legend about brothers turned to stone shielding the bay from a great wave. Boat trips run from the city out past them to Starichkov island, a bird reserve with puffins, guillemots and cormorants, with sea otters and seals along the way and orcas and whales sometimes further out; sea fishing and a cooked catch is the standard format. Behind it all the Avachinsky and Koryaksky cones stand over the town.

What's there

• The Three Brothers - three rock stacks at the bay entrance, the city's emblem.
• The harbour - a drowned volcanic basin among the largest natural harbours anywhere.
• Starichkov island - a seabird reserve with puffins, guillemots and cormorants.
• The volcano backdrop - Avachinsky and Koryaksky above the water.

When to go

June to September for boat trips. A day. Fog and swell cancel sailings, and the bay can be rough beyond the entrance.

Before you go

Sailings are cancelled by weather regularly. Beyond the heads the Pacific swell makes for a rough boat and seasickness is common. Whale and orca sightings are luck, not a schedule. Petropavlovsk itself is a working port city, not a pretty one.

Nearby

Khalaktyrsky beach is east; Vilyuchinsky and Mutnovsky are south.

Key facts