Zakaznik Bolshoy Utrish, Nature reserve in Anapa, Russia
Zakaznik Bolshoy Utrish is a nature reserve in Anapa Urban Okrug along the Black Sea coast between Sukko and Maly Utrish villages. The area includes coastal sections with pebble beaches, forested hills with pistachio and juniper trees, and marine sections with algae beds.
The Russian government established this protected zone in April 1994 to safeguard the last Eastern Mediterranean habitats of the northern Black Sea. The designation followed decades of scientific studies on the region's rare plant species.
The name Bolshoy Utrish comes from the Russian words for "large rock slide," describing the rugged terrain along the coast. Visitors notice the ancient juniper trees growing between the cliffs, their roots clinging to steep slopes.
Visitors should wear sturdy shoes as paths cross rocky terrain with loose stones. Coastal sections work best for bird watching in spring and autumn when migratory birds rest along the Black Sea.
The underwater area hosts over two hundred algae species that form dense carpets in shallow bays. These algae beds provide habitat for the Nikolsky tortoise, a threatened species found only in a few Black Sea coastal regions.
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