The main gateway into Kamchatka, Avacha Bay, is one of the world's most beautiful harbours. With an area of over 200 square kilometres, it is the second largest bay in the world (after Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro) and it has enough space to fit every ship in the world at once. The bay is 3 km wide at the entrance and up to 26 m deep.
Avacha Bay was discovered by Russian explorers in 1703 and then continued on to provide a refuge for the famous round-the-world voyages of the early 19th century. The Governor General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Muravyov (later Earl Muravyov-Amursky), wrote: "I've seen many ports in Russia and Europe, but I've never seen anything like Avacha Bay."
Today, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky occupies a strip of land on the northern shore of Avacha Bay that is nearly 20 kilometers long. There is a view of the entire bay from the Mishennaya and Petrovskaya hills in the city. The Bezymyanny and Mayachny Capes form the gateway to the bay. During a storm, ships from all over the area find refuge in the bay.
The cliffs at the mouth of the bay, known as the Three Brothers, are considered its symbols. According to legend, in the distant past three handsome young men from a tribe living on the shores of Avacha Bay decided to protect their people from the mighty ocean waves. The brothers stood at the entrance to the bay to shield it from tsunamis with their bodies. And they have been standing there ever since, greeting the ships entering the bay.
The tiny Starichkov Island, with an area of just about one-tenth of a square kilometre, rises from the water not far from the Three Brothers. The rocky island, devoid of trees, is famous for its bird colonies. More than 50,000 puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, cormorants, and gulls hatch their eggs here every year. A pair of Steller's sea eagles, rare birds included in the rare species list (the Red Book) of Russia, also nests here. The reefs around the island are inhabited by seals and sea otters. Starichkov Island was given natural sanctuary status in 2003.
Avacha Bay's underwater life is also very diverse and beautiful. The waters of the bay are home to 32 species of fish, several species of sea stars, urchins, as well as sea anemones, hydrozoa, sponges, and sea cucumbers.