Excursion to Korgalzhyn Reserve.

“If they sing around a fire, they are tourists; if they shrug, they are fishermen.”

Description of excursions to Korgalzhyn reserve.

Lake Sholak is located at an altitude of 316.7 meters above sea level, located in north of Kazakh small hills, at bottom of Tengiz-Korgalzhyn depression, on territory of Korgalzhyn natural park, in Korgalyzh district in southwest of Akmola region. 
Lake Kokai is part of the Tengiz-Korgalzhyn lakes system. The area of Lake Sholak is 28.59 square kilometers. The length of the lake's coastline reaches 33.56 kilometers. The length of Lake Sholak is 12.1 kilometers, the greatest width in the northern part is 3.4 kilometers.
If we consider Lake Sholak and three other lakes located to the southeast of Lake Sholak, this is actually one large body of water, which is divided into 4 lakes through channels. 
Second body of water located southeast of Lake Sholak is Lake Small Sholak. 
Lake Maly Sholak has a border with Lake Sholak 3.9 kilometers southeast of the sources of the Nura River from Lake Sholak. The area of Lake Maly Sholak is 7.5 square kilometers. The length of the lake's coastline reaches 11.25 kilometers.
The length of Lake Maly Sholak is 3.3 kilometers, the greatest width in the northern part is 2.3 kilometers, in the southern part the greatest width reaches 1.9 kilometers. In the southwestern part of the lake there is a swampy island stretching from southeast to northwest along the western coast of the lake for 1.2 kilometers. 
Next body of water located south of Lake Maly Sholak is Lake Koktal. 
Lake Koktal has a border with Lake Maly Sholak at a channel 460 meters long north of the Koktal Peninsula. The area of Lake Koktal is 9.3 square kilometers. The length of the lake's coastline reaches 12.2 kilometers. The length of Lake Maly Sholak is 3.3 kilometers, the greatest width in the northern part is 2.3 kilometers, in the southern part the greatest width reaches 1.9 kilometers.
In the southwestern part of the lake there is a swampy island 1.2 kilometers long, stretching along the western shore of Maly Sholak. In the northern part of the lakes there is the Koktal peninsula with a length of 1.9 kilometers. 
Fourth body of water in this large water area is Lake Shalkar. 
The area of Lake Shalkar is 27.2 square kilometers. The length of the lake's coastline reaches 20.84 kilometers. The length of Lake Shalkar is 5.3 kilometers, the greatest width in the northern part is 6.5 kilometers, in the southern part the greatest width reaches 4.8 kilometers. In the northeastern part, the lake is connected by a channel to Lake Byrtoban.
In the southwestern part of the lake, on the shore is the village of Shalkar. Trees are planted along the western shore of the lake. A motor grader road was laid along the southern and eastern parts of the lake, which connects the village of Shalkar with the villages of Korgalzhyno and Aktubek.
There are 123 large and small, bitter and salty lakes on the territory of the reserve. Among them are the famous large and small Tengiz lakes, Kerey, Kypchak, as well as small lakes Korgalzhyn, Yesey, Sultankeldi, Kokay, Asaubalyk, Zhamankol, Zhabai, Tabankazy, large and small Karakol, Manat, Subergen, Tokhtamys, Bazar, Sary and Kyzyl lakes.
These numerous lakes are watered by the famous rivers Nura, Kulanotpes, Kon, Zhaman Kon and Zhaksi Kon. It preserves the hydrological regime of sea lakes. The Tengiz-Korgalzhyn lake system is located at the junction of bird migration routes (flights) of Central Asia-India and Siberia-East Africa.
The Tengiz-Korgalzhyn lake system is an important wetland for migratory birds in Kazakhstan and throughout Asia. 
Geographic coordinates of Lake Sholak: N50°33'04 E69°49'19
Geographic coordinates of Lake Maly Sholak: N50°30'20 E69°54'30
Geographic coordinates of Lake Koktal: N50°28'01 E69°54'47
Geographic coordinates of Lake Shalkar: N50°25'50 E69°57'12

Authority and photos by:
Alexander Petrov.