Kenderly-Kayasan State Reserved Zone

The Kenderly-Kayasan state reserved zone lies in Karakiya district, Mangystau region, protecting a stretch of the Caspian lowland desert coast in western Kazakhstan. The reserve's terrain includes the salt lake Sor Kenderly, chalk and rock desert formations, and the Balayuk cave, which contains an underground lake, along with the Onere mineral spring. This combination of salt flats, desert cliffs and karst features makes it one of the more geologically varied protected areas on the Mangystau coast, sitting within the Caspian lowland desert ecoregion. Wildlife recorded in the reserve includes the steppe agama lizard and chukar partridge, alongside desert plants such as camel thorn that tolerate the area's saline, arid soils. The zone's mix of coastal desert scenery, underground water features and mineral springs has also drawn interest as a recreational area along the Caspian shoreline south of the Mangystau peninsula's better-known resorts.