Natural Monument "Island of lake "Imantau"

Lake Imantau, in the Aiyrtau district of North Kazakhstan Region, holds a small island near its center that has been designated a natural monument. Covering roughly 16 hectares, the island takes on a distinctive heart-like outline when seen from above, and its Kazakh name, Tasaral, translates as "stone island" — a nod to the rocky outcrops that break through its tree cover. Locals also know it by two other names: "Snake Island," from old stories about snakes living among its boulders, and "Cossack Island," recalling settlers who once used it. The island lies about four kilometers from shore and is usually reached by boat from villages along the lakeshore. It sits within the wider Imantau recreational zone, part of Kokshetau National Park territory, where low wooded hills ring a freshwater lake prized for swimming, fishing, and camping. The surrounding forest and water support elk, deer, wild boar, foxes, and badgers, making the island one of the more photographed natural features of this North Kazakhstan beauty spot.