Colorful Rocks of Shekelmes Bay, Kazakhstan

Geology?, Nature and Environment?, Travel Information?, Unique things? - Should fit all, so let here until higher level decision:

Flaming sand of Lake Zaysan
Posted by Sergei Rzhevsky to aboutkazakhstan.com
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Shekelmes Bay has almost perfect semicircular shape.
There is a belief that the bizarre metamorphosis of sand that you can see in this place is a result of the fall of a meteorite on the shore of the lake.
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Photos by Ilia Afanasieff:

also great panoramio shots around location, worth check GE photo layer!

few examples:

photo by 141maks


photo by Melamory


photo by Alexandr Kostin

Shekelmes Bay Kazakhstan.kmz (932 B)

Placemark view set to higher altitude from where whole, perfectly circular shape of the bay visible.
Meteor impact thesis however is not confirmed by "our" Consolidated Earth Impact Database.

Zoom in for the colorful rocks and further Panoramio reference.

Could it really be an ancient cataclism that caused 9,1 km (5,65 ml) diameter impact crater and such beautiful (sand-)rock formations, characterising  this fabulous landscape? 

Full image (180.kB.jpeg)

Any (further) information would be good!

Thanks!
g