You can find whole volumes of information about Lake Baikal, both on the Internet and in various magazines and book publications. The lake has received attention from tourists, researchers and politicians. From year to year, stunning scientific discoveries are associated with Lake Baikal, expeditions are constantly equipped for thorough research. I decided to devote this topic to the most interesting facts and events related to Lake Baikal. I will try to save you from boring geographical terms, only the most interesting will be here. Most of the photos in the theme are clickable (open on click)
- one of the oldest lakes on the planet and the deepest lake in the world. Baikal is one of the ten largest lakes in the world. Its average depth is about 730 meters, the maximum is 1637 meters. In 1996, Baikal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List
Scientists disagree about the origin of Lake Baikal, as well as about its age. Scientists traditionally determine the age of the lake at 25-35 million years. This fact also makes Baikal a unique natural object, since most lakes, especially of glacial origin, live on average 10-15 thousand years, and then they are filled with silty sediments and swamp
There is also a version about the relative youth of Lake Baikal, put forward by Alexander Tatarinov, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences in 2009, which was indirectly confirmed during the second stage of the "Mirov" expedition to Lake Baikal. In particular, the activity of mud volcanoes at the bottom of Lake Baikal allows scientists to assume that modern coastline the lakes are only 8 thousand years old, and the deep-water part is 150 thousand years old
Baikal contains about 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. There is more water in Lake Baikal than in all the five Great Lakes combined and 25 times more than, for example, in Lake Ladoga
The water in the lake is so transparent that individual stones and various objects can be seen at a depth of 40 m.The purest and most transparent water of Lake Baikal contains so little mineral salts (100 mg / l) that it can be used instead of distilled 
Baikal is inhabited by 2,630 species and varieties of plants and animals, 2/3 of which are endemic, that is, they live only in this reservoir. Such an abundance of living organisms is explained by the high oxygen content in the entire thickness of the Baikal water. 
Photo of Baikal from space 
The most interesting in Lake Baikal is the viviparous fish golomyanka, whose body contains up to 30% fat. She surprises biologists with daily forage migrations from the depths to shallow waters. 
The second, after the golomyanka, the miracle of Baikal, to which it owes its exceptional purity, is the Epishura crustacean (there are about 300 species). The Baikal Epischura is a copepod, 1 mm long, a representative of plankton, found throughout the depth (it is absent in bays where the water is warming up). Baikal would not be Baikal without this copepod, barely visible to the eye, surprisingly efficient and numerous, which manages to filter all Baikal water ten times in a year, or even more. 
A typical marine mammal lives here - the seal, or the Baikal seal 
Baikal's water reserves would be enough for 40 years for the inhabitants of the entire Earth, and at the same time 46 x 1015 people could quench their thirst
Baikal ice presents scientists with many mysteries. So, in the 1930s, specialists of the Baikal Limnological Station discovered unusual shapes ice cover, typical only for Baikal. For example, "hills" are cone-shaped ice hills up to 6 meters high, hollow inside. Outward appearance they resemble ice tents, "open" to the opposite side from the coast. Hills can be located separately, and sometimes form miniature "mountain ranges"
In satellite images, dark rings with a diameter of 5-7 km are clearly visible on the ice of Lake Baikal. The origin of the rings is not known. Scientists believe that rings on the ice of the lake may have appeared many times, but it was impossible to see them due to their enormous size. Now, with the use of the latest technologies, this has become possible, and scientists will begin to study this phenomenon. For the first time such rings were discovered in 1999, then in 2003, 2005. As you can see, rings are not formed every year. The rings are also not in the same place. Scientists are particularly interested in the reason for the displacement of the rings in 2008 to the southwest, compared with 1999, 2003 and 2005. In April 2009, such rings were discovered again, and again in a different location than last year. Scientists suggest that the rings are formed due to the release of natural gas from the bottom of Lake Baikal. However, the exact causes and mechanisms of the formation of dark rings on the ice of Lake Baikal have not yet been studied and no one knows their exact nature.
The Baikal region (the so-called Baikal rift zone) belongs to territories with high seismicity: earthquakes regularly occur here, the strength of most of which is one or two points on the MSK-64 intensity scale. However, strong ones also happen, so in 1862, during the ten-point Kudarin earthquake in the northern part of the Selenga delta, a piece of land with an area of 200 km was submerged? with 6 uluses, in which 1,300 people lived, and the Proval Bay was formed
A unique deep-sea neutrino telescope NT-200, built in 1993-1998, was created and is operating on the lake, with the help of which high-energy neutrinos are detected. On its basis, a neutrino telescope NT-200 + with an increased effective volume is being created, the construction of which is expected to be completed no earlier than 2017.
The first dives of manned vehicles on Lake Baikal were made in 1977, when the bottom of the lake was explored at deep-sea vehicle"Pysis" of Canadian production. The depth of 1,410 meters was reached in Listvenichny Bay. In 1991, Paysis sank from the eastern side of Olkhon to a depth of 1,637 meters.
In the summer of 2008, the Foundation for Assistance to the Preservation of Lake Baikal conducted a research expedition “Mira” on Lake Baikal. ”52 submersions of deep-sea manned vehicles“ Mir ”were carried out to the bottom of Lake Baikal. Scientists delivered water samples to the P. P. Shirshov Research Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, soil and microorganisms raised from the bottom of Lake Baikal
In 1966, production began at the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM), as a result of which the adjacent bottom areas of the lake began to degrade. Dust and gas emissions have a negative effect on the taiga around the BPPM, there is a dry top and drying out of the forest. In September 2008, a closed water circulation system was introduced at the plant, designed to reduce the discharge of rinsing water. According to the source, the system turned out to be inoperative and less than a month after its launch, the plant had to be shut down. 
There are many legends associated with. The most fascinating of them is associated with the Angara River:
In the old days, mighty Baikal was cheerful and kind. He deeply loved his only daughter Angara. She was not more beautiful on earth. During the day it is light - lighter than the sky, at night it is dark - darker than a cloud. And whoever drove past the Angara, everyone admired her, everyone praised her. Even migratory birds: geese, swans, cranes - descended low, but rarely sat on the water of the Angara. They said: "Is it possible to blacken the light?"
Old man Baikal took care of his daughter more than his heart. Once, when Baikal fell asleep, Angara rushed to run to the young man Yenisei. Father woke up, splashed in angry waves. A fierce storm arose, mountains sobbed, forests fell, the sky turned black with grief, animals scattered all over the earth in fear, fish dived to the very bottom, birds flew to the sun. Only the wind howled, and the sea-hero raged. The mighty Baikal hit the gray mountain, broke off a rock from it and threw it after the fleeing daughter. The rock fell to the very throat of the beauty. The blue-eyed Angara pleaded, panting and sobbing, and began to ask:
- Father, I am dying of thirst, forgive me and give me at least one drop of water.
Baikal shouted angrily:
- I can only give my tears!
For thousands of years, the Angara flows into the Yenisei as water-tears, and the gray-haired lonely Baikal has become gloomy and terrible. The rock that Baikal threw after its daughter was called by people the Shaman stone. Rich sacrifices were made to Baikal there. People said: "Baikal will get angry, it will tear off the Shaman stone, water will rush and flood the whole earth." Currently, the river is blocked by a dam, so only the top of the shaman's stone is visible from the water. 
There is a legend among the people about the creation of Lake Baikal "The Lord looked: the earth came out unkind ... no matter how she took offense at him! And so that she would not hold offense, he took and threw out to her not some kind of bedding for her feet, but the very measure of his generosity, which measured how much to be from him. The measure fell and turned into Baikal. " 
- Tours for May to Russia
- Last Minute Tours Worldwide
Lake Baikal is located on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia - in the center of the Asian continent. "Blue Eye of Siberia", "Sacred Sea", "Diamond of the Planet" - this is what Baikal is called. The deep-water lake stores the world's largest reserve of fresh water, unique in composition. It is not only pure and transparent, but also contains so little mineral salts that it is equated to distilled one.
In the shape of a nascent crescent, Baikal stretches from the southwest to the northeast. The length of the lake is 636 km, greatest width in the central part - 81 km, the minimum width opposite the Selenga delta is 27 km. Baikal is located at an altitude of 455 m above sea level, the length of the coastline is about 2 thousand km. More than half of the lake's coastline is protected.
About 300 rivers and streams flow into Baikal, while the Selenga River brings half of the water flowing into the lake. The only river that flows out of Baikal is the Angara. There are about 20 islands on the lake, the largest of which is Olkhon.
Baikal is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills - the western coast is more rocky and steep than the eastern one. The picturesque surroundings with an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna attract tourists from all over the world. This region has received the status of a planetary nature reserve. By the number of rare plants growing only here, it surpasses Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands. The most favorable time to relax on Lake Baikal is from May to October. In summer, in addition to excursions, hiking and fishing, tourists are available beach vacation, and in winter - skiing.
How to get to Baikal
Search for air tickets to the city of Irkutsk (the nearest airport to Baikal)
The main resorts of Baikal
What to bring
From Baikal they bring branded delicacies - omul, grayling and cold-smoked whitefish, pine nuts, collections and teas on Baikal herbs - sagan-daila, ginseng, golden root. Ethnic souvenirs are popular - Buryat national clothes, smoking pipes, knives, tambourines, figurines of shamans, amulets, as well as handicrafts made of birch bark, jewelry made of bone and stones. Children will surely like souvenirs with the image of the most charming symbol of Lake Baikal - the seal.
What to try
The Baikal places are famous for the Buryat and Siberian cuisine, which are based on fish and meat dishes. The impression of a trip to Lake Baikal will be incomplete if you do not try a local gastronomic attraction - hot smoked omul. Another specific Baikal fish is golomyanka, it is delicious dried. In addition, whitefish and grayling are required for tasting in different cooking options, especially the way fishermen cook them on a fire - on rozhny. Split and zaguday - specialty fish dishes. Splitting is slices of freshly frozen fish with salt and pepper, and zaguday is freshly salted fish flavored with spices and oil. Among the Buryat dishes, it is recommended to taste poses reminiscent of big dumplings, lamb soup - buhler, and green tea with milk in Buryat style. The Siberian Territory is rich in wild berries - stoneberries, blueberries, lingonberries, blueberries and sea buckthorn. You can buy them from local residents along the trails or in the grocery markets. The famous Siberian mushroom season begins in August.
The best photos of Baikal
Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo
Everything 74
photos of Baikal
Entertainment and attractions of Baikal
The flora and fauna of the Baikal region are unusually diverse and number up to 2.6 thousand species and varieties, three quarters of which are not found anywhere else in the world. The lake is home to 58 species of fish. The most famous are omul, whitefish, grayling, taimen, sturgeon, golomyanka, lenok. 200 species of birds nest on the shores. Baikal is home to a unique, typically marine mammal - the Baikal seal. In the summer in the central and northern parts their lakes can be seen quite often. In the Baikal region there are three national reserves and two natural national parks designed to protect its unique animal and vegetable world.
The Baikal region is the territory near Lake Baikal, stretching along its eastern coast, crossed by the valleys of the Selenga, Turka, Itantsa, Kika, Khaim, Kotochik rivers, as well as a number of smaller rivers. Along the coast there are mountain spurs of the Golondinsky, Ulan-Burgasy and Morsky ranges. The Baikal region has long been inhabited by humans. Many ancient monuments have been preserved here, including sites of the Paleolithic, Neolithic, burial grounds of different times, rock paintings.
In total, there are about 30 springs on the lake, the most famous of them are in the Tunkinskaya valley (Arshan, Zhemchug) and in the north of Baikal (Khakusy, Dzelinda, Solnechny). "Singing sands" of the western coast, a 17th century monastery in the village of Posolskoye, Bystrinsky waterfalls, Uluntuiskaya cave, Circum-Baikal railway.
Cape Burkhan stands out among the Baikal attractions. It is one of the 9 shrines of Asia and business card Olkhon. Burkhan is the main deity of Lake Baikal for Buddhist Buryats, and Cape Burkhan with a through cave in the Shaman Rock is considered his abode.
Climbing the Chersky Peak (2090 m) is a popular route that does not require special equipment. The length of the trail, which starts from Slyudyanka, is 25 km. At the foot of this mountain there is a picturesque alpine lake Heart.
Slyudyanskie lakes are located 25 km from Severobaikalsk. The large lake reaches 2 km in diameter and is surrounded by sandy beaches, the water in it warms up well. The route along the serpentine path will lead to the mica adits, from where a breathtaking view of Lake Baikal and Cape Tonkiy opens.
Malocheremshanskaya cave. The largest cave grotto on the eastern coast of the northern part of Lake Baikal is located 50 m south of the mouth of the Malaya Cheremshana. Its depth - 15 m, height 10-15 m, width at the entrance - 2 m 8 m.
Baidinsky Caves - a popular excursion from Olkhon Island. The caves have several grottoes and halls that can be visited without special equipment. Dream Cave with huge stalactites and glass is the most famous and beautiful cave Baikal. It is located 7 km from the village of Sakhyurta in the Tazheran steppes. It has the Throne and Music halls where ice formations can make melodic sounds. Shishkinsky Pisanitsy - drawings on the Lena rocks near Lake Baikal, dating back to the Paleolithic era.
Yehe Erdo is a mountain of ideal regular shape on the right bank of the Anga River, 10 km from the village of Elantsy. This is the place where in ancient times the Erdynsky Games were held - a cult holiday of Siberian peoples. Women are forbidden to climb the mountain, local men also try to avoid it, and only shamans can freely climb to perform their rituals. Suva Saxon Castle is a group of rocks that resemble the ruins of an ancient castle in their outlines. Here the ancient Evenks performed their shamanistic rituals.
Ivolginsky Datsan is the residence of the head of the Buddhists of Russia and one of the main Buddhist centers in Siberia and the Far East. Temple complex located in the foothills of Khamar-Daban, 29 km from Ulan-Ude. The monks of this Buddhist monastery practice healing with Tibetan medicine and make astrological forecasts. Mount Barkhan-Uula is one of the 5 main Buryat shrines of Lake Baikal, a place where, according to Buryat mythology, the owner of the Barguzin Valley lives. Every year, pilgrimage ascents to it are made by those who received the permission of the lama in the Kurumkansky datsan. Barkhan-Uula took first place in the republican competition "7 wonders of nature in Buryatia".
Fishing on Baikal
There are about 50 species of fish in Lake Baikal, of which only 14 are commercial fish. These are whitefish, white grayling, black grayling, lenok, taimen, sturgeon, burbot, perch, pike, roach, dace, ide, Davatchan and crucian carp ...
Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo
Hunting on Baikal
Hunting is a traditional occupation of the inhabitants of Eastern Siberia. There are many winter huts and places rich in animals in the taiga. The main game species of animals and birds: bighorn sheep, squirrel, wolf, ermine, white hare, red deer, wild boar, musk deer, mountain goat, Siberian roe deer, fox, elk, brown bear, seal, northern deer, wolverine, sable, wood grouse, black grouse, red duck.
Baikal cruises and rafting
Most water trips around Lake Baikal start from Listvyanka village and are possible from May to December.
The densest river network is in mountain systems Eastern Sayan, Khamar-Daban. Even upstream mountain rivers reach a width of 10-15 m and a depth of 0.5-1 m, which makes them suitable for rafting and kayaking.
Weather
The climate in Eastern Siberia is sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Lake Baikal and its mountainous surroundings create an extraordinary microclimate. Baikal works as a large thermal stabilizer - it is warmer in winter and a little cooler in summer than, for example, in Irkutsk, located at a distance of 60 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually around 10 degrees. A significant contribution to this effect is made by forests that grow on almost the entire coast.
Favorable time to travel among wildlife- the period from June to August. At this time of the year, Lake Baikal has the warmest days and nights and, as a rule, the weather is clear and sunny.
Late autumn and early spring are the most inappropriate times for recreation and tourism in the Baikal region due to rainy weather, strong winds and muddy roads.
Due to the fact that the evaporation of cold water from the surface of the lake is very insignificant, clouds over Baikal cannot form. As a result, the sky over Baikal is clear most of the time. But one should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are not lucky, you can run into one, or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the sunniest place of Lake Baikal - on Olkhon, but this happens extremely rarely.
In winter, travel across Siberia is made difficult by the harsh climatic conditions, short daylight hours and the lack of places for a comfortable stay away from cities. In December, it starts to get light at 9:00 and after 17:00 it gets dark quickly. In severe frosts, the atmosphere is filled with a dense fog, through which the sky is barely visible. Until mid-January, Baikal does not freeze, the water soars, hiding the opposite shore in the fog. At the end of winter, a powerful movement of ice occurs, and some hummocks can exceed the height of a person. In March, skiing, ice boat trips and biking on the ice of the lake and ice fishing are especially popular.
Spring
Those wishing to see the pristine beauty of Lake Baikal without the gathering of tourists on its shores are better off coming at the beginning of summer (from May 15 to June 10). At this time, Baikal is just beginning to free itself from ice. It is still cool on Lake Baikal until mid-June, and you often have to wear warm clothes to travel by boat on the lake. The ice on the lake is melting unevenly. In the southern part of Baikal - in early May, in the northern - at the end of the month. Accumulations of ice floes on which seals can be observed continue to swim in the north of the lake until June 5-10. On the pebble beaches Barguzinsky and Baikal-Lensky reserves at this time you can see bears.
Summer
The most favorable time for wildlife travel is from June 15 to August 15. At this time of the year, Baikal has the warmest days and nights, as a rule, there is good sunny weather. Regular passenger navigation starts after June 15th. In summer, in the favorite vacation spots on the coast of the Maloye More and Chivyrkuisky Bay, especially where you can get by car, there are crowded campgrounds... On the coast where there is no highways, tourists are less common. And in the northern part of Lake Baikal, on the territory of reserves, even at the peak of the tourist season, a meeting with a person is generally a rarity.
Autumn
The end of September, Indian summer, attracts with colorful autumn colors of the forest. The mixed forests of the coast near the Peschanaya Bay and in the Chivyrkuisky Bay are especially beautiful.
Baikal is one of the wonders of Russia. The depth of Lake Baikal is a record one. The next African lake Tanganyika after it has a depth of 200 meters less. The reservoir is popular with tourists and explorers. Until now, the secrets of Lake Baikal have not been fully disclosed and excite scientists.
Where is
Located almost in the center of Eurasia, in Western Siberia, on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Buryat Republic, Baikal has the shape of a huge crescent. In terms of area, it is equal to the Netherlands, Belgium or Denmark. Surrounded by mountains and hills, the reservoir occupies a huge foundation pit. A very interesting question is how deep is Lake Baikal. We will talk about this later, but now we will describe the relief of the coast. In the eastern part, it is relatively flat, the mountains are tens of kilometers away. The western shore of the lake is mountainous.
The region where Baikal is located is seismically active. Earthquakes of small magnitude occur regularly, and there are strong ones, the echoes of which are felt even in Irkutsk. So, in the second half of the 19th century there was an earthquake of 10 points. As a result, a land area of 200 square meters was flooded. km, where 1300 people lived. There were strong tremors in 1959 (9 points), in 2008 (9 points) and 2010 (6 points).
The history of the lake and its names
For a long time it was believed that the age of Lake Baikal is 25-30 million years. But recent studies of the topography of the bottom of the lake with its mud volcanoes have shown that it is up to 150 thousand years old. In this regard, Baikal is also unique, because the average age of lakes of similar origin is 10-15 thousand years.
The rift depression, in which Baikal is located, is similar in structure to the depression Dead sea... Its depth is the depth of Lake Baikal. The opinions of scientists on the formation of the basin differ.
There are 3 versions:
- The depression is the result of a transform fault.
- The depression appeared as a result of the action of the hot mantle flow under the lake.
- The depression was formed as a result of small collisions between the Hindustan and the Eurasian plate.
Obviously, as a result of seismic activity, the topography of the bottom of Lake Baikal changes and subsides to this day.
The origin of the lake's name is unclear, but all four points of view reflect the greatness of the reservoir and indirectly indicate the depth of Lake Baikal: Japanese - "great water", Turkic - "rich lake", Mongolian - "rich fire" and Chinese - "northern sea" ... In our country, the modern name began to be used in the 17th century, it was borrowed from the Buryats (Beigkhel): in the Russian language the word was assimilated and the usual pronunciation was established - Baikal.
Features of the landscape and climate
The record depth of Lake Baikal and the vast watershed area determine the local climate. Mild winters, but rather cool summers, long autumn and long spring - these are the climatic characteristics of the regions adjacent to the lake. Also, the weather of Lake Baikal is influenced by local specific winds, such as barguzin or kultuk. Due to the current winds, Baikal is considered one of the most restless lakes in the world.
Another remarkable property of the climate is mirages, which appear up to 7 times a year and last for 5-6 hours. They arise due to the difference in air temperatures between the surface of the water and the space above it. Mirages happen due to the refraction of rays. Landscape objects can visually rise above the surface of the water so that the horizon is visible. Another kind of mirages - when thousands of kilometers distant natural objects optically approaching.
Baikal waters: features and currents
Since ancient times, the water of the lake has fascinated local residents: they adored it, they treated it. It is saturated with oxygen, close in composition to distilled, due to the action of microorganisms, it is practically devoid of minerals. The volume of water in Lake Baikal is 90% of the fresh water reserves of Russia and 20% of the world. For comparison, our great lake has more water than the 5 largest American lakes combined.
The transparency of Baikal water is surprising: the visibility reaches 40 meters. True, this figure can drop to 10 meters during the flowering period. Depending on the season and the activity of plants and microorganisms, the water of Lake Baikal changes its color from bright blue in cold weather to green in summer and autumn.
Baikal is saturated with 336 rivers and streams constantly flowing into it. Turka, Snezhnaya, Upper Angara, Sarma are the largest of them. Angara is the only river flowing out of Lake Baikal.
Depth indicators
What is the depth of Lake Baikal? It is determined by the origin and parameters of the depression in which the lake is located. The last depth studies were carried out in 1983, they were confirmed in 2002. The lake is mesmerizing: with an average of 730 meters, the maximum depth of Baikal is 1630 meters. There are two more lakes on Earth with a depth of more than 1000 meters: Tanganyika and the Caspian Sea. Moreover, in the latter, the water is salty, not fresh. Even the average depth of Lake Baikal is striking - few lakes on Earth can boast a value of 730 meters.
Currents operate on the surface of Lake Baikal, encircling its shores and the largest islands. In certain places (the western coast of the Small Sea) the current is strong enough, therefore, even in calm weather, ships drift. The decrease in the intensity of water movement is influenced by the depth of Lake Baikal in this place and distance from the coastline.
Flora and fauna
Baikal is unique for its flora and fauna: two-thirds of the animals live exclusively here. Oxygenated water provides a breeding environment for species. Scientists have discovered only 70% of the Baikal fauna. Epishura crustaceans form the basis of the lake's food chain; in addition, they perform an important function of purifying water - letting it pass through themselves. The fauna of Lake Baikal includes 56 species of fish. Among them unique view- golomyanka. The fish is interesting in that it does not lay eggs, but gives birth to fry alive. Golomyanka is 43% fat; in search of food, it migrates from great depths to shallow ones.
The seal is the only mammal that lives on Lake Baikal.
Among the flora, sponges can be noted that grow at great depths and are the oldest inhabitants of Lake Baikal.
The uniqueness of the lake is recognized all over the world. It takes into account not only the depth of Lake Baikal, but also its unique ecosystem. The climate and geographical features of the lake attract tourists and scientists from all over the world.
Lake Baikal is a truly mysterious and wonderful place not only in Russia, but throughout the entire planet.
Fauna and flora, the composition of water and even air cannot be compared with the nature of other lakes. Baikal surpasses them in many ways.
The local population differs markedly from the inhabitants of other regions. They honor traditions, remember and keep legends and respectfully call Lake Baikal the sea.
The lake has the shape of a crescent with a width ranging from 20 to 80 km and a length of about 630 sq. km, and the most deep point the lake is located at a level of 1642 meters. Baikal receives more than 300 small and large rivers, and releases only one Angara.
Where is Lake Baikal
Where the lake is located, the border between Buryatia and Irkutsk region... The Russian part of Baikal is geographically located in the south of the eastern part of Siberia.
How to get there
viber for computerEvery tourist planning to spend a vacation on the lake is concerned about the question of how to get to it. First of all, you need to get to Irkutsk or the capital of Buryatia. This can be done by plane or train. And from the administrative centers to the lake itself or the nearest settlement there are buses, minibuses, motor ships.
Do not forget that tickets to Ulan-Ude or Severobaikalsk are not sold so often and are quite expensive. Therefore, travelers often buy tickets to Irkutsk. If the choice was made in favor of the train, then you can buy a ticket for almost any one, next to Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.
The quality of the roads to Lake Baikal is relatively good, which is an undoubted plus for those who like to travel around the world behind the wheel of their car. And for those looking for extreme sports, there is always a way to travel, called hitchhiking.
Cities on Lake Baikal
Cities on Lake Baikal are numerous - from small villages to large administrative centers. Most of the population is professionally employed in tourism. These are employees of hotels, hotels, tourist centers, entertainment centers, guides and guides, transport drivers and guides in the mountains.
Lake Baikal. Slyudyanka photo
TO large cities include Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk, Ulan-Ude. There are architectural, historical monuments and museums in them. They are also centers of culture, politics and economics. The population of these cities ranges from 100 to 400,000 people.
Smaller settlements these are Slyudyanka, Listvyanka, Katun, Maksimikha, Khuzhir, Posolskoe, Turka, Goryachinsk and others. They are more visited by tourists. Rafting on rough rivers, mountain climbing, cruises on the lake, various excursions, ski resorts v winter time.
Lake Baikal on the plain or in the mountains
Lake Baikal is located in the mountains rather than on the plain. Western and East Coast differ from each other. The eastern side has a smoother and more gentle relief. And the western one is represented by mountains, rocks and cliffs, which can move away from the coast for several kilometers. Lake basin type and pool. The Baikal rift zone measures 12,500 km and extends from Mongolia to Yakutia.
A rift is a crack in the layers of the earth's surface that takes the shape of a crescent. The center of the Baikal Rift is its deepest place. It was here that the Lake Baikal basin was formed. The type of lake basin is volcanic and similar to By the dead sea by its structure and represents a system of depressions of various sizes. The volume of water in the lake. The volume of water in the lake is approximately 23 km cubed. It is the largest freshwater reserve in the world.
Baikal photo
The volume of water is striking in its colossal nature. It exceeds the Ladoga Sea 23 times, and the Azov Sea 90 times. Baikal water is saturated with oxygen and practically does not contain various impurities. At a depth of 30-40 meters, individual objects can be easily distinguished. And in some places of the lake, water can be drunk without fear of poisoning. Depth. Water surface Lake Baikal rises 456 meters above sea level.
Characteristics of Lake Baikal
- Lake Baikal area 550,000 square kilometers
- The length of the lake is 636 km
- The width of the lake is 25 - 79 km
- Maximum depth- 1637m, average depth - 730m
- Lake mode. The hydrological regime is the floods and floods of its rivers. River runoff is mainly observed during the warm season. In winter, the rivers are fed only from groundwater. The water surface freezes for about a month from mid-December to mid-January. But the source of the Angara, 15 km long, is not covered with ice, as it draws in water above the freezing point.
- The climate is moderately continental. It is characterized by cold winters and not hot summers (+ 16 + 18). Winds generated by the different temperatures of the coastal and water zone often raise storm surges and create hurricanes.
- The lake is over 25,000 years old. It is the oldest lake in the Ice Age. Most of these lakes, reaching 15,000 age, disappear from the face of the Earth.
- The Baikal fissure cuts the upper mantle of the earth deeper than 50 km. The abnormally high temperature of the bowels under the water column forms hot springs, reaching an average of +80 degrees.
Lake Baikal nature
The nature of Lake Baikal is unique and picturesque. Dense forests, rocky cliffs, hills and mountains, chains of volcanoes are scattered around the lake. More than 2600 species of plants and animals live and grow on this territory, 70% of which are endemic. On the coast, which is more than 2000 km long, there are rapids, sandy bays, about 180 capes with their own bays. The number of sunny and cloudless days prevails on cloudy (about 40 of them per year).
Lake Baikal wildlife
The fauna of Lake Baikal is presented vividly. Some species have practically not been touched by evolution, and some live only in the Baikal region. Nerpa is the symbol of the lake. Scientists still cannot give a clear answer about the way this seal got into the fresh waters of Lake Baikal. Musk deer is a deer weighing 17 kg. Its feature is the absence of horns, but the presence of long canines in males.
Baikal seal photo
The red wolf, sable, deer, squirrel, bear, wild boar, fox, lynx, and snow leopard also live. Among birds, golden eagles, burial eagles, gulls, ducks, swans, cormorants, bustards, peregrine falcons are widespread. In the water column, in addition to fish, special crustaceans Epishura predominate. They are a natural filter, letting the water of the lake pass through themselves.
A variety of shellfish and sponges are also present. For example, Baikalia and Benedicia congregate in large groups on the rocks. Fish of Lake Baikal. The fish of Lake Baikal is represented by omul, viviparous golomyanka fish, sturgeon, bream, sculpin goby, carp and others.
Lake baikal plants
Lake Baikal is densely populated with both terrestrial and underwater plants. There are many forests with centuries-old trees. For example, Siberian pine and cedar, reaching a trunk diameter of more than 6 meters and an age of over 700 years. Birch with black bark is also considered a unique tree.
There are many medicinal plants (over 1000 species). These are licorice, anise, bearberry, chamomile, upland uterus, wormwood, thyme, bracken, bergenia. Plants that are found mainly only in this region include Parisian circe, wolfberry, yellow field poppy, dream-grass, common snake, and so on.
bottom of lake Baikal photo
In the water column, various algae and sponges dominate on almost every centimeter of the bottom. These are mainly blue-green and golden algae. Green algae fill the bays and bays. The sponges come in a variety of colors and prefer to attach to underwater slopes. In addition, there are a lot of higher underwater plants with full leaves, stems and roots (more than 70 species). These are representatives of the families of buttercups, bryophytes, lymphoids, headcaps and others. For example, a small egg capsule and a quadrangular water lily.
Flowing rivers of the lake
The flowing rivers of Lake Baikal are in the hundreds (336 rivers). This is more and less large rivers, and large streams. These include the Snezhnaya river, Amga, Utulik, Upper Angara, Selenga, Bolshaya Buguldeyka, Sarma, Goloustnaya, Barguzin, Zen-Murin and many others.
River flowing out of the lake
The river flowing from the lake is called the Lower Angara and boasts a length of 1,779 km. At the source of the river there is a Shaman-stone, a rock entangled in mystery and legends. According to one legend, the beautiful Angara was in love and wanted to run away to her chosen one, the hero Yenisei. And the furious father Baikal threw this stone after the disobedient daughter.
The river connecting Lake Baikal with the Arctic Ocean
The river connecting Lake Baikal with the Arctic Ocean is called the Yenisei. It divides Siberia into western and eastern and has a length of 3487 km. The river is unique in that it passes through all climatic zones. Both camels and polar bears can be found on its shores.
Lakes near Baikal
The lakes near Lake Baikal have the same tectonic origin, but smaller in size. There are a large number of such lakes and each is unique in its own way. Lake Kolok is considered popular with fishermen.
lake baikal in winter photo
Frolikha is located on the northeastern coast of Lake Baikal and has an area of more than 16 square kilometers and is included in the Red Book as an Ice Age lake. Lake Kotokel is toxic. But although it is forbidden to swim in it, there are about 40 recreation centers on the coast. Also nearby are the lakes Arangatui, Gusinoe, Sobolinoe, Angarsk sor.
Attractions of Baikal
The sights of Lake Baikal are numerous, especially those created by nature itself. But there are also those to which the man had a hand. Natural attractions:
- Great Baikal trail
- Sandy bay
- Small sea with very warm water
- Olkhon Island and Cape Kobylya Golovaya located on it and Lake Shara-Nur, located 750 meters above sea level
- Ushkany Islands
- Chivyrkuisky and Barguzinsky gulfs
- Tunkinskaya valley
- The hot springs
- Valley of volcanoes in the Sayan mountains
In the area of Slyudyanka, a cliff with a height of 300 meters, on which birds nest, is called the bird colony.
Man-made landmarks: Taltsy is an architectural monument. Buildings of various times from the flooded regions of Lake Baikal were brought here. In Listvyanka you can visit the nerpinarium and the sled dog center. Drive or walk along the Circum-Baikal railroad 84 km. In the rocks, more than 30 tunnels were cut for it and 248 bridges were built.
Baikal photo
The Epiphany Cathedral and the Astrophysical Observatory are located in Irkutsk. World heritage of Lake Baikal. Title world heritage Lake Baikal received it in 1996. The lake meets all the requirements for uniqueness. Many endangered plant and animal species are listed in the Red Book.
- Ice in winter reaches 30 meters in depth and during winter breaks spontaneously, providing fish with an influx of oxygen
- The height of storm waves sometimes reaches 5 meters
- In the lake, the sturgeon lives up to 60 years
- The world's highest mountains, 7500 meters each, are flooded under the waters of Lake Baikal
- Scientists suggest that over time, Baikal will become a sea. Its banks diverge by 2 cm annually.
- Baikal Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in September.
Lake Baikal problems
The problems of Lake Baikal have existed for a long time, and will progress without proper help. It is worth noting the drying up of small rivers flowing into the lake. Thanks to this, its ecosystem changes. The shores are subject to destruction, fish spawning is hampered. Poachers and forest fires, mainly caused by humans, have had a hand in the reduction and extinction of some species of flora and fauna. The number of seals, omul, red deer, musk deer has almost halved.
Lake pollution
Lake pollution is a major environmental problem. The culprit is only man. This includes garbage left by tourists in the coastal area, oil products from shipping, waste, carbon dioxide, wastewater from large-scale production.
Baikal's popularity is growing every year, attracting Russian and foreign tourists, artists and scientists. Scientific research is carried out here by archaeologists, geologists, historians, physicists, ethnographers and others. But it is precisely this factor that leads to the ecological troubles of the lake regions. If measures are not taken to protect it, Lake Baikal may disappear from the face of the Earth, and with it the world supply of fresh water.
Baikal - freshwater lake in the south of Eastern Siberia, it stretched from 53 to 56 ° N. and from 104 to 109 ° 30''E. Its length is 636 km, and the coastline is 2100 km. The width of the lake varies from 25 to 79 km. The total area of the lake (mirror area) is 31,500 sq. Km.
Baikal is the deepest lake in the world (1620 m). It contains the largest reserves of fresh water on earth - 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 1/10 of the world's fresh water supply. A complete change of such a huge amount of water in Lake Baikal has been taking place for 332 years.
This is one of the oldest lakes, its age is 15 - 20 million years.
336 rivers flow into the lake, including the Selenga, Barguzin, Upper Angara, and only one Angapa flows out. There are 27 islands on Lake Baikal, the largest of which is Olkhon. The lake freezes in January, opens up in May.
Baikal lies in a deep tectonic depression and is surrounded by mountain ranges covered with taiga; the area around the lake has a complex, deeply dissected relief. Near Lake Baikal, the strip of mountains is noticeably expanding. Mountain ranges stretch here parallel to one another in the direction from northwest to southeast and are separated by basin-like depressions, along the bottom of which rivers flow and in some places lakes are located. The height of most of the ranges of Transbaikalia rarely exceeds 1300 - 1800, but the highest ranges reach high values. For example, xp. Khamar-Daban (Sokhor peak) - 2 304 m, and the Barguzinsky ridge. about 3000 m.
Tectonic movements continue here to this day. This is evidenced by frequent earthquakes in the area of the basin, outcrops of hot springs and, finally, sinking of significant parts of the coast.
The waters of Lake Baikal have a blue-green color, are distinguished by exceptional purity and transparency, often even greater than in the ocean: you can clearly see stones and thickets of greenish algae lying at a depth of 10-15 m, and a white disk immersed in the water is visible at a depth of 40 m.
Baikal lies in the temperate zone.
Geography of Lake Baikal.
Lake Baikal is located in the south of Eastern Siberia. In the form of a nascent crescent, Baikal stretches from southwest to northeast between 55 ° 47 ′ and 51 ° 28 ′ north latitude and 103 ° 43 ′ and 109 ° 58 ′ east longitude. The length of the lake is 636 km, the maximum width in the central part is 81 km, the minimum width opposite the Selenga delta is 27 km. Baikal is located at an altitude of 455 m above sea level. The length of the coastline is about 2000 km. The area of the water table, determined at the water edge of 454 m above sea level, is 31,470 square kilometers. The maximum depth of the lake is 1637 m, the average depth is 730 m. 336 permanent rivers and streams flow into Baikal, while the Selenga brings half of the water flowing into the lake. The only river that flows out of Baikal is the Angara. However, the question of the number of rivers flowing into Baikal is rather controversial, most likely there are fewer of them than 336. There is no doubt that Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, the closest contender for this title, the African lake Tanganyika, is 200 meters behind. There are 22 islands on Lake Baikal, although, as mentioned above, there is no unanimity on this issue. Most large island- Olkhon.
Age of Lake Baikal.
Usually the age of the lake is given in the literature as 20-25 million years. In fact, the question of the age of Lake Baikal should be considered open, since the use of various methods for determining the age gives values from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. Apparently, the first estimate is closer to the truth - Baikal is indeed very ancient lake.
It is believed that Baikal arose as a result of tectonic forces. Tectonic processes are still going on, which is manifested in the increased seismicity of the Baikal region. If we assume that the age of Baikal is indeed several tens of millions of years, then this is the oldest lake on Earth.
Origin of name.
Numerous Scientific research, which indicates a lack of clarity in this issue. There are about a dozen possible explanations for the origin of the name. Among them, the most likely is the version of the origin of the name of the lake from the Turkic-speaking Bai-Kul - a rich lake. Of the other versions, two more can be noted: from the Mongolian Baigal - rich fire and Baigal Dalai - big lake... The peoples who lived on the shores of the lake called Baikal in their own way. Evenks, for example, - Lamu, Buryats - Baigal-Nuur, even the Chinese had a name for Baikal - Beihai - North Sea.
The Evenk name Lamu - More was used for several years by the first Russian explorers in the 17th century, then they switched to the Buryat Baigal, slightly softening the letter "g" by phonetic substitution. Quite often Baikal is called the sea, simply out of respect, for its violent disposition, for the fact that the distant opposite shore often hides somewhere in the haze ... At the same time, the Maloye More and the Big Sea are distinguished. Small Sea - that which is located between north coast Olkhon and the mainland, everything else is the Big Sea.
Baikal water.
Baikal water is unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. It is extraordinarily transparent, clean and oxygenated. In not so ancient times, it was considered curative, with its help diseases were treated. In spring, the transparency of Baikal water, measured with the Secchi disk (a white disk with a diameter of 30 cm), is 40 m (for comparison, in the Sargasso Sea, which is considered the standard of transparency, this value is 65 m). Later, when a massive algae bloom begins, the transparency of the water decreases, but in calm weather, the bottom is visible from the boat at a fairly decent depth. Such high transparency is explained by the fact that Baikal water, due to the activity of living organisms inhabiting it, is very weakly mineralized and close to distilled. The volume of water in Lake Baikal is about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world's fresh water reserves.
Climate.
The climate in Eastern Siberia is sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Lake Baikal and its mountainous surroundings create an extraordinary microclimate. Baikal works as a large thermal stabilizer - it is warmer in winter and a little cooler in summer than, for example, in Irkutsk, located 60 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually around 10 degrees. Forests growing almost on the entire coast of Lake Baikal make a significant contribution to this effect.
The influence of Baikal is not limited only to temperature regulation. Due to the fact that the evaporation of cold water from the surface of the lake is very insignificant, clouds over Baikal cannot form. In addition, the air masses that bring clouds from land, when passing the coastal mountains, heat up, and the clouds dissipate. As a result, the sky over Baikal is clear most of the time. This is also indicated by the numbers: the number of hours of sunshine in the region of Olkhon Island is 2277 hours (for comparison, on Riga seaside 1839, in Abastumani (Caucasus) - 1994). You should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are not lucky, you can run into one, or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the sunniest place of Lake Baikal - on Olkhon, but this happens extremely rarely.
The average annual water temperature on the surface of the lake is + 4 ° С. Near the coast in summer the temperature reaches + 16-17 ° С, in shallow bays up to + 22-23 ° С.
Wind and waves.
The wind blows on Baikal almost always. More than thirty local wind names are known. This does not mean at all that there are so many different winds on Lake Baikal, it is just that many of them have several names. The peculiarity of the Baikal winds is that almost all of them, almost always blow along the coast and there are not so many shelters from them as we would like.
Prevailing winds: northwest, often called mountain, northeast (Barguzin and Verkhovik, aka Angara), southwest (Kultuk), southeast (Shelonnik). The maximum wind speed recorded at Lake Baikal is 40 m / s. In the literature, there are also large values - up to 60 m / s, but there is no reliable evidence of this.
Where there is wind, there are waves, as you know. Immediately, I note that the opposite is not true - a wave can occur even with complete calm. Waves on Lake Baikal can reach a height of 4 meters. Sometimes values of 5 or even 6 meters are given, but this is most likely an estimate "by eye", which has a very large error, usually in the direction of overestimation. The height of 4 meters was obtained using instrumental measurements in the open sea. The excitement is most intense in autumn and spring. In summer, strong excitement is rare on Lake Baikal, and calm often occurs.
