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View of the Turka River on its mouth before joining the Baikal Lake. By I帽aki LLM.

Top 10 Facts about Lake Baikal, Russia

Lake Baikal is an ancient, massive lake in the mountainous Russian region of Siberia, north of the Mongolian border. Its age and isolation have produced one of the world鈥檚 richest and most unusual freshwater faunas, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science.

The lake contains an outstanding variety of endemic flora and fauna, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science. It is also surrounded by a system of protected areas that have high scenic and other natural values.

Lake Baikal is a continental rift lake with primary inflows coming from the Selenga, Barguzin and Upper Angara rivers. It is surrounded by scenic mountain ranges and the Angara River is its only outflow. The lake contains a fifth of the entire planet鈥檚 freshwater supply.

Here are the top ten facts about Lake Baikal in Russia.

1. The History of Lake Baikal

Fishermen in the Katun. Lake Baikal. By Unknown.

The Baikal region, often called Baikalia, has a long history of human settlement. Lake Baikal, which is in the ancient northern area of the Xiongnu confederation, is one side of the Han鈥揦iongnu War. They named the lake the North Sea (Beihai) of the semimythical Four Seas, describing it as a ‘huge sea’ (shanghai). The Kurykans, a Siberian tribe that lived in the region in the sixth century, gave it the name ‘much water,’ which means a lot of water.’ The Yakuts dubbed it ‘rich lake’ (bay g枚l), and the Buryats termed it ‘natural lake’ (baygal nuur).

2. Between 1896 and 1902, the Trans-Siberian Railway was constructed.

The scenic railway along Lake Baikal’s southwestern end needed 33 tunnels and 200 bridges to complete. In 1918, the lake was the location of a short battle between the Red Army and the Czechoslovak Legion. The Great Siberian Ice March happened in the winter of 1920 when the retreating White Russian Army traversed frozen Lake Baikal. A significant hydrogeographical expedition carried out during the construction of the railway generated the first precise contour map of the entire lake bottom of this ancient lake. Lake Baikal is known among the natives as a sacred sea.’ The lake is thought to be 25 million years old, making it one of geological history’s ancient lakes.

3. The Economy around Lake Baikal

As oil profits created an economic boom, the lake, anointed ‘the Pearl of Siberia,’ enticed investors from the tourism sector. The Hotel Mayak is found in Listvyanka’s renowned resort. Baikalplan (a German NGO) created the Frolikha Adventure Coastline Track, a 62 mi (100 km) length long-distance route in the northern section of the lake, alongside Russians in 2009 as an example of sustainable development in the area. In 1996, Lake Baikal was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, being the world’s largest freshwater lake. Rosatom intends to construct a laboratory near this fresh-water lake in collaboration with a multinational uranium facility, spending $2.5 billion in the area around the lake and employing around 2,000 people in Angarsk.

4. Lake Baikal is a renowned tourist site for visitors from around the globe.

Great Baikal Trail. By Beatmarina.

Lake Baikal is becoming more popular every year, although there is little built infrastructure in the region. Lake Baikal has a great way to go in terms of service quality and tourist comfort. The icy route to Olkhon Island is Lake Baikal’s sole legal ice road. Every year, experts prepare the path, which opens when the ice conditions permit. Jim Denevan and his team constructed a large-scale artwork on the frigid area of Lake Baikal in Siberia in March 2010.

5. Ecotourism In Lake Baikal

Depending on the season, Baikal offers a variety of tourist activities that attract the tourist industry to this deep lake. In general, there are two peak ecotourism seasons in Baikal. Ice season, which normally begins in mid-January and lasts until mid-April, is the first season. During this season, the ice cover of the frozen surface reaches up to 55 in (140 cm), allowing for safe vehicle travel on the ice. It opens up access to the ice figures that develop on Olkhon Island’s rocky shores, such as the Three Brothers Rock, Cape Hoboy, and caverns to the north of Khuzhir. It also connects Ogoy Island and Zamogoy, two tiny islands. The ice itself is transparent to a depth of 3.2 ft (1 m), with various patterns of crevasses, bubbles, and noises.

Bicycle riding, hiking, ice skating, and ice-walking are all popular activities during this season. Around Olkhon, there is a 124.7 mi (200 km) ice path. Ice fishing enthusiasts flock to this season as well. Mid-April marks the conclusion of the ice season.

6. Summer is the second ecotourism season, and it allows visitors to see more of Baikal’s natural beauty.

Lake Baikal. By Xchgall.

Hiking paths become possible, and many of them pass across two mountain ridges: the Baikal Range on the west side of Baikal and the Barguzin Range on the eastern side. The most popular trail begins in Listvyanka and leads to Bolshoye Goloustnoye along the Baikal coast. The path is 34 mi (55 km) long, although most visitors travel only a portion of it, a 15.5 mi (25 km) section to Bolshie Koty. It is one of the easier hikes in the region and can be completed without needing special equipment.

7. Activities around the lake

Bird watching, animal watching (particularly Baikal seals), and fishing are available on small tourist boats in the vicinity. The water in the Lake Baikal area is quite cold in most places (not exceeding 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) for most of the year), although it’s pleasant to swim in a few gulfs, such as Chivirkuy. Along the Lake Baikal shore, the Great Baikal Trail runs from Litvyanka to Bolshoe Goloustnoye. Olkhon’s most populous settlement, Khuzhir, is an ecotourism attraction.

Baikal has long been popular in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, but in recent years it has experienced an inflow of tourists from China and Europe.

8. Animals In and Around Lake Baikal

A species of earless seal endemic to Lake Baikal. By Per Harald Olsen. Wikimedia Commons

Lake Baikal is very important to science. It’s exceptionally diverse in terms of biodiversity, with many endemic flora and fauna species. The lake is a sanctuary to over 1,000 plant species and 2,500 animal species, according to current estimates. Many others, however, feel that the true statistics are far higher. More than 80% of the creatures are native to the area. The Baikal seal, also known as the nerpa (Pusa sibirica), is only found in Lake Baikal. It is the only freshwater-only seal species on the planet.

9. The age of Baikal goes back to the Oligocene.

The age of Baikal goes back to the Oligocene. It is estimated that the lake exists for about 25-30 million years. Its creation is associated with the collision of an Indian tectonic plate with Asia. It caused the so-called Amur plate to begin to move away from the Eurasian plate. A gap formed between them, which filled with water and thus Baikal arose.

10. Lake Baikal Max Depth and Average Depth

Lake Baikal, Russia. By 袗褉泻邪写懈泄 袟邪褉褍斜懈薪.

The average depth of Baikal is 744.4 m higher than the maximum depths of many lakes in the world.

Its maximum depth, measured by Russian scientists Kolotilo and Sulimov in 1983, was 1640 m, which made Baikal the deepest lake in the world.