Lake Baikal biography. Circular Baikal Railway. Waters of Lake Baikal

Address: Russia, Republic of Buryatia, Irkutsk region
Square: 31,722 km²
Maximum depth: 1642 m
Transparency: 40 m
Coordinates: 53°43"36.9"N 108°27"32.4"E

The cleanest and, without a doubt, the most beautiful Lake Baikal, rightfully took its place in the list of 7 wonders of Russia, according to a vote held in 2008.

Fascinating with its pristine nature and mystery, the lake is located almost in the very center of Asia on the border of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. The water surface, which shimmers with mystical light, stretches for 620 (!) Kilometers from the northeast to the southwest.

If we consider pictures of Lake Baikal taken from space, we can note that it looks like a crescent. The width of the lake in its various places ranges from 24 to 79 kilometers.. Such dimensions allow local residents and many tourists to call Baikal not a lake, but a sea.

No matter how one would like to call this majestic reservoir of fresh water the sea, it is still a lake that is surrounded on almost all sides. picturesque mountains and hills of extinct volcanoes. By the way, the supply of fresh water in Lake Baikal is 90% of the total supply. drinking water Russia and almost 20% of the total supply of the purest and, according to the results of many scientific experiments, healing water in the world. Speaking about Lake Baikal, one cannot but say that it is considered the deepest in the world: the mirror of the lake is located 453 meters above the level of the World Ocean, and its bottom is almost 1170 meters lower. True, many researchers are skeptical that Baikal is the deepest lake on our planet. When calculating the depth of lakes, many scientists forget about those reservoirs of fresh water that are under the eternal ice of Antarctica, one of which is called Vostok. True, it is hidden by an almost 4-kilometer layer of ice, and the calculation of the depth of lakes and the ocean in glacier conditions should be carried out using completely different parameters.

Unique Ecosystem

Alas, modern science cannot yet accurately answer the question of how old Baikal is, however, as well as other questions that this phenomenon constantly poses to scientists. amazing lake. At the moment, it is generally accepted that Baikal, whose area is almost 32,000 square kilometers, originated at least 25 million years ago. There are more bold assumptions, some scientists believe that the age of the lake exceeds 35 million years. This is a long period of time, even by the standards of the existence of our planet. True, it is these figures that pose a new problem: how, for so many years, the lake has remained practically in its original form? The thing is that any lake does not “live” for more than 15, maximum 20,000 years. Its bottom is covered with silt and with the passage of time it turns into an ordinary swamp. This is not observed in Lake Baikal. Perhaps it is worth paying special attention to the point of view of the authoritative scientist Tatarinov, who in 2009 put forward the idea that Baikal has existed “for now” for “only” 8,000 years.

Which theory is considered reliable, everyone decides for himself: the conclusions of most experts suggest that the whole point is in the unique ecosystem of the lake in its tributaries and the only outflow, as well as in constant earthquakes, as a result of which a vacuum arises at the depths, filled with "fresh » groundwater.

Due to its purity, Lake Baikal and its environs are a favorite habitat for a huge number of species of birds and mammals. Many of the animals, birds and fish are endemic, meaning that they only live in this ecosystem and are not found anywhere else in the world. The golomyanka fish, which belongs to the family of viviparous, attracts special attention of ichthyologists. And this fish is another mystery of Lake Baikal. Firstly, the entire body of this fish is more than 30% fat, and secondly, this fish lives at very great depths, and goes to shallow water for food. This is not at all typical for deep-sea fish, because sudden pressure drops in almost all species lead to death. Another representative of the ichthyofauna is the smallest crustacean, called epishura. It is also endemic to the lake. Without it, life in Baikal would surely perish, because it is the main food for many fish and, it is he who breeds in incredible quantities, filters the water of Lake Baikal, purifying it from organic matter. Maybe it is in this crustacean that the secret of such a long “life” of the lake lies ...

Lake Baikal water

Even elementary school students know about the purity of the water of Lake Baikal. Teachers who talk about the nature of our planet often emphasize that you can drink water from Baikal without even boiling it. By the way, the opinion is quite controversial. Naturally, there are many places where the water in the lake not only does not pose a threat to human health, but is also considered healing. The tourism infrastructure, which is constantly developing and thousands of tourists who want to see the great Baikal, like many other lakes around the world, is getting bigger and bigger. Only an experienced guide living near the lake can indicate where it is safe to drink from Baikal. Surprisingly, despite the presence of stone deposits and tributaries at the bottom, which include the Selenga River, which is constantly polluted on the territory of Mongolia, the water in Baikal practically does not contain dissolved salts and minerals. Simply put, it is almost identical to distilled water, which undergoes multi-level purification in special laboratories.

The lake is so transparent that, according to some researchers, in some parts of the lake the bottom can be seen from a boat in great detail at a depth of 40 meters.

Such transparency of water can be observed after the ice has melted: usually in early spring Baikal water becomes bright blue. In summer and autumn, when the water warms up, microplankton and algae begin to develop in it in small quantities: naturally, at this moment it is already quite difficult to distinguish pitfalls at a depth of 40 meters, but the transparency is amazing even at these times of the year. True, its color changes: it does not turn into muddy green, on the contrary, it becomes soft turquoise.

Immerse yourself in affectionate and the purest waters Baikal ... - a dream! True, a dream only for those who know very little about this lake. The thing is that the water here does not warm up even in summer above +9 degrees Celsius. Only in small and shallow bays can one expect that the water will warm up to +16 under the sun. Therefore, you can swim in Baikal and see the underwater world through crystal clear water only in a wetsuit. In winter, the water mirror is almost completely covered with thick ice, so thick that in the 19th century sleepers were installed on the ice and steam locomotives were transported across Lake Baikal with the help of horses. The ice on the lake is an amazing sight: during severe frosts, cracks pass through it, the length of which is sometimes 30 (!) Kilometers, and their width is 3 meters.

During the formation of such a crack, a strong sound is heard throughout all the surroundings of Lake Baikal, which can only be compared with a howitzer shot or a thunderclap from lightning that hit the ground a few meters from a person. Such a phenomenon was foreseen by nature itself, thanks to the formation of such cracks, the water is constantly saturated with oxygen and the flora and fauna of Baikal do not die in severe frosts.

Origin of the name of the lake

Just as with the age of Lake Baikal, confusion arose with its name in scientific circles. In any case, some historians agree that the name "Baikal" comes from one of the Asian languages: Mongolian, Yakut, or Turkic. However, there are versions that the lake was first seen and named ... by the Chinese. The Chinese word, which sounds like "Bei-Hai", is translated literally - "North Sea". This opinion also deserves attention: after all, doesn’t the majestic lake look like the North Sea? Most experts trying to unravel the mystery of the origin of the name of the deepest lake in the world believe that it came from the Buryat language.

The Buryats called the endless expanse of water "Baigal", but the members of the Russian expedition, who participated in the campaign to the lake back in the 17th century, could hardly cope with the letter "g" and, without thinking twice, replaced it with "k". This is how the name of Lake Baikal came to be. Although, as mentioned above, none of the listed versions is recognized by the scientific world as reliable and proven.

On Baikal

No matter how many legends and myths are associated with this lake, no matter how many scientific disputes about its name and origin, all this instantly loses its meaning when you find yourself in front of the amazing mirror of Baikal. He is calm, then suddenly rears up in waves. Surrounding nature indescribable, here on a calm day, despite the singing of birds and the barely audible breath of the wind, comes the realization of what real silence, peace and tranquility. It seems that Baikal communicates on a subconscious level with everyone who comes to see this majestic lake. It is not for nothing that many travelers who have explored Baikal are looking forward to the moment when they can return to this wonderful world, which is more than 25 million years old.

The etymology of the name of the lake has several versions. According to one of them, the word is Turkic and means "rich lake" - Bai-Kul. According to another, the name of the reservoir was given by the Mongols, and it means either “rich fire” (Baigal), or “big sea” (Baigal Dalai). And the Chinese called it " north sea"(Bei-Hai).

The Baikal basin as an orographic unit is a complex formation of the earth's crust. It began to form 25-30 million years ago, and recent studies show that the formation process of the lake continues. According to geologists, Baikal is the embryo of the future ocean. Its shores "scatter", and after a while (several million years) a new ocean will replace the lake. But this is a matter of the distant future. Why is Baikal interesting for us today?

First of all, their geographical characteristics. The maximum depth of Baikal is 1637 meters. This is the highest figure among all the lakes in the world. The African, which is in second place, is lagging behind by as much as one hundred and sixty-seven meters.

The average depth of Baikal is also very great - seven hundred and thirty meters! The area of ​​the lake (more than 31 thousand square kilometers) is approximately equal to the area of ​​a small European country(Belgium or Denmark).

The depth of Baikal is also due to the huge number of large and small streams and streams (336!), Flowing into the lake. Only Angara flows out of it.

Baikal is also the world's largest reservoir of the purest in volume, slightly larger than all five great American Hurons, Erie, Michigan and Ontario)! In numbers, this will be more than 23,600 cubic kilometers. Great depth Lake Baikal and the impressive area of ​​​​the water mirror became the reason that the locals dubbed this lake lying in the depths of Eurasia the sea. Here, as on a real sea, storms and even tides occur, although they are of small magnitude.

Why is the water of Lake Baikal so transparent that at a depth of up to forty (!) meters the bottom is visible? The channels of the rivers feeding the lake are located in hardly soluble crystalline rocks, as is the bed of the lake itself. Therefore, the mineralization of Baikal is minimal and amounts to 120 milligrams per liter.

Given that the depth of Baikal is 1637 meters, and coastline 456 meters above sea level, it turns out that the bottom of the lake is the deepest continental depression in the world.

In August 2009, the Mir-1 deep-sea submersible dived at the deepest point of Lake Baikal, not far from it. The dive lasted more than an hour. For five and a half hours, video filming was carried out at the bottom of the lake and samples of bottom rocks and water were taken. During the descent, several new organisms were discovered and a place was discovered where the lake is being polluted with oil.

For ten years, an autonomous deep-sea station has been operating nine kilometers from the coast at a depth of 1370 meters, which houses equipment for monitoring the Earth's electromagnetic field. Scientists expect that the depth of Lake Baikal will affect the accuracy of research, because the equipment is installed almost a kilometer below sea level. And a station for collecting, processing and transmitting information was installed on the shore to process incoming data.

Numerous scientific studies have been devoted to the problem of the origin of the word "Baikal", which indicates a lack of clarity in this matter. There are about a dozen possible explanations for the origin of the name. Among them, the most probable 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 - a rich fire and Baigal Dalai - a large 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 - the North Sea.

The Evenk name Lamu - the Sea 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 replacement. Quite often, Baikal is called the sea, simply out of respect, for its violent temper, for the fact that the far opposite shore is often hidden somewhere in the haze... At the same time, the Small Sea and the Big Sea are distinguished. The Small Sea is what is located between the northern coast of Olkhon and the mainland, everything else is the Big Sea.

Baikal water

Baikal water is unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. It is unusually transparent, pure and saturated with oxygen. In not so ancient times, it was considered healing, with its help, diseases were treated. In spring, the transparency of Baikal water, measured using 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 can be seen from a boat at a fairly decent depth. Such a high transparency is due to the fact that Baikal water, due to the activity of living organisms that live in it, is very weakly mineralized and close to distilled.

The volume of water in Baikal is about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world and 90% of Russian fresh water reserves. Every year, the Baikal ecosystem reproduces about 60 cubic kilometers of clear, oxygenated water.

Age of Lake Baikal

The age of the lake is usually given in the literature as 20-25 million years. In fact, the question of the age of 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 really very ancient lake. If we assume that the age of Baikal is indeed several tens of millions of years, then this is the oldest lake on Earth.

It is believed that Baikal arose as a result of the action of tectonic forces. Tectonic processes are also taking place in present time, which is manifested in the increased seismicity of the Baikal region.

Climate in the area of ​​Lake Baikal.

Climate in Eastern Siberia sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Baikal, and its mountainous environment create an unusual microclimate. Baikal works like a big thermal stabilizer - in winter it is warmer in Baikal, and in summer a little cooler than, for example, in Irkutsk, located at a distance of 70 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually around 10 degrees. A significant contribution to this effect is made by forests growing on almost the entire coast of Lake Baikal.

The influence of Lake Baikal is not limited to the regulation of the temperature regime. Due to the fact that evaporation cold water from the surface of the lake is very insignificant, clouds cannot form over Baikal. In addition, the air masses that bring clouds from the land heat up when passing the coastal mountains, and the clouds dissipate. As a result, the sky over Baikal is clear most of the time. This is also evidenced by the numbers: the number of hours of sunshine in the region of Olkhon Island is 2277 hours (for comparison - on the Riga seashore 1839, in Abastumani (Caucasus) - 1994). You should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are not lucky, then you can get one or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the very sunny place Baikal - on Olkhon, but this is extremely rare.

Average annual temperature water on the surface of the lake +4°С. Near the coast in summer the temperature reaches +16-17°C, in shallow bays up to +22-23°C.

Wind and waves on Baikal.

The wind on Baikal blows almost always. More than thirty local names of winds are known. This does not mean at all that there are so many different winds on Baikal, just that many of them have several names. Peculiarity Baikal winds in that almost all of them almost always blow along the coast and there are not as many shelters from them as we would like.

Prevailing winds: northwest, often called mountain winds, northeast (barguzin and verkhovik, also known as angara), southwest (kultuk), southeast (shelonnik). Maximum wind speed, registered on Baikal, 40 m/s. Large values ​​are also found in the literature - up to 60 m/s, but there is no reliable evidence for this.

Where there is wind, there, as you know, there are waves. I note right away that the opposite is not true - the wave can be even with complete calm. Waves on Lake Baikal can reach a height of 4 meters. Sometimes values ​​​​of 5 and even 6 meters are given, but this is most likely an estimate “by eye”, which has a large error, as a rule, in the direction of overestimation. The height of 4 meters was obtained using instrumental measurements in the open sea. The excitement is strongest in autumn and spring. In the summer on Lake Baikal, strong excitement is rare, and calm often occurs.

Ichthyofauna of Baikal.

Depending on the habitat conditions, fish can be divided into several groups. Sturgeon, pike, burbot, ide, roach, dace, perch, minnow occupy coastal shallow waters and river deltas in Baikal. Fish of Siberian mountain rivers: grayling, taimen, lenok inhabit small tributaries of the lake and its coastal zone. Omul, since ancient times considered a symbol of Baikal, inhabits its open and coastal part, whitefish, another well-known inhabitant of Baikal, inhabits only the coastal part.

The most remarkable group of Baikal fish are gobies, of which there are 25 species. Most Interest of them are golomyanka. This miracle of Baikal is not found anywhere else in the world. Golomyanka is unusually beautiful, shimmers in the light blue and pink, and if it is left in the sun it will melt, leaving only bones and a greasy stain. She is the main and most numerous inhabitant of Baikal, but rarely gets into the nets of fishermen. Her only enemy is the seal, for which she is the main food.

In order to preserve rare and endangered animals, the strictest and complete ban on hunting, the maximum preservation of the habitat, the creation of special nurseries, national parks, nature reserves and sanctuaries

Lake Baikal is a truly mysterious and wonderful place not only in Russia, but throughout the planet.

The flora and fauna, 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 square meters. km, and the most deep point The lake is located at the level of 1642 meters. Baikal takes in 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. Russian part Baikal is geographically located in the south of the eastern part of Siberia.

How to get there

Every tourist planning to spend a vacation on the lake is concerned about the question - how to get to it. First of all, you need to get to Irkutsk or the capital of Buryatia. You can do this by plane or train. And from administrative centers buses, minibuses, motor ships go to the lake itself or the nearest settlement.

Do not forget that tickets to Ulan-Ude or Severobaikalsk are sold not so often and are quite expensive. Therefore, travelers often purchase tickets to Irkutsk. If the choice was made in favor of the train, then you can buy a ticket for almost any one following in the direction of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

The quality of roads to Lake Baikal is relatively good, which is a definite plus for those who like to travel around the world driving their car. And for extreme seekers, there is always a way of traveling 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 the tourism industry. These are hotel workers, tourist bases, entertainment centers, guides and guides, transport drivers and guides in the mountains.

Lake Baikal. Slyudyanka photo

Large cities include Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk, Ulan-Ude. They contain architectural historical monuments and museums. They are also centers of culture, politics and economics. The population of these cities ranges from 100 to 400,000 people.

Smaller settlements are Slyudyanka, Listvyanka, Katun, Maksimikha, Khuzhir, Posolskoye, Turka, Goryachinsk and others. They are more visited by tourists. Here are rafting on turbulent rivers, mountain climbing, cruises on the lake, various excursions, ski resorts in winter time.

Lake Baikal on the plain or in the mountains

Lake Baikal is located more in the mountains than on the plain. Western and East Coast differ from each other. The eastern side has a smoother and gentler 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, which takes the form of a crescent. The center of the Baikal Rift is its deepest point. It was here that the basin of Lake Baikal was formed. The type of lake basin is volcanic and similar to dead sea in 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 km3. This is the largest fresh water supply in the world.

Baikal photo

The volume of water is striking in its colossality. It exceeds the Ladoga Sea by 23 times, and the Sea of ​​Azov by 90 times. Baikal water is saturated with oxygen and practically does not contain various impurities. At a depth of 30-40 meters, it is quite easy to distinguish individual objects. And in some places of the lake, water can be drunk without fear of poisoning. Depth. The water surface of Lake Baikal rises 456 meters above sea level.

Characteristics of Lake Baikal

• The area of ​​Lake Baikal is 550,000 square kilometers
• The length of the lake is 636 km
• Lake width 25 - 79 km
• Maximum depth - 1637m, average depth - 730m
• Lake mode. The hydrological regime is floods and floods of its rivers. The flow of rivers is mainly observed in the warm season. In winter, rivers are fed only by 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 freezing.
• The climate is temperate continental. It is characterized by cold winters and not hot summers (+16+18). Winds generated due to different temperatures of the coastal and water zones often raise storm waves and arrange hurricanes.
• The lake is over 25,000 years old. This oldest lake ice age. Most of these lakes, reaching 15,000 years old, 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.

Nature of Lake Baikal

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 2,600 species of plants and animals live and grow in this territory, 70% of which are endemic. On the coast, the length of which is more than 2000 km, there are rapids, sandy bays, about 180 capes with their own bays. The number of sunny and cloudless days prevails on cloudy ones (there are about 40 of them per year).

Lake Baikal animal world

The fauna of Lake Baikal is presented vividly. Some species have hardly been touched by evolution, and some live only in the Baikal region. The seal is the symbol of the lake. Scientists still cannot give a clear answer about the way this seal got into fresh water Baikal. Musk deer is a deer, weighing up to 17 kg. Its feature is the absence of horns, but the presence of long fangs in males.

Baikal seal photo

There are also red wolf, sable, deer, squirrel, bear, wild boar, fox, lynx, snow leopard. Of the birds, golden eagles, imperial eagles, gulls, ducks, swans, cormorants, bustards, and peregrine falcons are common. In the water column, in addition to fish, special epishura crustaceans predominate. They are a natural filter, passing the water of the lake through them.

A variety of mollusks and sponges are also present. For example, Baikal and Benedictia accumulate in large groups on the rocks. Fish from Lake Baikal. The fish of Lake Baikal is represented by omul, viviparous golomyanka fish, sturgeon, bream, sculpin, carp and others.

Lake Baikal plants

Lake Baikal is densely populated with both terrestrial and underwater plants. There are many forests in which ancient trees grow. For example, Siberian pine and cedar, reaching more than 6 meters in trunk diameter and more than 700 years old. Birch with black bark is also considered a unique tree.

There are many medicinal plants (more than 1000 species). This is licorice, anise, bearberry, chamomile, upland uterus, wormwood, thyme, bracken, bergenia. Plants that are found mainly only in this region include Parisian circus, wolfberry, yellow field poppy, sleep-grass, ordinary grass, and so on.

bottom of Lake Baikal photo

In the water column, various algae and sponges host on almost every centimeter of the bottom. These are mainly blue-green and golden algae. Green algae fill the bays and bays. Sponges come in a variety of colors and prefer to attach themselves to underwater slopes. In addition, there are a lot of higher underwater plants with full-fledged leaves, stems and roots (more than 70 species). These are representatives of the ranunculus, bryophytes, lycopsformes, burdocks and others families. For example, a small capsule and a quadrangular water lily.

Inflowing rivers of the lake

The flowing rivers of Lake Baikal number in the hundreds (336 rivers). These are more and less large rivers, and large streams. These include the Snezhnaya, Amga, Utulik, Upper Angara, Selenga, Bolshaya Buguldeika, Sarma, Goloustnaya, Barguzin, Zen-Murin and many others.

River flowing out of the lake

The river flowing out of the lake is called the Lower Angara and boasts a length of 1779 km. At the source of the river stands the 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 his disobedient daughter.

The river connecting Lake Baikal with the Arctic Ocean

The river connecting Lake Baikal with Arctic Ocean 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. On its banks you can meet both camels and polar bears.

Lakes near Baikal

Lakes near Baikal have the same tectonic origin but smaller sizes. Such lakes a large number of and each is unique in its own way. Lake Kolok is considered popular with fishermen.

Lake Baikal in winter photo

Frolikha is located on northeast coast Lake Baikal and has an area of ​​​​more than 16 square km and is included in the Red Book as a lake ice age. And 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, Angarsky sor.

Attractions of Baikal

The sights of Baikal are numerous, especially those created by nature itself. But there are also those to which a person had a hand. Natural attractions:

• Great Baikal Trail
• sandy bay
• Small sea with very warm water
• Olkhon Island and Cape Kobylya Golova located on it and Lake Shara-Nur, located 750 meters above sea level
• Ushkany Islands
• Chivyrkuisky and Barguzinsky Bay
• Tunkinskaya valley
• Hot Springs
• Valley of volcanoes in the Sayan mountains
  In the Slyudyanka area, a 300-meter-high cliff on which birds nest, called the bird market.

Landmarks created by man: 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 center for sled dogs. Drive or walk along the Circum-Baikal Railway 84 km. More than 30 tunnels were cut in the rocks 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. Lake Baikal received the World Heritage title in 1996. The lake meets all the requirements of uniqueness. Many endangered species of plants and animals are listed in the Red Book.

• In winter, the ice reaches 30 meters deep and spontaneously breaks during the winter, providing the fish with an influx of oxygen.
• The height of storm waves sometimes reaches 5 meters
• Sturgeons live up to 60 years in the lake
• Under the waters of Lake Baikal flooded the highest mountains in the world at 7500 meters
• Scientists suggest that over time Baikal will become a sea. Its banks diverge annually by 2 cm.
• Baikal Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of September.

Problems of Lake Baikal

The problems of Lake Baikal have existed for a long time, and without proper help they will progress. It is worth noting the drying up of small rivers flowing into the lake. Thanks to this, its ecosystem is changing. The shores are destroyed, the spawning of fish is difficult. Poachers and forest fires, mostly man-made, have had a hand in the reduction and extinction of some species of flora and fauna. The number of seals, omul, red deer, and musk deer has practically halved.

lake pollution

Lake pollution is massive environmental problem. The culprit in this is only a person. This includes garbage left by tourists in the coastal zone, oil products from shipping transport, waste, carbon dioxide, wastewater from large-scale production.

The popularity of Baikal is growing every year, attracting Russian and foreign tourists, artists and scientists. Scientific developments are carried out here by archaeologists, geologists, historians, physicists, ethnographers and others. But it is this factor that leads to the ecological troubles of the lake areas. If measures are not taken to protect it, Lake Baikal may disappear from the face of the Earth, and with it the world's supply of fresh water.

Lake Baikal - what is it like?

In outline, Baikal looks like a narrow crescent, so easy to remember that it can be easily found on the map of Russia even by those who are not particularly strong in geography. Stretching from the southwest to the northeast for as much as 636 kilometers, Baikal seems to squeeze between mountain ranges, and its water surface is at an altitude of more than 450 meters above sea level, which gives every reason to consider it a mountain lake. From the west, the Baikal and Primorsky ridges adjoin it, from the east and southeast - the massifs of Ulan-Burgasy, Khamar-Daban and Barguzinsky. And this whole natural landscape is so harmonious that it is difficult to imagine one without the other.

Even Oleg Kirillovich Gusev (1930-2012), candidate of biological sciences, professional hunter, editor-in-chief of the oldest Russian magazine "Hunting and hunting economy" and author of several books on the problems of preserving the unique nature of this lake, wrote: "Baikal gives us great joy and great pleasure." And he added: “It strikes with its monumental style and the beautiful, eternal and powerful that is inherent in its very nature”, emphasizing that the more you get close to it, the more tempting it becomes, and the more clearly you understand that Baikal is unique and charmingly inimitable. Anyone who visits here at least once can be convinced of the veracity of these words.

lake depth

The depth of the lake is truly impressive - 1637 meters. According to this indicator, Baikal surpasses such largest water bodies as Tanganyika (1470 m), the Caspian Sea (1025 m), San Martin (836 m), Nyasa (706 m), Issyk-Kul (702 m) and the Great Slave Lake (614 m). m). The remaining deepest lakes in the world, twenty-two in total, are less than 600 meters deep. And the climatic conditions on Baikal, as they say, match it unique features: here the sun scorches mercilessly and cold winds blow, then storms rage and the quietest weather sets in, conducive to beach holidays.

Features and mysteries of Baikal

The coastline of the Siberian "crescent" is 2100 km long, it has 27 islands, the largest of which is Olkhon. The lake is located in a kind of basin, which, as mentioned above, is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills. This gives reason to assume that the coastline of the reservoir is the same throughout. In fact, only the western coast of Baikal is rocky and steep. The relief of the eastern one is more gentle: in some places the mountain peaks are at a distance of 10 or more kilometers from the coast.

Lake Baikal water

23,615.39 km³ - such a fantastic figure measures the reserves of Baikal water. According to this indicator, the lake is second only to the Caspian Sea. Considering that in the latter it is salty, it is Baikal that occupies the first line of the world ranking in terms of fresh water reserves, that is, suitable for drinking water. In addition, it is extremely transparent, and all thanks to a very small amount of suspended and dissolved minerals, not to mention organic impurities - they are generally negligible here. At a depth of up to 35-40 meters, you can even distinguish individual stones, especially in spring, when the water turns blue. It also has a huge supply of oxygen. It is not for nothing that Baikal is called the national treasure of Russia for the combination of such unique properties and qualities.

The water in Baikal is very clean. Previously, it could be drunk directly from the lake and not even boiled. But now crowds of tourists have rushed to Baikal, who still pollute this area, so now, before drinking Baikal water, you should ask local residents where it can be done.

Baikal ice

The time of freezing on the lake lasts on average from the beginning of January to the beginning of May. During this period, it freezes almost completely. The only exception is a small 15-20-kilometer section located at the source of the Angara. At the end of winter, the ice thickness can reach 1 meter, and even more in the bays - one and a half to two meters. In severe frosts, huge cracks form on the ice, which are called here “stand cracks”. They are so impressive that they can reach from 10 to 30 km in length. The width, however, is small: only 2-3 m. Such “slits” literally tear the ice cover into separate fields. If it were not for cracks, the formation of which is accompanied by a loud, like a cannon shot, sound, then lake fish would die en masse from a lack of oxygen.

Baikal ice has a number of other features that are unique to it, and truly mysterious, which scientists have not been able to explain. Back in the middle of the last century, specialists from the local limnological station discovered the so-called "hills" - hollow ice hills in the shape of a cone, reaching a height of 5-6 meters. Being "open" to the side opposite the shore, they even somewhat resemble tents. Sometimes there are "solitary hills", that is, located separately from each other. In some cases, they are grouped, forming "mountain ranges" in miniature.

Dark rings on the lake

Another riddle - dark rings, whose diameter is 5-7 km (moreover, the width of the lake itself is 80 km). They have nothing to do with the "belt of Saturn", although they were also discovered through satellite imagery. Satellite photographs of amazing formations, taken back in 2009 in different parts of Lake Baikal, went around the entire Internet. Scientists puzzled for a long time: what could it be? And they came to the conclusion that the rings arise due to the rise of deep waters and an increase in the temperature of the upper layer in the center of the ring structure. And as a result, a clockwise flow arises, reaching maximum speeds in certain zones. As a result, vertical water exchange increases, provoking the destruction of the ice cover in an accelerated mode.

Bottom of Baikal

It is impossible not to say about the bottom of the amazing reservoir. It also differs from others, and above all in that it has a very pronounced relief - there are even underwater mountain ranges here. The three main basins of the lake - northern, southern and middle, separated by the Akademichesky and Selenginsky ridges - are distinguished by a pronounced bed. The first ridge (its maximum height above the bottom is 1848 meters) is especially expressive: it stretches for as much as 100 km from Olkhon Island to the Ushkany Islands.

earthquakes

Another feature of these places is high seismic activity. Fluctuations of the earth's crust here occur regularly, but the strength of most earthquakes does not exceed one or two points. But there have been powerful ones in the past. For example, in 1862, when a ten-point “shake” led to the sinking of an entire piece of land in the northern part of the Selenga delta, one of the many tributaries of Baikal, under water. Its area was 200 km, about 1500 people lived in this territory. Later, a bay formed here, which is called the Failure. Strong earthquakes also occurred in 1903, 1950, 1957 and 1959. The epicenter of the latter, 9-point, was at the bottom of the lake in the area of ​​the rural settlement of Sukhaya. The aftershocks were then also felt in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude - about 5-6 points. In our time, the region was shaking in 2008 and 2010: the strength of the tremors was 9 and 6.1 points, respectively.

Origin of Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal still hides the secret of its origin. Researchers often argue about its age, coming to the conclusion that it is at least 25-35 million years. The indicator is impressive, especially considering that the life cycle of most lakes, and primarily of glacial origin, does not exceed 10-15 thousand years. After this period, they either become swampy or filled with silty sediments. With Baikal, nothing like this has happened and is not happening. And, according to scientists, is unlikely to happen in the future. The lack of signs of aging is explained by the fact that the lake is ... a nascent ocean. The hypothesis did not arise out of the blue: as it turned out, its banks move away from each other by 2 cm every year.

Flora and fauna

An interesting fact: the purity of Baikal water is, by the way, very cold (temperature surface layers even in the warm season it does not exceed +8-9°C on average) - supported by the microscopic crustacean epishura, one of the most famous local endemics. In the course of its life, this 1.5 mm crustacean consumes organic matter (algae), passing water through its small body. The role of epishura in the ecosystem of the lake can hardly be overestimated: it forms 90 or more percent of its biomass, serving in turn as food for the Baikal omul and predatory invertebrates. In the processes of self-purification of Lake Baikal, oligochaetes or oligochaetes also play a significant role, 84.5 percent of which are endemic.

Of 2600 species and subspecies local fauna More than half of aquatic animals are endemic, that is, living exclusively in this lake. Among the fish, one can also distinguish grayling, Baikal sturgeon, whitefish, taimen, pike, burbot and others. Of particular interest is the golomyanka, which, from a human point of view, “suffers” from obesity: its body contains about 30% fat. She loves to eat so much that in search of food every day she makes a “journey” from the depths to shallow water, which surprises researchers a lot. This underwater inhabitant is also unique in that it belongs to viviparous fish. The distant "neighbors" of golomyankas can be called freshwater sponges growing on great depth. Their presence here is an exclusive phenomenon: they are not found in any other lake.

If the biosphere of the lake is presented in the form of a pyramid, then it will be crowned by the Baikal seal or seal, which is the only mammal in this reservoir. Almost all the time he lives in the water. The only exception is autumn, when seals lie en masse on rocky shores, forming a kind of "settlement". Many other inhabitants of Baikal also explore the coast and islands, for example, gulls, goldeneyes, shelducks, mergansers, white-tailed eagles and other birds. Characteristic for these places is such a phenomenon as coming to the coast, and in droves, brown bears. And in the mountainous Baikal taiga you can meet musk deer - the smallest deer on Earth.

Attractions of Baikal

Lake Baikal is so majestic that it is often called Siberian Sea. In 1996, it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. But not only due to the unique ecosystem that requires careful treatment - there are also many historical and architectural sights, not to mention natural and cultural monuments.

One of them is located near the lake, at the source of the Angara, a reserved rock called the Shaman-stone. It can be seen in the middle of the river, between capes Rogatka and Ustyansky. If you focus on the line of the Port-Baikal ferry crossing, then the rock will be 800 meters lower. Since ancient times, the Shaman-stone was endowed by the inhabitants of the Angara region with unusual power, they prayed near it and performed various shamanic rites.

Between the mainland and the Svyatoy Nos peninsula is perhaps the most famous bay on Baikal - Chivyrkuisky. Its area is approximately 300 km², it is the second largest on the lake, and it is also shallow (about 10 m deep). Thanks to the latter circumstance, the water in the bay warms up well, on average up to +24 degrees. On the southwestern coast there are such settlements as Kurbulik, Katun and Monakhovo. The main wealth of the bay is fish resources. Here you can find pike, perch, horned catfish, the weight of which can reach tens of kilograms. However, fishing on an industrial scale is prohibited - only amateur. The Chivyrkuisky Bay is also known for its thermal spring, one of the hottest: the temperature of the water used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system ranges from 38.5-45.5 ° C. The source is located in the Zmeina Bay, on the western side.

On the northeastern coast of Lake Baikal there is a tract belonging to the natural-geographical region of Podlemorye. It is called Frolikha and includes the river of the same name, which flows into Baikal Bay Frolikha and flows out of the lake with the same name. In the river valley - its channel, by the way, crosses the famous a tourist route 95 km long - the Frolikhinsky nature reserve is located. Together with the Trans-Baikal National Park and the Barguzinsky Reserve, it is subordinate to the federal budgetary state institution "Reserved Podlemorye".

Other attractions:

• Northern Baikal is the last site on the great lake, the nature of which, due to its remoteness and lack of highways retains its originality
• Barguzinsky Bay is the largest and deepest in Baikal,
• Ushkany Islands is a small archipelago with rocky shores in the Barguzinsky district of Buryatia,
• Peschanaya Bay, known for its unique beauty,
• Cape Ryty - extreme north point coastline, where there are extensive pastures, and one of the most anomalous places,
• Cape Ludar, located near the old village of Zabaikalskoye,
• Chersky Peak - from its slopes the Slyudanka and Bezymyannaya rivers begin, flowing into Baikal,
• The Circum-Baikal Railway, which has historical significance.

Rest on Baikal

It was along the Circum-Baikal Railway in the 80s of the XX century that the Bureau of International Youth Tourism "Sputnik" (Irkutsk) developed the first ecological tour. Since that time, ecotourism on Baikal has been actively developing, despite the fact that tourism infrastructure here is not well developed, there are some transport difficulties. There are also problems associated with pollution. environment emissions from the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill. But all of them are to some extent compensated by the activities for the creation and arrangement of excursion trails, regularly held tourism organizations region.

The most favorable time for relaxing on the lake is from May to October. You can swim in July and August, since these months are the hottest - the air warms up to + 30 ° C, shallow water - up to + 25 ° C. Vacation on Lake Baikal will satisfy the needs of even the most demanding tourists. beach holiday, bike and car tours, hiking along the coast, rafting on catamarans and kayaks, quad biking and even helicopter tours - these are far from complete list what travel agencies offer to their customers. Climbing coastal cliffs and descending into caves are popular.

Fishing

Fishing should be mentioned separately. Many amateurs fish from the rocks adjacent to the lake. The most reckless anglers prefer to settle in specialized bases, of which there are many, and which differ in different levels of comfort. They go fishing on rented vessels. The most popular places for fishing on Baikal are the already mentioned Chivyrkuisky Bay, Mukhor Bay, the shallow bays of the Small Sea and, of course, the rivers flowing into it. The largest of them (besides the Selenga) are the Upper Angara, Snezhnaya, Barguzin, Kichera, Turka, Buguldeyka and Goloustnaya. And only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara.

Fishing, only now under the ice, finds its fans in the winter season, which here lasts from late December to mid-May. Fans of the “second Russian hunt” are helped by professional instructors: without them, it is difficult for inexperienced fishermen to make the right hole in the unusually transparent ice. They willingly share the secrets of how to organize comfortable rest in conditions of 40-degree frosts, which are not uncommon for Baikal. And those who do not want to test their health with extreme cold, go underwater fishing in March and April. At this time, the ice is still strong, and the air temperature begins to reach positive levels.

Winter sports

Of winter entertainment, tourists are also offered skiing. dog sledding(routes are very different both in complexity and length), snowmobile rides ( excursion programs are also different and depend on the level of preparedness of the riders), riding skiing, sledges and snowboards (you can rent ski equipment at numerous rental points on the coast). In winter, as, indeed, in summer, helicopter excursions are held in high esteem among vacationers, giving unforgettable impressions for a lifetime.

Children and youth tourism

Sufficiently developed on Baikal and children's tourism involving rest in summer camps. We will immediately please parents: your children will not be bored here. Staying in a children's institution involves a rich excursion and creative program, including the holding of sanatorium and health-improving events at specialized bases. One of the most convenient places on Lake Baikal for families with small children is Mandarkhan Bay. It seems as if it was specially created by nature for this purpose: it is very shallow, and in summer there is perhaps the warmest water here and children do not risk catching a cold.

The youth is not left unattended. For her, the interregional public organization "Great Baikal Trail", established in 2003, implements various international programs, taking into account the specifics and needs of the age of up to 30. For example, the arrangement and reconstruction of ecological paths, holding educational lectures on nature conservation. Schoolchildren are also actively involved as listeners of the latter.

Video: The underwater world of Lake Baikal

Hotels and recreation centers on Lake Baikal

Many tourists come to rest on Baikal, as they say, savages, getting on their cars. They choose a place they like on the coast and stop there, spending the night in tents. There are very few campsites specially equipped for motorists on the lake. If you plan to stop at such a site, you should take into account that there may not be firewood and basic amenities (for example, a toilet) in this place. Therefore, think in advance about how you will “survive”.

Such experiences will be spared by those who prefer to travel in comfort, even minimal. At their service are many hotels, recreation centers and guest houses scattered along the entire coast of Lake Baikal. Moreover, each tourist will be able to find the most suitable accommodation option for him - taking into account, of course, individual preferences and financial capabilities. We are forced to upset the bohemian public: there are no five-star hotels with the highest level of service here. She, like "mere mortals", will have to be content with ordinary rooms with all amenities. Another note: some recreation centers accept tourists only in the summer.

Tourists traveling on their own run the risk of running into unscrupulous intermediaries when booking a hotel room or recreation center. To prevent this from happening, book a hotel room only through proven and reliable services, which will not only save you from scammers, but also allow you to rent a room at the lowest cost, without unnecessary markups. We recommend Booking.com, one of the first and most popular online hotel booking systems.

How to get there

There are various ways to get to Baikal. The starting point is usually the nearby big cities: Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Severobaikalsk. Tourists first come to one of these settlements and already there they are planning in detail their further route. The trip on the section of the Trans-Siberian Railway between Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk is especially memorable: the lake stretches right outside the train windows and you can admire its magical panorama for hours.

One of the most popular places tourism on the Siberian Sea is the village of Listvyanka, located at the source of the Angara, it is 65 km from Irkutsk. From regional center you can get here by bus or boat, the travel time is a little more than an hour. All routes originate in Irkutsk water transport, plying not only on Baikal, but also on the Angara.