What is the depth of Lake Baikal? Maximum and average depth of Lake Baikal. Secrets of Lake Baikal

Baikal is located almost in the center of Asia within 51°29′–55°46′ northern latitude and 103°43′–109°58′ east longitude. The length of the lake is 636 km, the maximum width is 81 km, the length of the coastline is about 2000 km. Area 31,500 km2. In terms of area, Baikal ranks 7th among the lakes in the world after the Caspian, Victoria, Tanganyika, Huron, Michigan and Superior. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world - 1637 m, its average depth equal to 730 m.

In terms of the volume of water mass (23,000 km 3), Baikal ranks first among freshwater lakes in the world, containing 20% ​​of the world's water reserves and 80% of Russia's water reserves. There is more water in Baikal than in all the Great American Lakes combined.

If we assume that the flow of water into the lake due to tributaries stopped, then a river equal to the water content of the Angara would begin to flow out of Baikal in 383 years, and to fill the bowl of Baikal with all the rivers globe it would take over six months (about 200 days). The lake level, after being regulated by the Irkutsk reservoir, is maintained at 456–457 m above sea level. 336 rivers flow into Baikal (according to I.D. Chersky) and one river flows out - the Angara. Square drainage basin is 588 thousand km 2, with 53% of it falling on the territory of Russia and 47% in Mongolia.

Islands

In the northeastern part of the lake, near the Svyatoy Nos peninsula, there is the Ushkany Islands archipelago, consisting of four islands. The largest of them is Bolshoi Ushkany, with an area of ​​9 km 2 and a highest elevation of 671 m. It rises 216 m above the lake level. The three Small Ushkany islands have insignificant sizes and heights. According to V.V. Lomakin (1965), the Ushkany Islands relatively recently rose above the level of Lake Baikal, as evidenced by the wave-cut niches preserved in the rocks at an altitude of 200 m and a series of lake terraces.

Holy Nose is the only peninsula on Lake Baikal. Its length is 53 km, width up to 20 km, area 596 km 2. The peninsula is a continuation of the Barguzinsky ridge and rises 1000 m above the level of Lake Baikal. The western slopes are rocky, poorly dissected, and in some places they drop steeply into the water. The eastern ones, on the contrary, are strongly dissected and abound in numerous bays and capes.

Bays

Bay, like a bay, is a section of a lake protruding into the land, but it is more open. There are about two dozen bays on Lake Baikal (Larch, Goloustnaya, Peschanaya, Aya, etc.).

Sora. On Baikal, closed shallow bays are called sors. The depths of debris usually do not exceed 7 m. They are formed when coastal shallows or bays are separated by moving coastal sediments, which form spits, embankments with breakthroughs (straits). The local population calls these formations hag. The largest litter is Verkhne-Angarsky, or North-Baikal. Part of its water area is swampy and covered with aquatic vegetation. The largest bays in terms of open water surface area are Arangatuisky and the above-mentioned Posolsky and Cherkalov bays. Sora warms up well in summer and is the richest fishing ground (Galaziy, 1987).

Straits

The Olkhon Gate Strait washes Olkhon from the west and southwest. Its length in the middle part is more than 8 km, and its width at the narrowest point is 1.3 km, and at the widest point – 2.3. The depth in the middle part is about 30–40 m.

Lake Baikal - what is it like?

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

Also Oleg Kirillovich Gusev (1930-2012), candidate biological sciences, professional game warden, Chief Editor Russia's oldest magazine "Hunting and Hunting" and the author of several books about the problems of preserving the unique nature of this lake, wrote: "Baikal gives us great joy and great pleasure." And he added: “It amazes with its monumental style and the beautiful, eternal and powerful that lies in its very nature,” emphasizing that the more you get closer to it, the more tempting it becomes, and the clearer you understand that Baikal is unique and enchantingly 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. In this indicator, Baikal surpasses such largest reservoirs as Tanganyika (1470 m), Caspian Sea (1025 m), San Martin (836 m), Nyasa (706 m), Issyk-Kul (702 m) and Great Slave Lake (614 m). m). The rest of the deepest lakes in the world, twenty-two in total, have a depth of less than 600 meters. And the climatic conditions on Baikal, as they say, match its unique features: here the sun mercilessly scorches and cold winds blow, or storms rage and the quietest weather sets in, conducive to beach holidays.

Features and mysteries of Baikal

The length of the coastline of the Siberian “crescent” is 2100 km, there are 27 islands on it, 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 shoreline of the reservoir is the same throughout. In fact, only the western coast of Lake Baikal is rocky and steep. The relief of the east is flatter: in some places the mountain peaks are 10 or more kilometers away from the coast.

Lake Baikal water

23,615.39 km³ - this 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 place in the world ranking in terms of fresh water reserves, that is, suitable for drinking. In addition, it is extremely transparent, and all thanks to a very small amount of suspended and dissolved minerals, not to mention organic impurities - there are generally negligible amounts of them. At a depth of 35-40 meters, you can even distinguish individual stones, especially in the spring, when the water becomes of blue color. It is also distinguished by its huge reserves of oxygen. It’s not for nothing that Baikal – for the combination of such unique properties and qualities – is called national treasure Russia.

The water in Baikal is very clean. Previously, you could drink it straight from the lake and not even boil it. But now crowds of tourists have flocked to Baikal, who still pollute this area, so now, before drinking Baikal water, you should ask local residents, in what place this can be done.

Ice of Baikal

The freeze-up period on the lake lasts on average from early January to early May. During this period it freezes almost completely. The only exception is a small 15-20 km section located at the source of the Angara. At the end of winter, the thickness of the ice can reach 1 meter, and in the bays even more - one and a half to two meters. During severe frosts, huge cracks form on the ice, which are called “stagnant 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 “cracks” literally tear the ice blanket into separate fields. If it were not for the cracks, the formation of which is accompanied by a loud, as if cannon shot, sound, then lake fish would die en masse from lack of oxygen.

The ice of Lake Baikal also has a number of other features that are unique to it, and truly mysterious, which scientists have never 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” in the direction opposite to the shore, they even somewhat resemble tents. Sometimes there are “single 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 mystery is the dark rings, the diameter of which is 5-7 km (and the width of the lake itself is 80 km). They have nothing in common with the “Saturn belt”, although they were also discovered through space photography. Satellite photographs of amazing formations, taken back in 2009 in different parts of Lake Baikal, went around the entire Internet. Scientists have been scratching their heads 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 occurs, reaching maximum speeds in certain zones. As a result, vertical water exchange increases, provoking the destruction of the ice cover at an accelerated rate.

Bottom of Baikal

It is impossible not to say about the bottom of the amazing reservoir. It also differs from others, primarily 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 Academic 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. Oscillations of the earth's crust occur regularly here, 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 section of land in the northern part of the Selenga delta, one of the many tributaries of Lake Baikal. Its area was 200 km, about 1,500 people lived on this territory. Later, a bay was formed here, which is called Proval. Strong earthquakes also occurred in 1903, 1950, 1957 and 1959. The epicenter of the latest, magnitude 9, was located at the bottom of the lake in the area rural settlement Dry. The tremors were then also felt in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude - about 5-6 points. In our time, the region shook 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 old. The indicator is impressive, especially considering that the life cycle of most lakes, primarily those of glacial origin, does not exceed 10-15 thousand years. After this period, they either become swamped or filled with silty sediments. Nothing like this has happened and is not happening with Baikal. And, according to scientists, it is unlikely to happen in the future. The lack of signs of aging is explained by the fact that the lake is... an emerging 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 - by the way, very cold (the temperature of the surface layers even in the warm season does not exceed on average + 8-9 ° C) - is maintained by the microscopic crustacean epishura, one of the most famous local endemics. During its life, this 1.5-mm crustacean consumes organic matter (algae), passing water through its small body. The role of epishura in the lake’s ecosystem can hardly be overestimated: it forms 90 percent or more of its biomass, serving in turn as food for the Baikal omul and predatory invertebrates. Oligochaetes or oligochaete worms, 84.5 percent of which are endemic, also play a significant role in the self-purification processes of Baikal.

Of the 2,600 species and subspecies of the local fauna, more than half of the aquatic animals are endemic, that is, living exclusively in this lake. Other fish include 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 greatly surprises researchers. This underwater resident is also unique in that it is a viviparous fish. Distant “neighbors” of golomyankas include freshwater sponges that grow at great depths. Their presence here is an exclusive phenomenon: they are not found in any other lake.

If the biosphere of the lake is imagined in the form of a pyramid, then it will be crowned Baikal seal or a seal, which is the only mammal in this body of water. Almost all the time he lives in water. The only exception is autumn, when seals lie en masse on rocky shores, forming a kind of “settlement”. The coast and islands are also inhabited by many other inhabitants of Lake Baikal, for example, seagulls, goldeneyes, razorbills, mergansers, white-tailed eagles and other birds. Characteristic of these places is the phenomenon of brown bears coming onto the shores in large numbers. And in the mountainous Baikal taiga you can find musk deer - the smallest deer on Earth.

Sights of Baikal

Lake Baikal is so majestic that it is often called the Siberian Sea. In 1996 it was included in the UNESCO list of sites World Heritage. But not only thanks to the unique ecosystem that requires careful attitude– there are also many historical and architectural attractions concentrated here, not to mention natural and cultural monuments.

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

Between the mainland and the Svyatoy Nos peninsula there is perhaps the most famous bay on Lake Baikal - Chivyrkuisky. Its area is approximately 300 km², it is the second largest on the lake, and is also shallow (depth about 10 m). 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 settlements such as Kurbulik, Katun and Monakhovo. The main wealth of the bay is its fish resources. Here you can find pike, perch, and sorog, the weight of which can reach tens of kilograms. However, fishing in industrial scale prohibited - amateur only. Chivyrkuisky Bay is also famous 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 Zmeinaya Bay, on the western side.

On the north-eastern 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 the Baikal Bay of Frolikha and flows out of the lake of the same name. In the river valley - its bed, by the way, is crossed by the famous a tourist route 95 km long - the Frolikhinsky reserve is located. Together with the Transbaikal National Park and the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve, it is subordinate to the federal budgetary government agency"Reserved Podlemorye".

Other attractions:

• Northern Baikal is the last area on the great lake, the nature of which, due to its remoteness and lack of highways retains its originality,
• Barguzin Bay is the largest and deepest on Lake Baikal,
• Ushkany Islands is a small archipelago with rocky shores in the Barguzinsky district of Buryatia,
• Peschanaya Bay, known for its unique picturesqueness,
• Cape Ryty is the northernmost point of the coast, where there are vast 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.

Holidays on Baikal

It is along the Circum-Baikal railway In the 80s of the 20th century, the Bureau of International Youth Tourism “Sputnik” (Irkutsk) developed the first ecological tour. Since that time, ecotourism on Lake Baikal has been actively developing, despite the fact that the tourism infrastructure here is not well developed and 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 for by activities to create and equip excursion trails, regularly carried out by tourism organizations in the 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, the shallow waters - up to +25° C. A vacation on Lake Baikal will satisfy the needs of even the most demanding tourists. Beach holidays, cycling and car excursions, hiking along the coast, rafting on catamarans and kayaks, quad biking and even helicopter excursions - this is not a complete list of what travel agencies offer their clients. 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 passionate fishermen prefer to settle in specialized bases, of which there are many here, and which differ in different levels of comfort. They go fishing on rented vessels. The most popular places on Baikal for fishing The already mentioned Chivyrkuisky Bay, Mukhor Bay, shallow bays of the Small Sea and, of course, the rivers flowing into it are considered. The largest of them (besides Selenga) are Upper Angara, Snezhnaya, Barguzin, Kichera, Turka, Buguldeika and Goloustnaya. And only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara.

Fishing, only ice fishing, also 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 their secrets on how to organize a comfortable holiday in conditions of 40-degree frosts, which are not uncommon for Lake Baikal. And those who don’t 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

Among the winter activities, tourists are also offered dog sledding (the routes vary in complexity and length), snowmobiling (excursion programs are also different and depend on the level of preparedness of the riders), horseback riding alpine skiing, sleds and snowboards (you can rent ski equipment at numerous rental shops on the coast). In winter, as well as in summer, helicopter excursions are held in high esteem among vacationers, giving unforgettable experiences for a lifetime.

Children and youth tourism

Children's tourism is also quite developed on Lake Baikal, involving recreation 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 Baikal for relaxing with small children is Mandarkhan Bay. It’s as if it was specially created by nature precisely for this purpose: it’s very shallow, and in summer it’s probably the most warm water and children do not risk catching a cold.

Young people are not left behind either. For her, interregional public organization The “Great Baikal Trail”, created in 2003, implements various international programs taking into account the specifics and needs of people under 30. For example, arrangement and reconstruction ecological trails, conducting educational lectures on the topic of 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 relax on Lake Baikal, as they say, as savages, traveling in their own cars. They choose a place they like on the coast and stop there, spending the night in tents. There are very few campsites on the lake specially equipped for car travelers. Having planned to stay at such a site, you should take into account that in this place there may not be wood for a fire and basic amenities (for example, a toilet). Therefore, think in advance about how you will “survive”.

Those who prefer to travel in comfort, even minimal, will be spared such experiences. 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 opportunities. We are forced to upset the bohemian public: five-star hotels with the highest level there is no service here. She, like “mere mortals,” will have to be content with ordinary rooms with all amenities. Another note: some recreation centers accept vacationers only in the summer.

Tourists traveling independently run the risk of running into unscrupulous intermediaries when booking a hotel room or recreation center. To prevent this from happening, reserve a hotel room only through proven and reliable services, which will not only save you from scammers, but will 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

You can get to Baikal in various ways. The starting point is usually nearby big cities: Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Severobaikalsk. Tourists first come to one of these settlements and there they plan their future route in detail. 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 tourism destinations on the Siberian Sea is the village of Listvyanka, located at the source of the Angara River, 65 km from Irkutsk. You can get here from the regional center by bus or boat, the journey time is just over an hour. All routes of water transport, plying not only along Baikal, but also the Angara, originate in Irkutsk.

Almost in the center of the huge continent of Eurasia there is a narrow blue crescent - Lake Baikal. In the Baikal mountain region, surrounded on all sides high ridges, it stretches over 636 kilometers in length and up to 80 kilometers in width. Baikal's area is equal to Belgium with its almost 10 million population, many cities and industrial centers, highways and railways.

IN Baikal 336 permanent rivers and streams flow into the lake, while half of the volume of water entering the lake comes from the Selenga. Flows from Lake Baikal the only river- Hangar.

The lake's water surface area is 31,470 square kilometers. The maximum depth reaches 1637 m, the average - 730 m.

In order to understand the enormity of Baikal’s water body, imagine that the Angara, which annually removes 60.9 km3 of water from the lake, would need 387 years of continuous work to drain its bowl. Provided, of course, that during this time not a liter of water gets into it and not a drop evaporates from its surface.

Undoubtedly, Baikal - the most deep lake in the world. Not everyone knows that the second contender in the world for this title, African lake Tanganyika is as much as 200 meters behind the leader. There are 30 islands on Baikal, the largest is Olkhon Island.

The question of the age of Lake Baikal should be considered open. Usually the literature gives a figure of 20-25 million years. However, the use of various age determination methods gives values ​​from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. But, if we assume that the traditional point of view is correct, then Baikal can be considered the oldest lake on Earth.

BAIKAL WATER

Baikal water unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. She's extraordinary
transparent, clean and oxygenated. In not so long ago, it was considered healing, and illnesses were treated with its help.

In spring, the transparency of Baikal water is as much as 40 meters! This is explained by the fact that Baikal water, thanks to the activity of living organisms living in it, is very
slightly mineralized and close to distilled.

The volume of water in Baikal reaches about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of world and 90% of Russian reserves fresh water. There is more water in Baikal than in all five Great American Lakes combined - they only reached a total of 22,725 km3. Every year, the Baikal ecosystem reproduces about 60 cubic kilometers of clear, oxygenated water.

INHABITANTS OF BAIKAL

The exclusivity of many physical and geographical features of the lake was the reason
the extraordinary diversity of its flora and fauna. And in this regard, it has no equal among the fresh water bodies of the world.

The lake is home to 52 species of fish of several families.:

• sturgeon (Baikal sturgeon),
• salmon (Davatchan, taimen, lenok, Baikal omul - endemic fish, whitefish),
• grayling (Siberian grayling),
• pike,
• carp,
• loaches,
• catfish,
• cod,
• perch,
• sculpin gobies,
• Golomyanka

The food pyramid of the lake ecosystem is typically crowned marine mammal- seal,
or Baikal seal. The Baikal seal is the only representative of mammals in the lake. For almost the whole year
it lives in water, and in the fall it forms mass haulouts on the rocky shores of the lake.

The life of many animals characteristic of Lake Baikal is inextricably linked not only with the lake itself, but also with its coast. Gulls, mergansers, goldeneyes, scoters, scorches, white-tailed eagles, ospreys and many other bird species nest on the shores of the lake and on its islands.

Also remarkable is such an integral part of the life of the great lake as the mass emergence of brown bears on the shores, entirely due to the peculiarities of the nature of Lake Baikal.

In the mountain taiga of the Baikal region there is a musk deer - the smallest deer on the globe.

Diversity organic world Lake Baikal is amazing, but its originality is no less phenomenal. Many of the animals and plants living in the lake are not found anywhere else in the world. Baikal has 848 species of endemic animals (about 60%) and 133 species of endemic plants (15%).

BAIKAL FOR TOURISTS

Today, everything connected with Baikal arouses genuine interest not only in our country, but also abroad. Over the past decade, Baikal has become a magnet for many tourists. Relatively well preserved nature
lakes and seas, rapidly developing infrastructure - hotels, roads, proximity to transport interchanges - give reason to believe that in the future the tourist flow to the shores of Lake Baikal will only increase.

Come to Lake Baikal! Admire its beauty and purity of water, feel the almost mystical
the energy that the sacred sea gives to everyone who comes to its shore.

Based on materials from the article “Unique Baikal”, prepared by Valentina Ivanovna Galkina, Honored Worker of Culture of Russia, head of the exhibition of the Baikal Museum of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

Baikal- a lake of tectonic origin located in the southern part Eastern Siberia, on the border of the Republic of Buryatia and Irkutsk region

Baikal itself

Lake Baikal stretches from southwest to north for 636 kilometers. The width of the lake varies from 25 to 80 km. The water surface area is 31,722 km. sq.. The length of the coastline is 2100 km. Baikal is the deepest lake on earth - its maximum depth is 1642 meters. The lake has huge reserves of fresh water - 23,615 km. cubic meters, which is 20% of all world reserves.

Area around

Lake Baikal is surrounded on all sides by hills and mountain ranges. At the same time, the western coast is steep and rocky, while the eastern coast is flatter. 336 streams and rivers flow into the Lake. The most major tributaries: Upper Angara, Selenga, Turka, Barguzin, Sarma, Snezhnaya. Only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara. There are 27 islands on Baikal, the largest of the islands is Olkhon, which is 71 km long and 12 km wide, the largest peninsula is Svyatoy Nos

Climate

The huge water mass of Lake Baikal has a strong influence on the climate of the coastal area. Summers here are cooler, and winters, on the contrary, are milder. Spring comes 10-15 days later compared to surrounding areas, and sometimes lasts longer. The climate features are determined by the Baikal winds, which even have their own names - sarma, barguzin, kultuk, verkhovik.

When to go to Baikal

Characteristics

Briefly the main characteristics of Baikal

• Length - 363 km.
• Width - 79.5 km.
• Area -31722 sq. km.
• Volume - 23615 cubic meters. km.
• The average depth is 744 meters.
• The maximum depth is 1637 meters.
• There are 27 islands on Lake Baikal.
• 29 fish species are endemic

Depth

Lake Baikal is the deepest in the world - 1637 meters, the depth was established in 1983. Moreover, the average depth is also very large - 744 meters. In 2002, these data were confirmed and a depth map was compiled.

• The area of ​​Baikal is equal to the area of ​​three countries - Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
• Baikal is the deepest lake on earth
• The lake contains 19% of the world's fresh water

For most people, Lake Baikal is somewhere very far away. The origin of Lake Baikal is shrouded in legends about great catastrophes on a planetary scale, about gods and their deeds. Scientific point vision also exists - of course there is no mysticism in it.

Lake Baikal is located on the territory of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia. It is considered a lake of tectonic origin. The age of Lake Baikal is estimated differently. Some scientists put it at 35 million years. But Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences A.V. Tatarinov in 2009 put forward the version that the deep-sea part of Lake Baikal was formed 150 thousand years ago, and the modern coastline is only 8 thousand years old. Tatarinov justified such results with the results of the “Mirov” expedition on Lake Baikal. So, with the age of Lake Baikal, everything is also very ambiguous.

Lake Baikal is also called the Siberian Sea.

Lake Baikal contains 19% of the world's fresh water. How much water is in Lake Baikal - estimated at 23,615 km³. There is only one lake in the world, the displacement of which is greater than that of Lake Baikal - the Caspian Sea (not everyone knows, but there is a lake on this sea).

Despite the fact that Baikal is located in, there is a lot of sun here. Climatic conditions Lake Baikal has its own unique characteristics: sometimes the sun burns mercilessly, but cold winds blow, sometimes fierce storms blow in, sometimes in the summer the weather is calm and hot and tens of thousands of tourists flock to Lake Baikal for beach holiday. In count sunny days Lake Baikal surpasses many resorts on the Black Sea and Mediterranean coasts.

The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1642 m. Many people write that Lake Baikal is shaped like a crescent. Rather, sorry if something is wrong, a banana. But very big. The length of Lake Baikal is 620 km (about the same as from Moscow to St. Petersburg), the width reaches 80 km. The length of the coastline is 2100 km.

Lake Baikal has 27 islands, the largest of which is . Many islands are sacred to local residents and are protected by law. There are generally many sacred places on Baikal, the history of which is shrouded in mystery and legends. The predominant religion here is rather Buddhism, at least Buddhist symbols and objects of worship are found everywhere.

Lake Baikal water

The water temperature in Baikal is a phenomenon. In summer the lake only warms up upper layer waters and shallow coastal bays. But at depth the temperature is always constant - about +4 °C.

The waters of Baikal are generally a separate mystery. Lakes of this age do not have such crystal clear water, but in Baikal it is very clean. Usually, over time, lakes silt up, and after 10-15 thousand years there are swamps in their place. Baikal not only does not become shallow, but also contains clean water, which you can drink straight from the lake without fear. In addition, the water of Baikal is saturated with oxygen to a very high degree compared to other freshwater bodies.

Lake Baikal owes its purity largely to a tiny (1.5 mm in length) crustacean called epishura. There are a lot of these crustaceans in the water of the lake. They both clean the water and provide food for the famous Baikal omul and predatory invertebrates.

The transparency of the water in Lake Baikal is also very high. IN good weather through the 40-meter water thickness you can see the bottom of the lake! In winter, Lake Baikal also has surprisingly clear ice. You just need to find a place not covered by snow, and so to speak - feel like God - walk on the water. The water above is really frozen, but below there is still the same picture - the bottom, the fish, and you are walking above them.

Baikal is fed by the waters of more than 300 rivers, and only one river flows out of Baikal -.

Ice of Baikal

Lake Baikal freezes unevenly in winter. Bays and bays, as well as the northern part of the lake, freeze in November - December. And in the south, ice appears only in February, and if the winter is warm, then at the end of February.

The thickness of the ice on Baikal by the end of winter reaches 1 m, and in the bays - 1.5–2 m. On Baikal there is a phenomenon that the locals call “stanova cracks”. This is when cracks appear in the ice in severe frost. They tear the ice into separate large fields. The length of these cracks is amazing - from 10 to 30 km, and the width is only 2-3 m. As you understand, it is better not to be in such a place at the time of the rupture. Breaks occur every year and in approximately the same places in the lake. Sound effect like gun shots.

Such breaks save fish in the lake from lack of oxygen. This is such a mysterious, but necessary natural mechanism for the lake. And due to the transparency of the ice, it penetrates sunlight, due to which planktonic algae that produce oxygen in the water develop rapidly even in winter.

Another amazing phenomenon with ice on Lake Baikal - ice hills. These are hollow, cone-shaped ice hills that reach a height of 5-6 meters. In some of them you can find an “entrance”, and it is usually located in the direction opposite to the shore. It looks like an ice tent. Sometimes such tents stand alone, but often they are grouped together, resembling mountain ranges, only in miniature.

Another one mysterious phenomenon was discovered using space photography - dark rings.

The rings have a diameter of up to 7 km. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the rings are formed due to the rise of water from the depths of the lake. Due to the difference in temperature, a clockwise flow occurs, reaching different speeds in certain zones. As a result, the ice cover is destroyed, and the shape of the destroyed areas is ring-shaped.

Shores of Lake Baikal

The coastal landscape is very diverse. Most It is occupied by taiga, and in some places it is swampy. There are many difficult to pass places where there are no roads or settlements. But there are also many areas that look quite hospitable, sand, pine trees, cedars, wild rosemary. But from the side of the Tazheran steppe, in the surrounding area and on the island, the landscapes of the Baikal region are different - steppes, rocks with forest areas Siberian larch.

The terrain on the coast of Lake Baikal is generally mountainous and the transport infrastructure suffers greatly because of this. In many places to travel by road from one settlement located on the shore, to another located, you need to make a long detour of tens of kilometers. The fourth part of the coast of Lake Baikal has no public roads at all and is practically uninhabited (there is somewhere for the Chinese to settle, I think they would be happy).

Bottom relief

Lake Baikal is also unique in its bottom topography. It has its own underwater mountain ranges, the largest of which are Academichesky and Selenginsky. These ridges divide the lake into three basins.

Earthquakes are also possible on Lake Baikal. More precisely, this is a common thing. But tremors usually do not exceed 2 points. But there were other cases:

• in 1862, a magnitude 10 earthquake was recorded, as a result of which a section of land in the northern part of the Selenga delta went under water
• there were points about 9 points in 1903, 1950, 1957 and 1959
• in 2008 - 9 points
• in 2010 - 6 points

Fauna and flora of Baikal

Vegetable and animal world are unique here. The lake serves as a reliable shelter for almost three thousand species of animals and thousands of plants. Many species are found only here. And this despite the fact that, as scientists suggest, of the living organisms living in the lake, more than 20% are still unknown to science. Fishing lovers will have a good time on Lake Baikal (if the bite goes well, of course). Common species include grayling, taimen, whitefish, sturgeon, omul, lenok, and golomyanka. There are about sixty species in total.

The top of the biosphere on Lake Baikal is occupied by the Baikal seal. There are no other mammals in this body of water. There are still heated debates about how the Baikal seal, a purely marine mammal, got to Baikal and comfortably took root here. It is assumed that she came here in ancient times ice age, moving from Arctic Ocean along the Angara and Yenisei. Now tens of thousands of animals live here.

Many animals and birds live along the shores of Lake Baikal. Here you will meet seagulls, goldeneye, razorbills, mergansers, white-tailed eagles, and other birds. You can see mass swimming of brown bears (just be careful!). In the mountainous part of the Baikal taiga lives musk deer - the smallest deer on Earth.

Where does the name Baikal come from?

Researchers are still arguing about the origin of the name of the lake. There are several assumptions:

• Bai-Kul - translated from Turkic means “rich lake”;
• Baigal - from the Mongolian “rich fire”;
• Baigal Dalai - in the same Mongolian means “big lake”;
• Beihai - means "north sea" in Chinese;
• Baigal-Nuur - Buryat name;
• Lamu - that’s what the Evenki called the lake.

It is believed that the first explorers who appeared here in the seventeenth century eventually adopted the Buryat name, but softened the letter “g”, giving the name the sound that now exists.

Tourism and recreation on Lake Baikal

There are a lot of beautiful places on Lake Baikal. On my website you will find many stories from our tourists about trips and holidays on Lake Baikal (see the “Stories” section). A peculiarity of tourism on Lake Baikal is that the places that one would like to see are often located at large distances from each other. So if you want to see not all, but many of the beauties of Lake Baikal, you need to work out a competent route. If you feel that you cannot do it yourself, contact private guides or buy a comprehensive tour to Lake Baikal.

In any case, you won’t be able to see everything on Lake Baikal at once. Baikal is so big that it would take more than one vacation to travel around it all.

The largest number of tourists visiting Lake Baikal occurs, of course. in summer. The most popular places are the village of Listvyanka, Maloe More and Olkhon Island. People with a small budget, and even the most demanding ones will find a place for themselves. Lake Baikal is visited not only by Russians, but by many tourists from all over the world. The latter sometimes pay exorbitant amounts of money for such a vacation, but they still go.

In general, judging by the reviews, a holiday on Lake Baikal is not one of the cheapest, especially if you need to travel from places other than nearby cities. But nevertheless, Baikal sets records for attendance - the number of tourists reaches seven figures per year.

In summer, people relax on the beaches, go on bicycle and car excursions, and go hiking along the coast. There are rafting trips on the rivers flowing into Baikal, and much more.

Climbing cliffs, mountains and descents into grottoes and caves are popular in all seasons.

Fishing

There are a lot of fish in Baikal and lovers find the most different places in the hope of catching omul or other fish on your own. For the most adventurous, there are specialized bases with varying levels of comfort. They go fishing on rented boats.

The most popular places for fishing on Lake Baikal are Chivyrkuisky Bay, Mukhor Bay, shallow bays of the Small Sea and, of course, the rivers flowing into the lake.

Lake Baikal in winter

Despite the severity of the Siberian climate, there are people who like to come to Baikal in winter. The fantastic ice world of Baikal is mesmerizing. Snowmobiling and dog sledding are popular.

Most Popular Attractions

Baikal is home to many historical and architectural attractions, and even more natural and cultural monuments.

One of the most famous attractions is Shaman stone. These are a couple of boulders rising above the water at the source of the Angara. Locals have been worshiping these stones since time immemorial and consider them endowed with special powers.

Another rock, the photo of which is unusually widespread on the Internet for the search “Baikal” and “Olkhon Island” - Shamanka rock. Also a sacred place for the Buryats, access here for tourists was not always open.

There are also many other religious and historical places on Olkhon Island. The good thing about Olkhon is that in the summer you can sunbathe there, swim, visit a bunch of excursions, or travel around the island on your own.

Holiday seasons on Lake Baikal

Baikal is beautiful at all times of the year. Summer, as throughout Russia, is the most popular season. The warmest weather is from the second half of July to the beginning of August. From November it becomes not very hospitable here until the ice stops. In March and early April, tourists flock to Lake Baikal, especially those who like to take photos. The reason for this is the sparkling, transparent ice of Baikal. There is another one - ice fishing. Baikal is also very beautiful in spring, severe frosts and there are no more winds. Lovers winter holiday find a combination weather conditions and the beauty of the scenery is very attractive.

Relax on Baikal, enjoy its nature and energy. Take care of Lake Baikal, don’t leave landfills behind, don’t organize logging. This lake is thousands of years old and in many, many more years it needs to be as beautiful and attractive as it is now.