What is wonderful about Lake Baikal. Origin of Lake Baikal. Age of the Baikal Basin

Security measures

Throughout the twentieth century, some efforts were made to preserve Lake Baikal: the fight against poaching, illegal logging forests, laws were adopted to protect the Baikal region. Nature reserves appeared in the Baikal region and National parks. In 1916, the first Barguzinsky Nature Reserve was created. To the best of our ability, scientific research was carried out to protect the Baikal nature.

Crucial moment conservation of the unique lake occurred when, on December 5, 1996, it received the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Russia was subject to obligations to preserve its unique ecosystem. Currently, a lot of work is being done to protect the Baikal nature:

• About 97 organizations are involved in the problems of Lake Baikal, 400 dissertations have been written on the topic of protecting the lake;
• 3 institutes are responsible for monitoring the condition of Lake Baikal;
• Numerous environmental societies and environmental organizations;
• in 2012, the federal program “Protection of Lake Baikal and the socio-economic development of the Baikal region” was created natural area for 2012–2020.”

The unique ecosystem of Baikal, the richest sources of resources of the Baikal flora and fauna, the beauty of its vast expanses are simply vital to preserve and protect.

Very informative article. I didn’t even suspect that there could be something unique in Russia. I was struck by the fact that the temperature on the lake differs from nearby areas by as much as ten degrees! It turns out that you can go there to cool off in the summer and warm up in the winter. Now I will definitely visit this lake, because it amazes everyone. I want to see the transparency of the waters with my own eyes.

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

The purest 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.

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

If you look at photographs of Lake Baikal taken from space, you will notice that it has the shape of a crescent. The width of the lake in its various places ranges from 24 to 79 kilometers. These dimensions allow local residents and many tourists call Baikal not a lake, but a sea.

No matter how much one would like to call this majestic reservoir of fresh water a sea, it is still a lake that is surrounded on almost all sides by the most picturesque mountains and hills of extinct volcanoes. By the way, the fresh water reserve in Lake Baikal is 90% of the total reserve drinking water Russia and almost 20% of the entire supply of the purest and, according to the results of many scientific experiments, healing water in the world. Speaking about Lake Baikal, one cannot help 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 fresh water reservoirs that are located under eternal ice 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 oceans under glacial 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 constantly poses to scientists amazing lake. At the moment it is generally accepted that Baikal, whose area is almost 32,000 square kilometers, originated no less than 25 million years ago. There are more daring 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, these are the numbers that put new task: how, after so many years, the lake remained practically in 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 over 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 say that the whole point is in the unique ecosystem of the lake in its inflows 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 surroundings 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 live only in this ecosystem and are not found anywhere else in the world. The golomyanka fish, which belongs to the viviparous family, attracts particular attention from ichthyologists. And this fish is another mystery of Lake Baikal. Firstly, the entire body of this fish consists of more than 30% fat, and secondly, this fish lives at very great depths and goes to shallow water to feed. This is not at all typical for deep sea fish, because sudden changes in pressure in almost all species lead to death. Another representative of the ichthyofauna - the smallest crustacean, called epishura. This is also endemic to the lake. Without it, life in Baikal would probably have perished, because it is the main food for many fish and it is he, who reproduces in incredible quantities, that filters the water of Baikal, clearing it of 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 Lake Baikal water. Teachers talking about the nature of our planet often emphasize that you can drink water from Lake 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 wanting to see the great Baikal, like many other lakes around the world, is becoming larger and larger. Only an experienced guide who lives near the lake can indicate in what place it is completely safe to drink from Baikal. Surprisingly, despite the presence of rock deposits and tributaries at the bottom, which includes the Selenga River, which is constantly polluted in Mongolia, the water in Baikal contains practically no dissolved salts and minerals. Simply put, it is almost identical to distilled water that undergoes multi-level purification in special laboratories.

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

Such transparency of water can be observed after the ice melts: usually in early spring the water of Lake Baikal becomes bright of blue color. In summer and autumn, when the water warms up, microplankton and algae begin to develop in small quantities: naturally, at this moment it is already quite difficult to distinguish underwater rocks 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 a cloudy green, on the contrary, it becomes soft turquoise.

Immerse yourself in affectionate and clearest waters Baikal... - a dream! True, the dream is only for those who know very little about this lake. The thing is that the water here does not warm up above +9 degrees Celsius even in summer. Only in small and shallow bays can one expect that the water will warm up to +16 under the sun. Therefore, swim in Baikal and see undersea world You can only cross the crystal clear water in a wetsuit. In winter, the water surface 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 Baikal using horses. The ice on the lake is an amazing sight: during severe frosts, cracks run through it, sometimes 30 (!) kilometers long and 3 meters wide.

During the formation of such a crack, a powerful sound is heard throughout the entire vicinity of Lake Baikal, which can only be compared to a howitzer shot or a clap of thunder from lightning striking the ground several meters from a person. This phenomenon was provided for by nature itself; thanks to the formation of such cracks, the water is constantly saturated with oxygen and the flora and fauna of Baikal does not die in severe frosts.

Origin of the name of the lake

As with the age of Lake Baikal, there has been confusion in scientific circles with its name. In any case, some historians agree that the name “Baikal” comes from one of the Asian languages: Mongolian, Yakut, or Turkic. However, there are also versions that the lake was first seen and named... by the Chinese. The Chinese word that sounds like “Bei-Hai” literally translates to “North Sea”. This opinion also deserves attention: after all, isn’t the majestic lake similar to the North Sea? Most experts trying to solve 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 members of the Russian expedition who took part in a trip to the lake back in the 17th century had difficulty coping with the letter “g” and, without thinking twice, replaced it with “k.” This is how the name of Lake Baikal came about. 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 there are about its name and origin, all this instantly loses its meaning when you find yourself in front of the amazing mirror of Baikal. It is sometimes calm, and sometimes it rises up in waves. Surrounding nature defies description, here on a calm day, despite the singing of birds and the barely audible blow of the wind, one comes to the realization of what real silence, peace and tranquility are. It seems that Baikal communicates on a subconscious level with everyone who comes to see this majestic lake. It is not without reason that many travelers who have explored Lake Baikal are looking forward to the moment when they can return to this amazing world, which is more than 25 million years old.

In southeastern Siberia, on the border between Buryatia and the Irkutsk region, there is the deepest freshwater lake in the world - Baikal.

Geography and hydrography

Has the shape of a crescent. Its length is about 630 km, its width ranges from 24 to 80 km. The surface area of ​​the lake is just over 31.7 thousand square kilometers, which is comparable to the area of ​​countries such as Denmark, Belgium or the Netherlands.
The lake is located in a giant bowl-basin, surrounded in the west by rocky ridges and in the east by gentle hills. Maximum depth lakes – 1642 m, average – 745 m.
Baikal is the most significant reservoir in the world in terms of fresh water reserves - 23.6 thousand cubic km. This lake is also the oldest on Earth. Its age, according to scientists, ranges from 25-30 million years. The most amazing thing is that the shores of the lake gradually diverge, expanding at a rate of 2 cm per year.
The lake is fed by about 350 rivers and streams (the data has not been updated since the end of the 19th century), the largest of which are the Upper Angara, Selenga, Barguzin, Sarma, Snezhnaya and Turka. Only 1 river flows from Baikal - the Angara.
The lake is located in a seismically active zone.

Water, flora and fauna

Baikal water, despite its complexity environmental situation region remains the cleanest in the world today. It contains very few dissolved minerals, organic matter and a lot of oxygen. Its composition is practically distilled. This is the only body of water on the planet from which today you can drink water without purifying or boiling.
The water is so clear that in the spring, when the lake’s vegetation has not yet awakened, the bottom is clearly visible, as if through glass, at a depth of 40 m.
The lake owes its purity to a microscopic crustacean - the Baikal epishura. Maximum size 1 crustacean no more than 1.5 mm, they are endemic and live exclusively in the waters of Lake Baikal. They are the most important component of the lake's ecosystem. Over the course of a year, they pass the entire gigantic mass of lake water through themselves, filtering and purifying it.
The water temperature in the lake ranges from 0 to +20 degrees.
The lake itself is home to more than 2,600 species of plants and animals, almost all of which are endemic, i.e. are not found anywhere else in the world - seal, omul, golomyanka, Baikal sturgeon, whitefish, grayling, yellowwing and others.
The coastal zone is also extremely rich in a variety of flora and fauna - Siberian cedar, stilted trees, relict spruce trees, Barguzin sable, Olkhon vole, musk deer, Asian godwit and many other unique inhabitants.

Mysteries of Lake Baikal

The lake is a natural habitat unique in its characteristics. Not only Russian, but also American, European and Japanese scientists are at a loss when faced with unusual phenomena:
ice hills in the shape of hollow cones, characteristic only of Lake Baikal,
migrating huge dark rings formed under the ice,
mirages – optical illusion, for which no satisfactory explanation has yet been found.

The most, the most...

Baikal is the most
deep,
full-flowing,
old,
clean,
significant for fresh water reserves
lake in the world.

Baikal is a freshwater lake in the south of Eastern Siberia, it stretches from 53 to 56° N latitude. and from 104 to 109°30’E. Its length is 636 km, and its coastline is 2100 km. The width of the lake varies from 25 to 79 km. The total area of ​​the lake (mirror area) is 31,500 sq. km.

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world (1620 m). It contains the largest reserves of fresh water on earth - 23 thousand cubic km, which is 1/10 of the world's fresh water reserves. A complete change of such a huge amount of water in Baikal takes place over the course of 332 years.

This is one of the oldest lakes, its age is 15 - 20 million years.

336 rivers flow into the lake, including the Selenga, Barguzin, and Verkhnyaya Angara, and only one river flows out, the Angara. There are 27 islands on Lake Baikal, the largest of which is Olkhon. The lake freezes in January and opens in May.

Baikal lies in a deep tectonic depression and is surrounded by taiga-covered mountain ranges; The area around the lake has a complex, deeply dissected topography. Near Baikal, the mountain range noticeably expands. Mountain ranges here stretch parallel to one another in the direction from northwest to southeast and are separated by basin-like depressions, along the bottom of which rivers flow and lakes are located in places. The height of most ridges of Transbaikalia rarely exceeds 1300 - 1800, but most high ridges reach large values. For example, hr. Khamar-Daban (peak Sokhor) - 2,304 m, and Barguzinsky ridge. about 3000 m.

Tectonic movements continue here today. This is evidenced by frequent earthquakes in the area of ​​the basin, the release of hot springs and, finally, the subsidence of significant sections of the coast.

The waters of Baikal are blue-green in color and are exceptionally clean and transparent, often even greater than in the ocean: you can clearly see stones and thickets of greenish algae lying at a depth of 10-15 m, and a white disk lowered into the water is visible at a depth of 40 m.
Baikal lies in the temperate climate zone.

Geography of Lake Baikal.

Lake Baikal is located in the south of Eastern Siberia. In the shape of a nascent crescent, Baikal stretches from southwest to northeast between 55°47′ and 51°28′ northern latitude and 103°43′ and 109°58′ east longitude. The length of the lake is 636 km, the greatest width in the central part is 81 km, the minimum width opposite the Selenga delta is 27 km. Baikal is located at an altitude of 455 m above sea level. Length coastline about 2000 km. The area of ​​the water surface, determined at the water line of 454 m above sea level, 31470 square kilometers. The maximum depth of the lake is 1637 m, the average depth is 730 m. 336 permanent rivers and streams flow into Baikal, while half of the volume of water entering the lake is brought by the Selenga. Flows from Baikal the only river- Angara. However, the question of the number of rivers flowing into Baikal is quite controversial; most likely there are fewer than 336. There is no doubt that Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, the closest contender for this title, African lake Tanganyika lags behind by as much as 200 meters. There are 22 islands on Lake Baikal, although, as mentioned above, there is no unanimity on this issue. The largest island is Olkhon.

Age of Lake Baikal.

Usually in the literature the age of the lake is given 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 age gives values ​​from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. Apparently, the first assessment is closer to the truth - Baikal is indeed very ancient lake.
It is believed that Baikal arose as a result of tectonic forces. Tectonic processes are still ongoing, which is manifested in increased seismicity in the Baikal region. If we assume that Baikal is actually several tens of millions of years old, then it is the oldest lake on Earth.

Origin of name.

Numerous scientific studies have been devoted to the problem of the origin of the word “Baikal,” which indicates a lack of clarity on this issue. There are about a dozen possible explanations for the origin of the name. Among them, the most probable version is the origin of the name of the lake from the Turkic-speaking Bai-Kul - rich lake. Of the other versions, two more can be noted: from the Mongolian Baigal - rich fire and Baigal Dalai - big lake. The peoples who lived on the shores of the lake called Baikal in their own way. Evenks, for example, - Lamu, Buryats - Baigal-Nuur, even the Chinese had a name for Baikal - Beihai - North Sea.

The Evenki name Lamu - 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, because the distant opposite shore is often hidden somewhere in the haze... At the same time, a distinction is made between the Small Sea and the Big Sea. The Small Sea is what is located between the northern coast of Olkhon and the mainland, the rest is the Big Sea.

Baikal water.

Baikal water is unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. It is unusually transparent, clean and saturated with oxygen. In not so ancient times, it was considered healing, and diseases were treated with its help. In spring, the transparency of Baikal water, measured using a 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 massive algae blooms begin, the transparency of the water decreases, but in calm weather the bottom can be seen from a boat at a fairly decent depth. Such high transparency is explained by the fact that Baikal water, thanks to the activity of living organisms living 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's fresh water reserves.

Climate.

The climate in Eastern Siberia is sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Baikal and its mountainous surroundings create an extraordinary microclimate. Baikal works as a large thermal stabilizer - in winter it is warmer on Baikal, and in summer it is a little cooler than, for example, in Irkutsk, which is located 60 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually about 10 degrees. A significant contribution to this effect is made by forests growing almost along the entire coast of Lake Baikal.

The influence of Baikal is not limited to regulation temperature regime. Due to the fact that evaporation cold water from the surface of the lake is very insignificant; clouds cannot form over Baikal. Besides, air masses, bringing clouds from land, when they pass the coastal mountains, they heat up, and the clouds dissipate. As a result, the sky over Lake Baikal is clear most of the time. The numbers also speak to this: the number of hours of sunshine in the area of ​​Olkhon Island is 2277 hours (for comparison, on the Riga seaside 1839, in Abastumani (Caucasus) 1994). You should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are unlucky, you can run into one or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the sunniest place of Baikal - on Olkhon, but this happens extremely rarely.

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

Wind and waves.

The wind almost always blows on Lake Baikal. More than thirty local names of winds are known. This does not mean at all that there is such a quantity on Baikal different winds, it’s just that many of them have several names. The peculiarity of the Baikal winds is that they almost always blow along the coast and there are not as many shelters from them as we would like.

Prevailing winds: north-west, often called mountain, north-east (Barguzin and Verkhovik, also known as Angara), south-west (kultuk), south-east (shelonnik). Maximum speed wind recorded on Lake Baikal is 40 m/s. In the literature there are also higher values ​​- up to 60 m/s, but there is no reliable evidence for this.

Where there is wind, there are, as you know, waves. Let me immediately note that the opposite is not true - a wave can occur even with complete calm. Waves on 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 very large error, usually towards overestimation. The height of 4 meters was obtained using instrumental measurements in the open sea. The excitement is strongest in autumn and spring. Summer on Baikal strong excitement happens rarely, and calm often occurs.

Since 2008, every second Sunday in October, Baikal Day is celebrated - the deepest and largest freshwater lake on the planet, a unique natural attraction and a real treasure of Russia.

In contact with

Where is it located, history

In what part of the world is it located? The lake is located in the center of Asia, on the territory of the Russian Federation, on the border of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia. Its length is 636 km.

It is estimated that the lake is approximately 25 million years old. The formation of rift basins (there are three in total) occurred during the period of seismic activity of ancient mud volcanoes. This is what caused the rift earth's crust. Also, the origin of Lake Baikal is associated with the location of one part of the continent on top of another in ancient times (according to this version, it is the same age as the Himalayas).

Thus, the reservoir is one of the most ancient on the planet. Interestingly, mentions of it are contained in ancient Chinese chronicles. The Chinese called it "Bai Hai", which means "North Sea".

Attention! Seismic activity in this area continues to this day. More than a hundred earthquakes occur every year, but most of them are very weak and can only be recorded using special equipment. There is also a large magnetic anomaly observed here.

Interestingly, the formation of the basins is still ongoing. Every year, water reclaims about 2 cm from the land. Some scientists believe that a reservoir can turn into, but these are just guesses.

History of the name

There are many versions of the origin of the toponym “Baikal”, but the most important of them is the Turkic one. In Turkic it sounds like “Bai-kul”, which means “rich lake”. A very accurate name.

The Buryats who inhabited this area called the lake “Baigal-Nuur”. Perhaps, with the arrival of the Russians here, the letter “g” was gradually replaced by “k”.

Attention! There are several other reservoirs in Russia with the same exact name. They are located in Yakutsk and Tyumen regions. But, of course, other bodies of water are much smaller than the main one.

Sometimes Baikal is called a sea, comparing it with the Caspian and Aral, which are preserved parts of the ancient oceans. This name is quite correct, because storms often occur here, and the waves reach a height of 4-5 meters.

Peculiarities

Let's list special features Lake Baikal. Storms and wave formation also occur here due to winds. They are very strong and different in their characteristics. Scientists even gave them names:

• Kultuk;
• Mountain;
• Shelonnik.

In many respects, the lake is more like a sea.

Lake Baikal

Size and shape

Its shape resembles a crescent. Its area is 32 thousand square kilometers (length - more than 630 meters, width - 80 meters). It's interesting that some European countries For example, Albania, Malta, Denmark or Holland could easily be located entirely on its territory. There are many islands on it (22 in total), but only one is inhabited - Olkhon. The length of the coastline is equal to the distance from Moscow to Istanbul.

Depth

The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1642 meters (average depth is 730 meters; however, according to a number of scientists, there are depressions at the bottom, the depth of which is more than 7 km), that is, it is almost 5 Eiffel Towers. But only in 2002, after lengthy research and numerous measurements, was it possible to confirm this fact.

The lake holds 19% of the world's fresh water reserves

Amount of water

Baikal holds 19% of all the world's fresh water reserves. Total - 23 thousand cubic kilometers. This amount of water was formed because more than 300 rivers flow into the reservoir.

What else is the lake famous for? Of course, quality. Its purity is amazing. IN The water is incredibly transparent; through its thickness you can see what is happening at a depth of 40 meters. In terms of purity, it is equated to distilled water, since it contains extremely few minerals. But there are a lot of things that make it useful. In 2000, according to the results scientific research It was found that water has a glow.

Attention! In about one winter month The water freezes completely and becomes covered with a whole network of cracks. The depth of some of them reaches 30 meters. Walking on the surface of Baikal in winter is unsafe.

The water does not warm up even in summer ( average temperature only 8-10 degrees, although in some shallow bays the temperature can reach 20 degrees), despite the fact that sunny days there is a lot here (it is because of this that Baikal is also called the “Lake of the Sun”). Swimming here is limited even for professionals, because so far not a single person has been able to cross the reservoir by swimming. Interestingly, the current here is not very strong, only 10 cm per second. There is a thermal spring nearby. The water temperature in it is over 70 degrees.

The water in the lake is very clear

Flora and fauna

Ecoworld of the Baikal region is unique. It grows along the banks a large number of cedars and larches, which are long-lived. The age of several trees has already exceeded 700 years.

In terms of the number of endemic animals, this area is comparable only to Australia. More than a thousand endemic species live here (most likely, this is due to the fact that there are mountain ranges and hills around). There are more than 50 species of fish in the waters alone (the most famous are the viviparous golomyanka, which consists almost entirely of fat, and the Baikal omul, a fish from the salmon family), and on the shores there are rookeries of seals or seals.

Moreover, scientists still have not figured out how exactly they appeared here (perhaps they are the descendants of animals of the ancient north - Arctida).

The region celebrates Seal Day every year. The event is designed to attract public attention to the problem of poaching in the region.

The water is filtered by shrimp, crustaceans and sponges, which reach a size of 1 meter in 100 years. Thanks to their activity, as well as special circulation, the water is completely mixed within 5 months, which is why it remains so clean.

Nearby is the large national Barguzinsky Nature Reserve, on whose territory there are many research stations. The qualitative composition of the reserve is 1,750 species of plants and animals. All of them are under state protection.

Resources

Scientists have long discovered that there are rich oil deposits at the bottom of the lake. Almost every year about 5 tons of oil are produced here.

Interesting facts will be useful for children:

1. The territories of the Baikal region were inhabited by people back in the 2nd millennium BC. Presumably these were the ancestors of the Evenks. How many ethnic groups lived here is still unknown.
2. Baikal was discovered by Russian explorers at the end of the 17th century. It was first seen by the Russian Cossack Kurbat Ivanov. At that time, its shores were inhabited by the Buryats, who, in turn, replaced the Berguts who lived here in more distant times.
3. Scientists have found that at the bottom there are the most high mountains on (their maximum height–7500 meters), scientists also found dinosaur remains here.
4. There is a cave on the shore where mysterious shamanic rituals were held in ancient times. It is located in the Shamanka rock. It’s interesting that in ancient times, criminals were executed here: they simply stood them on the very edge of the cape and waited for a big wave. If a wave washed away a person, then he was guilty. It was believed that the waters of Lake Baikal do not touch the innocent.
5. Cape Ryty is considered a cursed place. Only very experienced shamans can enter it.
6. A lot of people drowned here. Interestingly, July is considered the most disastrous time for travelers and researchers.
7. There are more than 20 caves nearby - this is a paradise for speleologists.
8. There is a version according to which, somewhere nearby or, perhaps, at the bottom there is the grave of the famous Genghis Khan.
9. There are also suggestions that somewhere nearby are hidden the treasures of the Chinese caravan, which tried to find shelter here from the Tatars - the Mongols, and the treasures of Admiral Kolchak, who hid here a large amount of silver, which was taken to Irkutsk for the fair.
10. Local residents believe that UFOs can often be seen here.
11. In Russia, a children's carbonated drink called “Baikal” is produced. It has a special taste, which is achieved using a mixture of herbal extracts and essential oils. Interestingly, all the herbs from the composition grow on the banks of the reservoir.
12. In 1976, Crimean astronomers discovered an asteroid, which was named after the reservoir.
13. On the lake, as in deserts, mirages can often be observed.
14. Interestingly, only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara. One beautiful legend is connected with this fact, according to which Angara is a naughty daughter who ran away from her father to her lover - the Yenisei.

There are rich oil deposits at the bottom of the lake

Attention! If the 336 rivers flowing into the lake stopped feeding it, and the Angara continued to flow, then it would be necessary to wait 400 years to see the bottom.

It takes about a month for the lake to completely melt. Ice melting begins approximately in March-April. A holiday here is the dream of many tourists. Celebrities have also been here, for example, James Cameron, who directed Avatar, spent his 51st birthday here. The current President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, took part in a dive inside the Mir bathyscaphe, which was used, among other things, during the underwater filming of the film Titanic.

Local residents believe that you cannot get sick from swimming in the cold waters of the reservoir. The last strong earthquake occurred here in 2008. Its strength was equal to 9 points on the Richter scale. The area was also hit by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in 2010.

12 secrets and wonders of Baikal

History of Baikal! How did Baikal appear?

Conclusion

We can talk about Baikal for a long time. He's incredibly handsome. Its nature and mysteries attract researchers and travelers from all over the world.