Giant mats of bacteria, sponges, limpets, fish, and amphipods (small shrimp-like creatures) live at the bottom of Lake Baikal. Indigenous people of Siberia claim the lake is home to a giant dragon called Lusud-Khan, but researchers have only found these small deepwater creatures, which are still pretty fascinating.
Is Lake Baikal the cleanest lake in the world?
At 31,722 km2 (12,248 sq mi)—slightly larger than Belgium—Lake Baikal is the world’s seventh-largest lake by surface area. It is among the world’s clearest lakes.
Is Lake Baikal worth visiting?
Depending on the season, there may even be special events to celebrate the winter or the coming of spring. As one of the world’s most mystifying creations, Lake Baikal is an essential part of any Russia travel and a highlight of Trans-Siberian tours which gain popularity among travelers from all over the world.
Are there any fish in Lake Baikal?
In Lake Baikal, there are 15 commercially exploited fish species and over 50 registered commercial fishing enterprises (Brunello et al., 2004).
Is there anything at the bottom of Lake Baikal? – Related Questions
Can I swim in Lake Baikal?
Can you swim in Lake Baikal? Not only is Lake Baikal safe to swim in, but it also boasts some of the purest water in the world. The only drawback is the temperature – even during the warmer months, a dip in the lake is pretty invigorating.
Are there any predators in Lake Baikal?
Their only natural predator is the brown bear, though they are hunted by humans as well. Baikal seals will dive when threatened. They have two liters more blood than most seals of their size, so they can hold their breath much longer.
What creatures live in Lake Baikal?
Along Lake Baikal you can find bears, elk and lynx, but two-thirds of the lake’s species can be found nowhere else on earth, which is why it is often compared to the Galápagos Islands.
Is Lake Baikal water drinkable?
Baikal water meets all international drinking water standards, including foreign ones (certificate of the Fresenius Institute (Germany), certificate of the Institute of Nutrition (Japan), certificate of the Korea Water Works Institute (South Korea).
How did fish get into Lake Baikal?
The ancestors of cottoid fish emerged in the Far-Eastern seas of Russia. During the Miocene, about 20 million years ago, they began to invade rivers, adapting to life in fresh water. Moving down the rivers, they ended up in Lake Baikal, first in its shallow waters, then in deep waters and the water column.
Are there salmon in Lake Baikal?
The omul (Coregonus migratorius) also known as « Baikal omul » is a whitefish species of the salmon family endemic to Lake Baikal in Siberia.
Do bears live in Lake Baikal?
In spring or early summer, bears concentrate in forest clearings on steep mountain slopes on all five ranges in the Baikal area. Clearings range from several dozen m2 to a hundred ha in size. Bears also concentrate on the shores of Lake Baikal in mid-May and sometimes cross on the ice. They are nocturnal at this time.
Why is Lake Baikal so clean?
Each Epischura is no bigger than a poppyseed, but there are zillions floating through Baikal, which together form an incredibly efficient filtration system. They suck tiny scraps of food out of the lake, and along with them any specks of pollution they encounter. It’s the Epischura that keep Baikal’s water so pure.
What is so special about Lake Baikal?
So large that it is often mistaken for a sea, Russia’s Lake Baikal is the deepest and oldest lake in the world, and the largest freshwater lake by volume. Famous for its crystal clear waters and unique wildlife, the lake is under threat by pollution, poaching and development.
Is Lake Baikal deeper than the ocean?
The Marianas Trench is the deepest place of the planet’s oceans. Of all the lakes in the world, Lake Baikal is the deepest.
Is Baikal lake clean?
The world’s oldest, deepest and most voluminous lake, Baikal holds 20 percent of the planet’s unfrozen freshwater. It is often described as the world’s cleanest lake.
Where is the coldest lake in the world?
Lake Baikal is unique in a number of other ways too. It is the world’s oldest, coldest lake, and around 80% of its animal species are endemic (not found anywhere else). U.S.
What is the deepest lake in United States?
At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in America. Famous for its beautiful blue color, the lake’s water comes directly from snow or rain — there are no inlets from other water sources.
Which Great Lake is cleanest?
Surface area: 82,097 square kms. Watershed’s surface: 209,000 square kms. Lake Superior is the largest, cleanest, and wildest of all the Great Lakes.
Are any Great Lakes saltwater?
The Great Lakes are freshwater ecosystems. Traditionally, Lake Michigan, for example, has been a very low-salt lake, with levels around one milligram of chloride per liter of water. Over the years, due to our increased salt use, that level has steadily but gradually climbed up to 15 milligrams per liter.
Are there alligators in Great Lakes?
Alligators are rarely found in the Great Lakes. Although some alligators thrive in freshwater, it’s just too cold in the north for them to survive.