25 facts about lake Baikal – World’s Largest and Deepest Lake

Lake Baikal is rightfully considered one of the natural wonders of the world because it simply has no analogs in the world. The surrounding places are unrealistically beautiful, which is why it is so popular with tourists. In recent years, there has also been a struggle for the environment, designed to stop the pollution of its waters, and we will hope that it will lead to success. Read the most important facts about the unique natural phenomenon – the amazing Lake Baikal.

Here are the top 25 fascinating facts about Lake Baikal

What is so special about Lake Baikal?

Baikal covers an area of 31.722 km2. This is slightly more than the area of countries such as Albania or Armenia.
This lake is the largest reservoir of liquid fresh water on our entire planet.

Can you swim in Lake Baikal?

In the entire history, less than a dozen swimmers have swum across Lake Baikal in width. Few people can do this due to the fact that the water here is always consistently cold.

UNESCO Heritage Site :

Baikal is fully included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List https://factins.com/tag/fresh-water/ Inscribed in 1996.

How deep the Baikal Lake is?

With a depth of 1642 meters, Lake Baikal is the deepest of all lakes on Earth. This is more than the depth of many of Earth’s seas, and about 5 times the height of the Eiffel Tower.

How many gallons of water are in Lake Baikal?

For an Imagination, To completely fill Lake Baikal, if it suddenly became empty, it would take the waters of all the rivers of the Earth for about a year.

What fish live in Lake Baikal?

Most of the animals and fish that live in Lake Baikal are endemic – they are not found anywhere else in the world.
The high oxygen content caused the abundant population of Lake Baikal with living organisms. It is home to about 2600 species of animals.

Where is the deepest part of Lake Baikal?

The average depth here reaches 744 meters. For example, in the Barents Sea, this parameter is only 222 meters.

Why is Lake Baikal so deep?

The phenomenal depth of Lake Baikal is explained by the fact that this lake was formed in a tectonic fault of the Earth’s crust, which gradually filled with water.

Is it safe to drink Baikal Lake water?

Baikal water can be safely drunk without boiling and filtration.

Some of the most interesting facts about the lake Baikal:

The age of Lake Baikal is estimated at 25-35 million years, and this is despite the fact that the average life span of the lakes does not exceed 10-15 thousand years. The Baltic Sea, for example, is only about 4 thousand years old.
About 8 million years ago, there was a subtropical climate in the place where the most famous lake in Russia is now located. Now, however, it is quite cool here.
In terms of the number of sunny days, Baikal is ahead of any other point in Russia. Cloudy days without sun here are on average 30-40 per year, no more.
Of the 27 islands of Lake Baikal, several are quite large, and one of them has a permanent population. This is the island of Olkhon with an area of about 730 km2, where about 1700 people live.
Even in summer, the temperature of the near-surface water layers here usually does not exceed 9-10 °C. In some bays and bays in shallow water, it can warm up to 20 °C, but rarely.
Storms here are no less severe than on some seas, and in such cases, the waves can reach 4 meters in height.
Baikal contains about 90% of Russia’s freshwater or 19% of the world’s freshwater reserves.
In winter, the ice on Lake Baikal is always covered with deep cracks, which can sometimes exceed 20-30 km in length.
To determine its maximum depth, in 2002, researchers made more than 1.3 million measurements at different points of the lake.
Unique freshwater sponges are found only in Lake Baikal. Usually, these marine animals are found only in saltwater.
The water in Lake Baikal changes color throughout the year. In spring, it is blue and transparent, and by autumn it turns green, and its transparency decreases by 4 times. This is due to the flowering of algae and the reproduction of microorganisms.

Interesting facts about Lake Baikal for Kids :

There are 9 nature reserves, national parks, and nature reserves on the Baikal shores.
In winter, the ice thickness here reaches 1 meter, and in bays, it can reach up to 2 meters.
.The water here is very clear, on average this indicator reaches 40 meters.

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