Baikal. The majestic lake bordering Russia and China, which challenges a force of nature for 25 million years. It is so big, that it could fit one hundred Azov Seas. The miracle, which has no analog in the world, located in the heart of the green Taiga, it looks like one big silver mirror.
It is clean, deep, and mysterious. Astronauts call it the eye of the planet. But scientists still can’t solve all his secrets.
The most beautiful lake in the world
Lake Baikal holds about 20% of the world's fresh surface water. About 336 large and small streams flow into Lake Baikal, and only the Angara river flows out of Lake Baikal.
In the crystal, clear water depths, of islands and the coast live 2,600 species of water animals. Most of them are endemic and only lives in this lake. They are here from Antarctica, during the creation of the land relief. For example a Nerpa - one of the symbols of the lake.
The depth of the lake is 1642 meters. The water is very oxygen enrichment, and so it seems crystal clear. You can see objects at a depth of 40 meters.
The water of Lake Baikal is sometimes compared with distilled water but the mineral composition of it is very poor for natural drinking.
The lake's temperature never rises above 10Ñ. In autumn the water starts to get colder, and in the winter (January), it freezes. In some places, it can get as thick as 30 meters.
Baikal SOS
Even though its cleanliness, the pearl of Siberia has a risk. The coastal zone has become a swamp, the water became dangerous to drink, rotten smell repels all living things. Earth may be left without the lake in just a few decades. And who knows how long after that it will be possible to live on earth.
This is a photo I took a few weeks ago, which I have already shown in my previous post.
The scientists tell us - Baikal is fatally ill. The reason was Spirogyra - a special type of algae-parasites, that shouldn’t be on Baikal. Baikal sponge was destroyed, which for millions of years purified the water of the lake from pollution. Spirogyra has turned the coastal bottom into a lifeless, many kilometers of desert.
This is dangerous to humans. It produces toxins which can affect the human body, by the fish we eat from this lake
The lake has become shallow so fast. Some years ago, the water level fell below a critical level. Especially after China was admitted to the exploitation of resources of the Baikal. Private buildings and many resorts are the problems as there are no centralized wastewater treatment, every day exacerbates the situation.
The fires, also affect the protective zone of the lake, it saturates the water with ashes, which kills the fish. Baikal's bottom changed. In shallow water, it is overgrown with rotting vegetation. Populations of water animals, who lived here for millions of years are dying. We will need decades to save them.
How to stop this Baikal tragedy?
The spooky reality of Lake Baikal, is that it still has the status of the cleanest in the world. The scientists are optimistic that if we change our behavior and give this lake a rest from dumping and an opportunity to heal itself it could be restored after 60 years, Baikal will return to its original state.
Our generation still has a chance to see the Baikal in all its beauty.
The entire world depends on each of us. We have created a petition, you can read it - Here
It was signed by more than 200 thousand people