On our planet, there are places that can rightfully be considered the greatest creations of nature. Among them, a special place is occupied by the majestic Lake Baikal, which the locals even call the sea. Its surroundings are very beautiful: many interesting plants grow here. And some of the animals that live nearby are found nowhere else on the planet. True, some of them, unfortunately, are close to extinction.
The reserves and national parks of Baikal, organized in most of the territory adjacent to the lake, help to protect and preserve all this pristine and sometimes rare fauna and flora.
The most famous lake in Russia
In Russia, probably only lazy people don't know about Lake Baikal. However, this natural site is quite famous all over the world.
It is located in the southern part of Eastern Siberia, near the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. Reserves of Baikal, photos of which only partially convey all the beauty of these places, are located here.
The total area of the named reservoir reaches almost 32 thousand square kilometers. This area is comparablewith countries like the Netherlands or Belgium! Can you imagine how big Baikal is? In length, the lake stretches for 620 kilometers, and at the same time from space it looks almost like a crescent.
According to scientists, the age of Baikal is more than 20 million years. As a rule, lakes formed during the ice age exist only for about 15 thousand years, and then slowly disappear from the surface of the planet. However, Baikal, which has turned into a nature reserve, still does not show any signs of aging. Moreover, scientists have suggested that the lake may well be a nascent ocean.
What is Baikal famous for
However, Baikal is famous not only because of its impressive size and unusually ancient age. All over the world it is known as the deepest lake. And this is not surprising, because the maximum distance in it from the surface of the water to the bottom is 1,642 meters! For comparison, another deepest lake called Tanganyika boasts a depth of only 1470 meters.
Baikal is also very clean, and for this it was even recognized as the cleanest reservoir of fresh water on Earth.
The amazing nature of Baikal reserves
Wonderful and nature, among which this magnificent lake is located. About 600 species of various plants grow near it and under the thickness of its purest water. The fauna of Baikal is also full of diversity: there are more than 2,000 species of them here. However, most of the local flora and fauna can only be found here.
For example, the seal, or the Baikal seal, is an amazing animal of Baikal. It is the only representative of aquatic mammals here, and its closest relatives live in the Caspian and northern seas, as well as in Lake Ladoga.
Sable, badger, brown bear, ermine, chipmunk, weasel and wolverine are prominent representatives of the Baikal fauna. Also here you can meet a huge number of birds, especially waterfowl. Indeed, for example, numerous swans, ducks, gulls, geese and even gray herons fly with pleasure to such a huge body of water.
Baikal Protected Areas
In order to preserve the magnificent flora and fauna, special nature protection areas have been created here.
Among them there are several reserves and two national parks. The Baikal reserve is represented by three separate territories located in different parts of the lake. Their main task is to protect endangered and rare species of animals and plants, as well as to provide them with the best conditions for reproduction.
Baikal sanctuaries
There are six sanctuaries on the territory of Baikal. Each of them is designed to preserve or restore natural complexes and maintain an ecological balance throughout their territory.
The oldest of them is the Kabansky Reserve, founded in 1967. It is located in the delta of the river called Selenga, on the eastern shore of the lake. Its purpose is to protect waterfowl and the places where they live. In 1975year the Stepnodvoretsky reserve was created, also located on the eastern shore. It is designed to preserve and reproduce the Siberian roe deer and other animals.
Verkhneangarsky reserve was founded in 1979 on the northern shore of Lake Baikal, in the eastern part of the Upper Angara delta. Its mission is to protect the waterfowl living on its territory. In the Pribaikalsky region on the eastern coast of the lake, the Pribaikalsky reserve appeared in 1981, which should restore and preserve the number of wild animals.
In 1988, the north-east coast of Lake Baikal became the territory of the Frolikha reserve, which should also support the number of animals living here. The latest in 1995, the Enkheluksky reserve was created on a part of the eastern shore of the lake. Its task was to reproduce, preserve and restore animals and birds that are valued culturally, scientifically and economically.
National parks on the lake
Earst of all, the Pribaikalsky National Park appeared on Lake Baikal. It was organized in February 1986, and today its territory is 418 thousand hectares. It includes the entire western coast of the lake, starting from the southernmost point to the Small Sea itself and to the Kheyrem River, which is the southern border of another protected area called the Baikal-Lena Reserve. On Baikal, the famous island of Olkhon also belongs here.
Most of this area is covered with forests. The flora and fauna of the Pribaikalsky Park includes more than 500 different species. Some of the animals living herelisted in the Red Book, and plants are very rare species that are under special protection.
In September of the same year, another national park was founded - Zabaikalsky, whose area is 270 thousand hectares. It occupies the eastern coast of the lake, in the south it is limited by the Barguzin River. This park is adjacent to the territory called "Barguzinsky Reserve". On Lake Baikal, the park includes the Svyatoy Nos peninsula, the Chivyrkuisky Bay, the Ushkany Islands archipelago, and even part of the lake's water area.
The main reason for the creation of this park was the protection of the nature of Transbaikalia, including the Baikal seal, which likes to arrange rookeries on the Ushkany Islands, and waterfowl that live on Lake Arangatui.
Magnificent Baikal reserves
Thanks to such a large number of specially protected areas, it is possible to preserve Lake Baikal itself almost in its original form. The reserve is a place where the strictest protection regime operates, therefore, hunting, deforestation, picking of plants, berries and mushrooms, and mining are prohibited in any such territory. Also, the reserve is a real scientific base where animals are studied and scientific materials are collected.
All these territories are protected in a special way, because on each of them both individual plants and animals, and the whole nature in general, are under close supervision. To get into the reserves of Baikal, you need to get permission from the administration, and this measurejustified.
Barguzinsky Nature Reserve
There is a reserve on the lake, which is one of the oldest in Russia. It was created in May 1916 in order to preserve and restore the sable population. Its territory occupies 374 thousand hectares and is located near the western slopes of the Barguzinsky Range on the eastern coast of Lake Baikal.
Barguzinsky reserve is a real standard of nature and consists directly of the reserve itself and the biosphere test site. Most of the local space is covered mainly by dense forests and magnificent alpine meadows. A lot of space is also occupied by rocks, there are even swamps. A large number of rare and even listed in the Red Book representatives of the animal world lives in this territory. As many as 11 rivers flowing into Baikal originate in the Barguzinsky Reserve. There are also unique thermal springs here, the water in which is heated to 70 degrees and above.
Every year, huge crowds of tourists strive to get here, but almost the entire territory of the reserve is closed to them. For parking in specially designated places here you need a special permission from the directorate. It can be organized only at one of the cordons. They are located in Sosnovka Bay, on Capes Kabany and Shegnanda, and just one kilometer north of the mouth of the Bolshaya River.
And on the territory of the biosphere test site, bounded by the mouths of two rivers - Kabanya and Shegnanda - you can stop almost without prohibitions.
By the way, in the village of Dashva, which belongs to the reserve, there is a museum of nature. Any tourist can visit it freely.
Baikal Nature Reserve
The Baikal Nature Reserve located on its southeastern coast has no direct access to the great lake. Baikal is separated from it by railroads and highways, which were laid not far from the shore in the area of the northern border of the reserve. It was founded in September 1969, and the area of its territory is almost 166 thousand hectares.
The Baikal Reserve is located in the central part of the ridge called Khamar-Daban. About 30 rivers flow here, bears, wolves, foxes and sables live. Also here you can meet many animals that are listed in the Red Book: black stork, crested honey buzzard, otter, hook-nosed toucan and reindeer.
Baikal-Lensky Nature Reserve
The largest territory, amounting to 659 thousand hectares, is occupied by the Baikal-Lensky Reserve. Baikal sheltered him on its northwestern coast, in the Olkhon and Kachug regions of the Irkutsk region. This protected area is the youngest, as it was created only in December 1986.
This reserve contains several famous sights of Baikal: the craters of several ancient volcanoes, a cape called Ryty and the sources of the Lena River. Also, this area is replete with bears, there is even a whole coast of brown bears, located between two capes: Pokoiniki and Elokhin. This is where clubfoot comes out after waking up from hibernation tohow to feed yourself. You can also meet wolves, lynxes and deer here, as well as a rather rare black-capped marmot.
Amazingly beautiful nature and unique fauna - these are the two main reasons why it is worth coming to Lake Baikal at least once in your life. The reserve of Russia, and one of the most important, - this title can be safely endowed with the entire local territory. Only under close protection and thanks to the care of each person can these places be preserved in their original form.
