"Mari Switzerland" - this is how wonderful places in the Mari Republic are called for their unusual beauty. There are more than 200 lakes in this republic. The Mari Chodra National Park is located here, which is characterized by a variety of relief. But the real gems of the national park are its lakes. To enjoy their beauty, tourists come here from different cities. Each of the Mari lakes has its own zest, legend and history. The deepest (56 meters) of the lakes is Lake Zryv. Lake Glukhoe, recently classified as a natural monument, has the shape of a crescent. It is famous for its tall pines that have sunk to the bottom many centuries ago. These pines form a real underwater forest. But the most legendary and unusual is Sea Eye Lake. The local name is Mushyl. There are many delightful legends about him and his origin. These legends are passed down from generation to generation. It is said that the lake is connected by underground springs to the sea. Sea Eye Lake is one of the wonders of Russia. The photo with his image is striking in its beauty.
Lake,eye-like
Near the village of Shariboksad on the slope of the Sharin Mountains there is a unique Sea Eye Lake. No wonder they named him that. It has a rounded shape and looks like an eye from a cliff. And the centuries-old pines that spread their branches around the lake look like eyelashes. The water in the lake is blue-emerald. It has such an unusual color due to green algae. There is a sandy beach around the lake. Despite its small size (45 by 50 meters), Sea Eye Lake is very deep. Its depth reaches 35 meters. Therefore, at the bottom, the water is constantly very cold (about 2 degrees heat), although on the surface it can warm up to 20 degrees. The bottom of the lake is dotted with caves, in which underground springs beat. These springs feed the lake. Sea Eye Lake is also fed by precipitation and melt water.
Favorite vacation spot
Sea Eye Lake is very popular with tourists. On the map, you can easily pave the way to the lake. They go here as part of cycling and horseback excursions, they drive on their own in cars. For an overnight stay, you can camp in the nearby forest by setting up a tent. The water in the lake is characterized by significant transparency (up to 5.5 meters). Due to the unique purity of the water in the lake, both tourists and locals love to swim. A brook flows out of the lake, the water of which is used by the locals for drinking purposes. The water is said to have healing properties and cure many diseases.
Animal and plant world of the lake
Due to the fact that there are many spruces and firs growing around the lake, little sunlight gets here. Therefore, the vegetation is very poor. Mostly forget-me-nots and arrowheads grow near the lake. Here you can see lichens, moss and mushrooms. Algae are represented by chlorella, chlamydomonas, volvox, spirogyra, ulotrix, elodea. The fauna of the lake is also not very diverse. There are toothless, common pond snail, frogs and some fish. Of the fish in the lake live silver and golden carp, loach, roach, pike, perch, bleak, tench. The presence of tench indicates the purity of the water.
