What rare species live in Lake Baikal?


What rare species live in Lake Baikal? Unique Wildlife Among these interesting creatures are the Baikal omul fish, Baikal oil fish and most notably, the Baikal seal or nerpa as they are called in Russian. This is one of the only seal species to live entirely in fresh water.


What species are found in Lake Baikal?

  • Mammals. Baikal seal. ...
  • Birds. Mongolian gulls on Baikal. ...
  • Fish. Two species of grayling (Thymallus baikalensis and T. brevipinnis) are found only in Baikal and rivers that drain into the lake. ...
  • Amphipod, isopod, cladoceran and ostracod crustaceans.


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 unique animal exists only in Lake Baikal?

The Baikal seal is endemic to Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal is rich in biodiversity.


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.


Is Lake Baikal drinkable?

Baikal is one of the few lakes on the planet in which, according to the standards, it is allowed to take water for drinking from open reservoirs. Water is extracted from special layers of the lake, which were on the surface of the lake hundreds of years ago, from a depth of 400m.


What rare species are in Lake Baikal?

Lake Baikal is home to several endangered species, including the Baikal seal, the world's only freshwater seal, and the omul fish, which is an important food source for the local population. In 1996, Lake Baikal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its exceptional value and importance for conservation.


What are two facts that make Lake Baikal unique?

Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve.


What is the largest animal in Lake Baikal?

The largest species is the Siberian sturgeon, which sometimes measures more than 6 1/2 feet (2 meters) long. The only mammal is the Baikal seal. The first hydrothermal vents, or hot-water springs, ever discovered in a freshwater lake were found at the bottom of Lake Baikal in 1990.


How deep is the deepest lake?

Lake Baikal, Siberia Not only is Lake Baikal the deepest lake in the world, clocking in at 5,387 feet (1,642 meters) deep, it's also the world's oldest lake, and its largest lake by volume of water. Lake Baikal is around 25 million years old and roughly the size of Belgium.


Is Lake Baikal deeper than the Mariana Trench?

While the Marianas Trench is the deepest place of the planet's oceans, Lake Baikal is the deepest of all the lakes in the world. Its depth is 1 642 meters (5 387 feet). Compared to Lake Baikal, the depth of the Great Lakes is more modest.