What fish live in Lake Baikal? The smallest and largest fish of Lake Baikal Amazing fish of Lake Baikal.

Baikal is one of the most magnificent and breathtaking lakes. The waters of this Russian landmark are home to a wide variety of fish species. This feature developed a long time ago, when a large number of vertebrates of different fauna complexes entered the lake. To date, it has been established that 54 species of fish live in the waters of Lake Baikal.

Groups of fish

Ichthyologists have divided all species of fish into three large groups:

• Siberian - includes vertebrates living in the bays, shores and litters of the lake. Another name for the group is sora. This complex includes representatives of carp, perch and pike. It should be noted that this also includes acclimatized species of fauna, namely: carp, catfish and bream.
• Siberian-Baikal - consists of the family of grayling, sturgeon and whitefish. Vertebrates live in coastal zones, as well as in the pelagic zone of open Lake Baikal.
• Baikal - this group includes about 50% of all fish species. Vertebrates focus on greater depths and water edges. This complex includes representatives of sculpins.

Baikal is considered an ideal place for fishing. Thanks to the huge number of different fish, every fisherman is satisfied with his catch.

Fishes of the Baikal region

There are fish that are most valuable and in demand among fishermen. These include:

Perch

Perch - the maximum height of vertebrates is 25 cm, all - 200 g. In the warm season, 30% of the fish of this species are concentrated in the lake; in winter, perch migrates to rivers.

Dace

Elets - this representative of the aquatic world is in the lake all year round and loves to swim off the shores of Lake Baikal.

crucian carp

Crucian carp – the lake is predominantly inhabited by gray crucian carp, the length of which can reach 30 cm, weight – 300 g.

Pike

Pike - a fish that can grow up to 50 cm and weigh about 10 kg or more. The predator does not swim far because it loves warm coastal water.

Roach

Roach - the length of the fish rarely exceeds 18 cm. Vertebrates love a muddy bottom with abundant vegetation, so they are often found in shallow water.

Shirokolobka

Gobies (broadheads) are considered bodies of water and are concentrated on the bottom of the lake.

Trophy fish

We also provide a list of the most “trophy” fish specimens living in the waters of Lake Baikal:

Omul

Omul is a descendant of the Arctic omul. Reaches a weight of 2 kg. There are small-, medium- and multi-stamen omul.

Grayling

Grayling – the lake is inhabited by representatives of black and white grayling.

Taimen

Taimen is a fish belonging to the salmon family and listed in the Red Book. The toothy fish can grow up to 30 kg and have a length of about 1.4 meters.

Whitefish, a representative of vertebrates, lives in the lake all year round and comes in lake and lake-river forms.

Sturgeon

Sturgeon is a rare fish, a representative of cartilaginous fish, listed in the Red Book.

Davatchan

Davatchan - belongs to the salmon family, also listed in the Red Book.

Burbot

Burbot is a unique fish that has mucus containing a natural antibiotic.

Non-commercial fish

In Lake Baikal you can also find species of fish that are classified as non-commercial:

Golomyanka

Golomyanka is a unique species of vertebrate, distinguished by the birth of live fry. The lake is inhabited by small and large golomyanka. The maximum length of the fish is 30 cm.

Longwing - the weight of the fish is about 100 g, length - 20 cm. The representative of the aquatic world is endemic to the lake.

Yellowfly

The yellowfly is a miniature fish, the length of which reaches only 17 cm, weight - 16 g. An interesting representative of vertebrates, having yellow fins.

Residents of the aquatic world of Lake Baikal also include lenok, ide, bream, gudgeon, Amur catfish, Siberian spined loach, sleeper firebrand and various types of broadhead (long-winged, stone, sandy, white, small, Elokhinsky, rough, half-naked, armored, flat-headed, sharp-snouted and others).

Lenok

Gudgeon

Amur catfish

Rotan head

The Baikal sturgeon, its length reaches 1.5 - 1.8 m, and its weight is 100 - 130 kg or more. The second largest and heaviest is taimen. Its length is up to 1 m, and its weight is up to 40 - 50 kg. The Gurvich shirokolobka is the smallest fish in Baikal, the weight of an adult is only 2 - 3 g.

Minnows are the most common fish in the bays of Baikal. And only the insignificant size of this fish is the reason that there is still no fishing for it.

The most prolific fish of Lake Baikal: burbot and sturgeon. A female burbot weighing about 4 kg lays up to 2.3 million eggs. The amount of sturgeon eggs laid increases with the age of the females to 350 - 400 thousand pieces.

But the most numerous fish of Baikal are the large and small golomyanka. The total number and biomass is 2 times greater than all other fish and amounts to 150 - 170 thousand tons. The biomass of other fish in Baikal is 76 thousand tons.

There are no herbivorous fish in Baikal, those for which plant food is the main food. Some species of coastal bottom gobies - broadhead - eat algae - ulotrix, and possibly also tetraspora - in small quantities. Algae plants are eaten by the sorog in the summer.

Pelagic fish are fish that live in the upper layers of the open part of Lake Baikal, some of them spend most of their lives away from the shores, and approach the shore only to lay eggs. Omul is also a pelagic fish, but lives in the open part of Lake Baikal when the water warms up and a sufficient number of food planktonic organisms appear there. Golomyanok can be classified as pelagic fish. They live in deeper water layers and near the bottom, and are almost never found near the shore, except when, after the birth of larvae, dead females are thrown ashore by wind currents and waves. Of the pelagic fish in Baikal that are of commercial importance are: omul, yellowfin and longwing. There are 5 species of pelagic fish in open Baikal. Others prefer bottom ecotopes, coastal areas and bays and are rare in Baikal.

Sturgeon fish (sturgeon, beluga, etc.) were considered red fish in Rus'. The color of their muscle tissue (“meat”) is not red, but pale pinkish. It is called red for its taste and delicacy. Salmon fish, most of which are marine inhabitants, have red flesh. In fresh waters they only reproduce and spend the first period of life. In Baikal there are representatives of red fish based on the color of their meat - Davatchans. They are found more often in deltaic areas of shallow waters. In Baikal itself, davatchans (Salvelinus alpinus var erythrinus Georgy) are rare, mainly in northern Baikal, mainly in the area of ​​Frolikha Bay and in coastal areas from the Tompa River to the Upper Angara.

All fish of Baikal belong to three groups (complexes): Siberian, Siberian-Baikal and Baikal.

Answers to questions from stage II of the project "The Fate of Baikal"

What does the word "Baikal" mean? Explain the origin of Baikal.

“Whoever has not seen Baikal has never been to Siberia,” say Siberians. Baikal is a unique lake, one of the unique wonders of the planet, a truly natural shrine not only for Russians, but for all humanity. Baikal is a giant, a hero, a handsome man to match Mother Siberia. The word Baikal in Altai means “Golden Lake”, in Chinese “North Sea”, in Buryat – “Lake of Fire” - “Baikal - Dalai”, in Yakut – “Rich Lake”, in Even – “Lama”. There is no other lake on Earth that deep. The time of origin of the Baikal basin is very distant - the end of the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods of the Earth's history. Scientists have been unraveling the mystery of the origin of the water mass in it for three hundred years, but much remains unclear. The opinions of geologists coincide on only one thing: the lake is now located in a zone of active tectonic activity. Just like millions of years ago, movements of the earth’s crust continue, as evidenced by earthquakes occurring in the lake area and numerous sources of hot water on the Baikal shores. The formation of the depression continues as the bottom of Lake Baikal sinks. In the rift zone, blocks of the earth's crust spread, moving away from each other. And initially the basin was formed as a result of the deflection of the earth’s crust, accompanied by faults. According to modern views, the lake basin is a synclinal trough of Meso-Cenozoic age, deepened by normal faults. The basin is formed by three depressions: southern (to the mouth of the Selenga), middle and northern. There are few islands, the largest of which are Olkhon and Ushkanyi, which are protrusions of the underwater Academic Ridge separating the middle and northern basins. Most of the lake bottom is covered with diatomaceous silt.

How many species of animals are currently known in Baikal?

The organic world of Baikal is unique and has no analogues in any lake in the world. The fauna is distinguished by its antiquity, endemism and exceptional diversity. The lake is home to about 600 plant species and over 1,200 animal species, of which more than 70% are found nowhere else. Typical representatives of the Baikal animal world are the Baikal seal, among fish - the omul, the family of Baikal gobies - sculpins, numbering 23 species, the viviparous fish - golomyanka, which forms an endemic family of two species. It is home to 84 species of mollusks, 240 species of amphipods and 250 species of worms. Baikal, in addition, contains fish species that are widespread in Siberia: whitefish, burbot, taimen, grayling, lenok, etc.; they gravitate towards river mouths.

What are endemics? Name the endemics of Baikal.

What is the largest fish found in Baikal? The smallest? How is it different from others?

The largest fish found in Baikal is the sturgeon. The smallest is the sculpin goby. The body of the sculpin goby is somewhat shortened, noticeably narrowed towards the tail, and naked. The head is large, wide, flattened. The mouth is large, with well-developed fleshy lips. The lower jaw is slightly shorter than the upper. High-set eyes, rather large. The pectoral fins are highly developed. The body color of the sculpin depends on the habitat of the fish. However, the predominant colors are grey, brown and green. Pectoral, dorsal, anal and caudal fins with numerous spots and stripes. The pelvic fins are light, without spots or stripes. The body length of the sculpin reaches 6-12 cm. Rarely, individuals are found up to 15-13 cm long and weighing 0.1 kg. Males are larger than females. The sculpin is inactive. Prefers places with medium or fast currents and clear water. Avoids bodies of water with poor oxygen conditions. Usually found on rifts or in depressions of the bottom with rocky and sandy-pebbly soil. In summer it often goes to well-warmed shallows, but avoids very warm water. The sculpin lives alone, hiding under stones and driftwood. Small flocks of sculpin spend the winter in deep holes with a clean bottom, without feeding. Sculpins spawn in late April – early May. Sometimes spawning lasts until June. It feeds mainly on bottom invertebrates, eggs of other fish, insect larvae, small mollusks, sometimes fry, and does not neglect plant foods. Sculpin is caught from mid-May until October. The best time for fishing is early morning and evening. Sometimes it bites well all day and even at night. Gobies can be caught using a float rod and a lightweight bottom. The thickness of the fishing line and the size of the hooks are not particularly important: gobies are voracious and not shy. The bait is swallowed greedily, often self-cutting in the process.

Which fish is the most numerous? Describe her. Why is the symbol of the lake an omul barrel?

The most numerous fish is omul. Omul is a large whitefish, length up to 64 cm, weight up to 7 kg. Unusually tender and pleasant-tasting fish. Fat. The insides are literally filled with fat. It feeds on epishura crustaceans, amphipods, juvenile gobies, golomyankas, fry and other fish. Finding itself in places with a high concentration of plankton, the omul switches to feeding on planktonic crustaceans. In September, the omul goes into the rivers to prepare for spawning. It finishes spawning late, already during freeze-up, when there is ice slush. After spawning, it overwinters at shallow depths. There are three races of omul - Angara, Selenga, Chivyrkuiskaya (the latter goes to spawn later, from October, and grows quickly). In V. Starodumov’s book “The Omul Barrel” he talks about the omul barrel - “...it looks simple, ordinary, like our coopers still make, but it had extraordinary power: where it floats, there are omuls in countless shoals they stretch as if they were asking to be put into a barrel...” People love another character of Baikal folklore - this is the fearless and rebellious Tramp, ready to pay with his life for a free will, and therefore fearlessly sets off on his journey through Baikal in an old omul barrel. Having tightened it with hoops, strengthening the crosspiece of poles, the Tramp stretches a caftan or army jacket on the crosspiece, and a fresh wind fills this patched and patched sail and carries the little boat along the steep waves from one shore to the other. For more than a hundred years people have been singing a song about the brave Tramp.

The glorious sea is sacred Baikal,

A glorious ship is an omul barrel.

Hey, Barguzin, move the shaft -

Well done, not far to swim...

Why are the waters of Lake Baikal clean?

The lake clears plankton. The mountains of Baikal are composed of crystalline rocks: the rivers carry few solid particles into the lake. Baikal is cleaned by living organisms, and the forests around Lake Baikal purify the air. Thanks to its unique flora and fauna, this lake is the only natural open water body in the world whose fresh water is suitable for drinking. The crustaceans (epishura) that live in Lake Baikal are capable of clearing the top 50-meter layer of water three times a year. Baikal water, low-mineralized, is ideal for the human body and meets all world-class drinking water standards; it is taken from a depth of 400 meters, where a constant temperature of 4.2°C is maintained and where it is protected by the water column from surface pollution.

What is the role of epishura in the extraordinary purity of the waters of Lake Baikal?

A large group of organisms purify water, and the epishura crustacean filters the water. He is the “king” among living organisms that purify water. He is also called the “Janitor” of Lake Baikal.

What is the ecology of Lake Baikal like today?

Baikal is not only a unique natural phenomenon, a natural shrine of Russia, but also a powerful economic complex. The construction of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station, the Selenga cardboard plant, and various industrial enterprises in Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk negatively affect the nature of Lake Baikal. Eco-problems: Baikal pulp and paper mill, pollution coming from the waters of the Selenga River, air pollution, changes in the level of Lake Baikal, problems of preserving the Baikal seal, pollution from municipal wastewater, discharge of polluted water from ships, deforestation in the watershed, commercial and recreational harvest bioresources, watershed pipeline projects, garbage, tourism, ice expeditions and other issues.

What measures are currently being taken to protect the lake?

In order to preserve the purity of Baikal water and using the riches of the lake without disrupting relationships and harming nature, the lake basin is being comprehensively studied. The nature of the lake and the physical and chemical properties of its water will be preserved only if a unified system of rational use of the entire territory is created, especially in the areas where Baikal’s water reserves are formed. And water is collected from vast areas, their area is 18 times larger than the area of ​​the lake. Since more than half of the water comes from the Selenga, the purity and abundance of which determines the purity of Lake Baikal, special attention was paid to preserving the forest in its basin. The rafting of wood along the rivers has been stopped, the categories of the Baikal forests have been redefined, the methods of cutting down forests and transporting wood have been changed, treatment facilities have been built and are being built in factories and factories, and tourist bases and stations are being created along the shores of the lake.

Decipher the numbers

635 km is the length of the lake.

25 million years is the age of the formation of the basin.

31.5 thousand km. sq – area of ​​the lake

23 thousand km. – 23 thousand km3 of pure water is concentrated (volume of water)

1620 m maximum depth

40 m transparency (the white disk is hidden from view in the water at a depth of 40 m)

544 number of tributaries

25 - 80 km. maximum width - 81 km, minimum - 27, average -50 km

2630 species and varieties of plants and animals

70%: 1. the amount of oxygen dissolved in Baikal water at great depths 2. endemic species live in Baikal.

Fishes of Baikal

About 54 species and subspecies of fish belonging to 15 families and 5 orders live and breed in Baikal. All fish of Baikal belong to three groups (complexes): Siberian, Siberian-Baikal and Baikal. The Siberian complex consists of all-Siberian species that live in the coastal areas, bays and other parts of Lake Baikal. They are also called sor fish. These are mainly carp, perch, and pike. This group also includes acclimatized species - carp, catfish and bream.

The Siberian-Baikal complex is represented by grayling, whitefish and sturgeon, which live in the coastal zone of the lake to depths of 300 m and go into the water column of Lake Baikal in the first half of autumn.

The Baikal complex predominates in the lake - it accounts for 56% of the total number of species and 80% of the total fish biomass. The complex is represented by 29 species of sculpin, of which 27 are endemic.

The total weight of all Baikal fish is 230 thousand tons of fish. Every year 3.0-3.2 thousand tons of fish are caught on Baikal, of which 65-73% is Baikal omul.

The Red Book of Buryatia includes fish - Baikal sturgeon, davatchan, taimen, white Baikal grayling, tench. In addition to them, Baikal is inhabited by omul, whitefish, black Baikal grayling, sorog, ide, crucian carp, pike, perch, burbot and others. Catfish, Amur carp and bream were artificially bred.

The most fishing areas on Lake Baikal are the Selenginsky shallow waters, Posolsky, Istoksky and Severobaikalsky 1miro, Barguzinsky, Chivyrkuisky, Maloye More bays, as well as coastal waters with a depth of no more than fifty meters.

Recently, there is a danger of overfishing due to violations of fishing rules and poaching. The natural reproduction of fish is being disrupted due to the fact that the most important spawning rivers: the Upper Angara, Kichera, Barguzin, Selenga with its tributaries, the rivers of Chivyrkuisky Bay and Posolsky Sor are polluted due to the discharge of wastewater into them, deforestation along their banks, and rafting on them. forests, etc. For the same reasons, the fatness and fertility of fish decreases. Therefore, a lot of work is being done on artificial fish breeding on Lake Baikal and in other reservoirs.

There are three fish hatcheries in Buryatia - Bolsherechensky, Barguzinsky and Selenginsky. These factories annually release up to one and a half billion omul larvae, more than 150 million peled, 5-7 million whitefish, and up to 10 thousand juvenile sturgeon into lakes and rivers.

But it should be noted that artificially bred fish develop slowly, so a combination of natural and artificial fish reproduction is necessary.

In this case, the stock size increases, and the fish become more resilient.

The protection of fish stocks, regulation of industrial and recreational fishing, and control of fishing are carried out by the Baikalrybvod management and its inspections.

Golomyanka - a unique fish of Lake Baikal

Golomyanka is a unique fish that is found only on Lake Baikal. Golomyanka is the most numerous fish in Lake Baikal. Their total weight is 150 thousand tons. Golomyankas are very beautiful fish. They are pale pink in color. The eyes have a bright orange rim. The body of the golomyanka is translucent, without scales; through the tail, as if through glasses, you can read a book written in large black letters. The golomyanka has a large mouth. There are two types of golomyanka in Baikal: large golomyanka and small golomyanka. The large golomyanka lives at great depths, and the small one at a depth of 250-500 m. Large golomyankas reach up to 25 cm in size, and small ones up to 15 cm. Unlike all other fish living in Baikal, golomyankas give birth to live larvae. Large golomyanka usually spawn in the fall in September-October, small golomyanka - in the spring, after Lake Baikal is freed from ice. Large golomyanka give birth to up to 2-2.5 thousand pieces of larvae, and small golomyanka - up to 1.5 thousand pieces. Golomyankas live up to 4-7 years.

Great golomyanka, female

Great golomyanka, male

The characteristics of these species include an inactive lifestyle, viviparity, cannibalism (eating their own young), predation and a significantly smaller number of males compared to females, especially in the great golomyanka.

Lesser golomyanka, female

Lesser golomyanka, male

Golomyanka floating in the water

These species feed passively. Fish "hover" with the help of pectoral fins in the water with an open mouth and can instantly grab food. The main components of the food of the small golomyanka are epishura and macrohectopus, secondary or occasional are cyclops, benthic amphipods and juvenile golomyankas. The large golomyanka feeds on macrohectopus, epishura, secondary objects are juveniles of the large and small golomyanka.

The importance of golomyankas for Baikal and the entire population of the lake is immeasurably great. The entire deep-sea layer of the lake is inhabited by golomyankas. They make up ¾ of the biomass and 4/5 of the production of all fish. Their total biomass is 160 thousand tons, i.e. more than the biomass of all other fish combined. Golomyanka have no commercial significance, since they do not form large aggregations. However, golomyankas are an important link in the food chain. They are the food source for omul and seals; their young are fed by pelagic goby fish, yellowfin and longwing. .

Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater body of water in the world by volume. In its depths, more than 23,000 km³ of clean water is stored for future generations, which is 4/5 of the Russian reserves of the most important liquid on the planet and 1/5 of the global total. Its dimensions are amazing: the length from southwest to northeast is more than 700 km, the width is 25-80 km. Baikal is a unique holiday destination. There are many legends and songs about the reservoir. Hundreds of thousands of travelers from Russia and dozens of other countries around the world want to come to him.

Where is Lake Baikal located?

It is located in the center of Asia, in the southern part of Eastern Siberia. The border between the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia runs along the water surface of the lake. The coordinates are as follows: 53°13′00″ N. w. 107°45′00″ E. The distance from the southern shore of the reservoir to the border with Mongolia is 114 km, to the boundary with China – 693 km. The city located nearby is Irkutsk (69 km from the reservoir).

Flora and fauna

The nature of Baikal pleasantly surprises travelers. The water reservoir is home to more than 2,600 species of animals and birds. More than 50% of them can be found only on this lake. On the banks of the reservoir there are:

• the Bears;
• hares;
• wolves;
• wolverines;
• foxes;
• stoats;
• tarbagans;
• red deer;
• proteins;
• moose;
• wild boars

Of the sea animals, only seals or seals, as the Buryats call them, adorn the natural necklace. The reservoir abounds in fish. Swimming in the depths of the lake:

• omuli (salmon fish);
• grayling;
• roach;
• sturgeon;
• burbot;
• taimen;
• lenki;
• perches;
• sorogs;
• ide and pike;
• Golomyanka

The last representatives of the fauna are unique in that they have special swimming feathers stretching the entire length of their body. One-third of their loin tissue consists of fat. Almost all of the fish described above can be caught from Baikal if you have special equipment (rods, nets, etc.) and desire.

The fauna of the lake itself and its coast is also unique. Pines, spruces, cedars, firs, birches, larches, balsam poplars and alders grow near the reservoir. Common shrubs include bird cherry, currant and Siberian wild rosemary, which every spring delights people with its beautiful pink-purple color and intoxicating aroma.

At any depth in the lake you can find freshwater sponges - animals that consist only of individual tissues and cell layers.

Lake Baikal has a large volume not due to its huge area. According to this indicator, the natural reservoir ranks only 7th in the world. The preservation of water is ensured by the enormous depths of the lake basin. Baikal is the deepest lake on planet Earth. In one place the bottom is 1642 meters away from the water surface. The average depth is 730 meters. To completely fill the reservoir, it would be necessary to force all the world's rivers to release their flow within 200 days.

According to official data, more than 300 rivers flow into Lake Baikal. But most of them are very small. The width of the flowing rivers does not exceed 50 meters. There are only 3 large streams that carry their waters to the lake. Only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara.

There are 36 islands scattered across the water surface. The area of ​​the largest piece of land, Olkhon, is 730 km². On its banks there are 2 fishing villages: Yalga and Khuzhir.

The Circum-Baikal Railway runs along the southern coast - a complex engineering structure, during the construction of which several dozen tunnels, viaducts and bridges were erected.

The main problem of the lake is the difficulty of protecting flora and fauna from poachers. Due to the large territory of the reservoir and adjacent lands, the presence of many small bays and bays on the coast, it is very difficult to track down lawbreakers even with modern technical means of searching for watercraft and people.

Holidays in 2019 on Lake Baikal

Several dozen resort towns and villages are scattered along the shores. The largest of them are:

• Listyanka- a village located at the source of the Angara. It houses the only museum dedicated to the lake. Also in the village and its surroundings, tourists will enjoy the St. Nicholas Church, built in the 19th century, and the Taltsy architectural and ethnographic complex, where you can learn birch bark weaving and clay modeling.
  
• - a small town on the southwest coast. It is famous in Russia due to the presence of a station built of marble - the starting point of the Circum-Baikal Railway and a mineralogical museum.
  
• Goryachinsk– the oldest resort of the lake. It was founded at the end of the 18th century by order of Catherine II. Its springs are perfect for healing, and its picturesque sandy bay is perfect for taking great photographs. Pictures of this resort can be found in guidebooks published in the 19th century.
  
• Big Cats- a village located several kilometers from Listvyanka. It boasts the aquarium of the Institute of Biology and old vertical mines where gold was mined more than 100 years ago.
  
• – a unique place, the only corner of the Mediterranean climate in Siberia. It is perfect for summer holidays for “savages” in tents, with fires and guitars.
  

Buses or commuter trains regularly run to these health resorts. Other points can only be reached by car or minibuses. The distance of the resort from major transport hubs also dictates the price level. Thus, the highest cost of accommodation in guest houses and recreation centers is observed in Slyudyanka, the lowest in settlements on the northeastern coast of the lake.

What to do on and near the pond?

Drink mineral water. Some of the resorts of Lake Baikal (Goryachinsk, Khakusy, Dzelinda) are balneological. People with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, nervous, genitourinary, and cardiovascular systems can take healing baths and drink mineral water in these places.

Take excursions. The routes of several hundred excursions have been laid along the shores of Lake Baikal. Conventionally, all walks conducted by guides from the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia can be divided into:

• ethnographic;
• local history;
• historical;
• natural history.

Most of the excursions are conducted by residents of the shore of the reservoir. They are happy to show travelers places where they can take great photos.

Go hiking. Hikes of all difficulty levels are carried out along hiking trails through forests and mountains located near Lake Baikal. They last from 2 to 30 days. Such tests provide an opportunity to see with your own eyes all the beauty of nature, get a lot of pleasant impressions and acquire some skills necessary for survival (learn to make fires, cook food in the open air, cross rivers).

Have a nice time on cruises. Several thousand cruises take place on the surface of the lake every year. Some of them have the goal of showing tourists the most beautiful places in the reservoir and attractions that are located on the shores of Lake Baikal, and some are entirely dedicated to fishing. The routes of cruises of the first type are designed so that travelers can explore the waters and bays, and visit the most famous museums located near the reservoir. The price of the second type of tour includes the rental of fishing equipment and the services of experienced huntsmen who know where to find the most valuable and delicious Baikal fish.

Swim and sunbathe. The beaches of Baikal are places that are great for swimming and getting an even tan. Most of the cozy corners of the coast are covered with fine-grained sand. In the summer, when the water near the beaches warms up to +17-19 °C, everyone has the opportunity to swim and feel the purity and power of this great lake with their own bodies.

Learn extreme sports. Baikal is one of the favorite places of Russian extreme sports enthusiasts. In summer, amateurs train on the water surface of the lake:

• surfing;
• windsurfing;
• kiting;
• diving;
• snorkeling.

Every year in March, competitions are held on the ice of the reservoir in:

• karting;
• motocross;
• quadcross;
• speedway;
• enduro.

At this time, parachuting competitions are taking place in the skies above Lake Baikal.