Imagine traversing across a massive, frozen lake in a specially rigged van, rather than taking a dive boat to your destination. This is only the beginning of what is truly the best ice diving in the world. Siberia’s Lake Baikal is located 1,500 meters above sea level near the city of Irkutsk, with Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast. More than 25 million years old and containing approximately 20% of the world’s surface fresh water, the lake averages 744.4 meters deep and is 1,642 meters deep at its deepest point. The layer of silt at the bottom of the lake is estimated to be 7 kilometers deep. Incredibly, this marvel of nature is seismically active. Formed from a rift between two tectonic plates and shaped like a crescent, it is also known as the Pearl of Siberia. All you need to dive in this lake, which widens by a few centimeters annually, is an Open Water certificate and a taste for adventure.
A World Heritage Site
You might have been led to believe that Siberia is a frozen wasteland. While it is cold, and while the lake is frozen between January and May, there is life in abundance. With a surface area of 31,722 square kilometers, Lake Baikal is home to over 2,500 species of plants and animals, 80% of which are endemic. In 1996, it achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
While the rocky landscape and steep mountains that surround the lake are beautiful in their own right, the underwater world is incredible. Green Lubomirskia Baikalensis sponges which live in symbiosis with the algae that give them their color cling to the lake’s steep, rocky sides, and the 10 cm Acantho Gammaridae, which are a type of amphipods with spikes running up and down their backs and sides, are just one of the more than 250 amphipod species found here. Eighty percent of the lake’s fish population is Golomyanka, while the remainder includes sculpins, Omul salmon, grayling and sturgeon.
Lake Baikal shelters two thirds of the world’s lake seal population. The Nerpa, which are a type of earless seal most closely related to the Arctic Ringed Seal, number approximately 60,000. Once hunted for their fur, they are now protected and hunting is strictly regulated. During the depth of winter, they hide inside ice dens, but when the weather begins to warm in spring, they haul themselves out onto the ice. They are rarely seen in the water as they tend to hunt at night when the fish come closer to the surface.
Diving Lake Baikal in Winter
During the winter, the entire lake freezes. Under the ice, water temperatures reach to just below freezing, and topside temperatures range from -25° to 5°. Entrance to the dive site is made via a maine, or hole in the ice, usually after a quick snack and a fortifying shot of vodka. Topside tenders monitor divers via ropes, ensuring safety.
While the lake’s surface is flat and often windy, the underwater ice sculptures, or hummocks, are simply magnificent. With horizontal cuts and swirling shapes, they are translucent. Looking up, you can see the people and the vans on the surface, and looking out into the distance, visibility seems endless at nearly 100 meters. Deeper down, plankton causes slightly reduced visibility but still, the light from above penetrates.
When you finally exit the water, expect your suit to freeze instantly, then enjoy the Banya, which involves hot steam in a hut that has been towed out onto the icy surface. Once you have warmed up, a trip back out into the frigid air or a second plunge into the icy water makes all your senses sing. The best time for ice diving Lake Baikal is between March and April.
Diving in Summer and Spring
Most warm-weather dives are undertaken from shore or from a liveaboard boat, although there are two submarines, the Mir-1 and the Mir-2 that occasionally take travelers with them into the deepest reaches of the lake. Russian President Vladimir Putin was a notable guest onboard the Mir-1; even this accomplished outdoorsman was surprised by all he saw on the journey. Wearing thermal coveralls, divers and crew enjoy a four hour trip aboard these subs, which set a world record in 2008 for the deepest dive in a lake right here at Lake Baikal.
With summer water temperature at 4 to 18 degrees Celsius, divers still enjoy exceptional visibility. There are no facilities on shore, so for shore dives, you’ve got to kit up in the van and then climb across the rocks to get to the entry point. One popular site is located near the end of the Trans-Siberia Express, where a historic locomotive sits silent, 3,400 miles from Moscow.
Across the white sandy bottom, enormous boulders and a carpet of brilliant green sponges create a backdrop for the fish and other creatures which have come out of hibernation to create a tapestry of life which is completely the opposite of what you’ll see here on an ice dive.
There are several different dive sites at Lake Baikal, and depending on when you go, you may be able to visit more than a few of them. Ice diving often involves hours of driving, and if the maine has frozen over, it can take a few hours to reopen it. During the summer, boat dives around the lake’s 27 islands and near the mouths of the estimated 330 rivers that feed it are possible.
To get to Lake Baikal, you must first obtain a travel visa, after which you’ll fly to Moscow and connect to Irkutsk. Dive operators in the area offer seal safaris and technical diving, along with daily dives. Accommodations are rustic but comfortable, and the local cuisine is delicious. Be sure to visit the Baikal museum while you are here – you can get a close look at specimens taken from the lake and learn more about its incredible geology. Whether you visit in winter or summer, you are certain to enjoy an amazing experience.