Lake Baikal is the highest class of lakes: the deepest lake in the world, the largest freshwater lake and one of the clearest lakes on Earth. Lake Baikal is home to many plants and animals endemic to the region.
My goal was to find and photograph Baikal seals in their natural environment, known locally as nerpas, underwater – not many people have done this before, and I really want to show others the pristine beauty of this place and its inhabitants. I've tried it 2 years ago in November, but it didn't work out: the lake freezes around mid-January, and it's hard to find nerpas in open water. Too shy, they disappeared from the edge of sight.
But I never gave up. So I came to Lake Baikal in April this year, and spring in Siberia is waking up, the snow is melting, the sun is glaring, and the only reminder is that winter here still occupies a strong position – the lake is completely covered with endless ice.
Drive on the ice in search of seals
Even for the toughest people, hours of searching can be exhausting
I've already told you that Baikal seals are shy, but young seals don't! The Nerpa female gives birth in a snow-covered cave in March. Newborn cubs are covered in white fur, they can't swim yet, and it's impossible to get close to them without hurting them. After a few weeks, the fur turns gray and the puppy is ready to explore the depths of the lake and the magical world under the ice.
Pulka is next to the supposed cave
Finding a cave in the vast expanse of icy desert is not easy, and we arranged for professional help – the local dog, Pulka, has been trained for this job for many years.
The seal's cave has an exit from under the ice to the surface of the lake, so our strategy is to find it, dive, and then — of course, wait for nerpa!
Underwater ice ceilings and walls
But finding Baikal seals under the thick ice can be very difficult and requires multiple dives to get lucky. For the first time, we dive next to a huge crack in the middle of the lake. These cracks are formed due to temperature changes and can be miles long! They can also change shape and size at night, which is a noticeable problem for people driving across lakes as they need to be on high alert and look for alternative routes. The surface of the ice is visually incredible, but underwater — the cracks look even more amazing. Huge ice blocks cascade on top of each other, forming caves and passages. When you're inside these passages, you can't stop thinking about the depths below and the endless thick ice ceiling above your head.
Clouds formed by ice
Another way to dive into Lake Baikal's ice is to enter an "ice cloud" – a huge layer of ice that forms at the beginning of winter, when strong winds move huge ice floes along the surface of the water. The rapidly changing light and different colors do give the illusion of being under a fairytale sky. Although very cold fairy tale!
A gateway to another world
A gateway to another world
After several dives and the vigorous efforts of Pulka, I finally reached my precious goal. As I slowly approached the cave from below, I saw some movement there, and then—a strange nose.
To be sure, the seal cubs were very surprised to see an unknown clumsy creature, full of gear. Maybe that explains why it stayed around me for about 15 minutes – keeping my distance, but going around in circles to see better.
A very peeping moment
The bubbles on the ice are signs of the seal's breathing, most likely from the young seal's mother. This time she only surfaced once or twice a day to feed her puppy and check if the ice hole was not frozen.
A guy who looks cute
Baikal seals floating in cracks in the ice
But seals already know that the ice melts quickly in April, and soon they'll be swimming freely around the Glorious Sea, a huge lake that has been named after locals since ancient times.
A young, curious and friendly puppy!
Greetings from Lake Baikal!