Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is a very special lake in Siberia, a cold part of Russia. It is the deepest lake in the whole world. It is also the oldest lake, at about 25 million years old. The water in Baikal is very clear and clean.

Deepest and Oldest

Lake Baikal is more than 5,300 feet deep at its lowest point. It holds about 20 percent of all the fresh lake water on Earth. In winter, the top freezes into thick ice that people can drive cars on. Scientists think the lake sits in a big crack in the Earth's crust.

A map shows the long, curvy shape of Lake Baikal.
A map shows the long, curvy shape of Lake Baikal. (Sansculotte / Wikimedia Commons)

Unique Animals

Lake Baikal has animals that live nowhere else in the world. The Baikal seal, called nerpa, is the only seal that lives only in fresh water. Strange shrimp help keep the water clean. Many kinds of fish swim in the deep blue lake.

Fun Facts

  • Lake Baikal holds more water than all of the Great Lakes put together.
  • Baikal is sometimes called the 'Pearl of Siberia.'
  • The lake's ice can grow up to 6 feet thick in winter.

Did You Know?

Lake Baikal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is home to so many plants and animals found nowhere else.