The World's Deepest Lake

By Milton Bertrand

Lake Baikal is the world's oldest and deepest freshwater lake; it curves for nearly 400 miles through south-eastern Siberia, north of the Mongolian border. Many of us are familiar with the 5 Great Lakes in America. Anyone of you that ever drive by them know how long it takes to drive around them. They are enormous. However, when it comes to volume, Lake Baikal has as much as freshwater than all the Great Lakes combined. It contains the largest (by volume) freshwater in the world; it has roughly 20% of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water. It has a depth of1,642 m (5,387 ft).  It is the seventh-largest lake in the world by surface area. Surface area is not the same as volume. Let’s not be confused.

Lake Baikal’s biodiversity is rich. It hosts more than 1,000 species of plants and 2,500 species of animals based on current knowledge. It is home to the world’s only true freshwater seal – the Baikal Seal, or Nerpa. It is also home to some endemic species, meaning they’re not found anywhere else in the world. There are a few families of fish like sculpins that are only found there.

When it comes to research, many organizations are carrying out natural research projects. Many of these organizations are governmental or associated with governmental organizations. The Baikal Research Center is an independent research organization carrying out environmental educational and research projects at Lake Baikal.

I thank you for taking the time to read this post. Some of the information here was obtained using Wikipedia and other sources.