Lake Baikal

siberia · deepest lake · ancient

Incredibly Deep. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake on Earth, plunging down about 1,642 meters (5,387 feet) into the ground. That's deeper than the height of many mountains!

Frozen Solid. In winter, the lake freezes over with ice so thick you can drive cars and trucks across it. The ice can be up to 2 meters thick, creating a temporary highway across the frozen water.

Ancient Wonder. Lake Baikal formed millions of years ago in a crack in the Earth's crust called a rift. It's one of the oldest lakes in the world, dating back about 25 to 30 million years.

Unique Wildlife. This lake is home to animals found nowhere else on Earth, including the only freshwater seal species. Scientists think about 1,500 different species of plants and animals live in and around Baikal.

Holds Fresh Water. Lake Baikal contains about 25 percent of all the world's fresh water in just one lake. If you wanted to replace it with water from all the other lakes on Earth, it would take many years.