Halle Berry

The ‘Pearl of Siberia' is just one nickname which Lake Baikal the richness of its beauty, with mountains, forests and wild rivers all around.

Located in South-eastern Siberia close to the Mongolian border, this natural treasure is also an ancient cultural crossroads for many Asian tribes and nations. the place is ‘The Sacred Sea' or ‘The Heart of Asia'. But Baikal is also a limnological superstar; this the oldest lake on the planet (25-30 million years) is also the deepest at around 1600m, and it holds a cool 20% of the world's surface freshwater supply. It's also home to around 1200 species of animals and 1000 species of plants. With four in every five species being unique to the area thelLake earns yet another moniker: ‘The Galapagos of Russia'.

"scientist a place evolution is generated, like an engine of evolution," says Dr. Maxim Timofeev, a biologist working as a consultant on the lake for the Russian Geographical Society. "Now it has evolved a very complex system of crustaceans, worms and molluscs that can help to keep pure and very clear water for years." These creatures work in concert to filter dead organic matter out of the lake, resulting in water so pure that in many places it can be safely consumed without further processing.

Lake Baikal was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996, in recognition of its special attributes and status.