The deepest lake in the world is also Asia’s largest freshwater lake, and the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume. Another 7+ km of sediment rests beneath the water. Lake Baikal is in the Baikal Rift Zone, the deepest of Earth’s continental rifts. There is lots of biodiversity in the lake, with more than 1,000 species of plants, and 1,500 species of animals. It is home to one of the world’s very few populations of freshwater seal. Known as the nerpa, they are capable of staying underwater for 70 minutes and can dive up to 1,000 feet. Lake Baikal is known as the ‘Pearl of Siberia’ and is an important tourist destination, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
