Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest lake, reaching a maximum depth of about 1,642 meters.
Lake Baikal lies in southern Siberia, Russia, and is also the world’s oldest existing freshwater lake, with an estimated age of about 25 million years. It contains roughly 20 percent of the planet’s unfrozen surface freshwater, a remarkable share for a single lake. Baikal is a rift lake formed where Earth’s crust is pulling apart, which helps explain its great depth and elongated shape.
The lake is home to many endemic species, including the Baikal seal, the only seal species that lives exclusively in freshwater. It stretches for about 636 kilometers and includes Olkhon Island, its largest island. Lake Tanganyika is the second-deepest lake, while Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by surface area. Baikal freezes over in winter, although its deep water remains liquid beneath the ice, and its exceptionally clear water has supported extensive scientific research.