Magical Blue Eye of Siberia: Changing Seasons on Lake Baikal

The deep lake is surrounded by mountain ranges and hills; the western shore is rockier and steeper than the eastern.

Its picturesque surroundings with an exceptional variety of flora and fauna attract tourists from all over the world.

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A house by Lake Baikal.

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A train with tourists enters a tunnel on the Circum-Baikal railway.

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View of Lake Baikal from space.

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The Baikal seal is the only species of seal in the world that lives in fresh water, endemic to Lake Baikal.

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Night sky as seen from the bay of Sagan-Zaba on Lake Baikal.

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Girl with a dog on the shore of Lake Baikal.

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A vessel sails through Lake Baikal near the island of Olkhon.

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Vladimir Putin during a dive in the deep-submergence vehicle "Mir-1" at the bottom of Lake Baikal.

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Shaman Valentin Khagdaev in the mountains lining the shore of Lake Baikal.

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The flowering of Ledum or Daurian rhododendron on Lake Baikal.

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Barguzin Nature Reserve on Lake Baikal.

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Picture being taken of Lake Baikal.

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A view from the island of Olkhon to Lake Baikal.

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TV presenter Ekaterina Andreeva (left) holding the Olympic torch while diving in Lake Baikal.

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The main street of town Khuzhir, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia.