Russia’s Baikal is the lake of superlatives: the world’s deepest lake, largest freshwater lake, one of the clearest lakes on the planet. Baikal is home to many species of plants and animals which are endemic to the region.

So as Baikal seal - one of the smallest pinnipeds in the world. It’s known locally as nerpa and could be found only in this lake.

My goal was to find and photograph the Baikal seal underwater, in it’s natural environment - not many people done it before, and I really wanted to show people pristine beauty of this place and its inhabitants. I already tried it 2 years ago, in November, and haven’t succeeded: the lake freezes around mid-January, and it was quite difficult to find nerpas in an open water, being way too shy they disappeared at the edge of sight.

Lake Baikal in November

Baikal seal in an open water

The only underwater shot I made 2 years ago)

But I never give up on the first time. So this year I came to the Lake Baikal in April, when Siberian spring is awakening, snow is melting, sun dazzles the eyes, and the only thing reminds you that winter still got strong positions here - the surface of the lake is completely covered with an endless sheet of ice.

I already told you that Baikal seals are very shy, but not the young ones! Nerpas females give birth in March, in snow-covered burrows on the ice. Newborn pups are covered with white fur, they cannot swim yet, and it’s not really possible to get close without harming them. In a few weeks fur becomes grey, and the pup is ready to explore the depths of the lake and the magical world below the ice.

It’s not so easy to find a burrow in the vast icy desert, and we arranged professional help - local dog Pulka was trained to do this job for years.

Hours of searching can be exhausting even for the toughest ones

Pulka next to the supposed burrow

Young nerpa next to the ice hole

The seal’s burrow has an exit to the lake from under the ice, so our strategy was to locate it, to dive, and then - wait for the nerpa of course!

But looking for Baikal seals under thick ice can be incredibly difficult, and takes many dives to get lucky. First time, we were diving next to a giant crack in the middle of the lake. These cracks were formed due to temperature changes and can be several km long! They can also change shape and size during the night, which is an obvious concern for people driving across the lake, as they need to be on high alert and find alternative routes. The surface of the ice is visually incredible, but underwater - the cracks look even more phenomenal - huge ice blocks are layered on top of each-other forming caverns and passages. And when you’re inside these passages, you cannot stop thinking about the 1 km of depth below and an endless ceiling of thick ice above you. The only way back is a small hole in the ice a hundred meters away - a precious window to our world.

Another type of ice diving in the Lake Baikal is getting under the “ice cloud” - a massive ice formation, which is formed in the beginning of winter when strong winds move huge floes along the water. Rapidly changing light and different colors really give an illusion of being under some fairy tale sky. Pretty cold fairy tale though! :)