On April, 25 in 7 o'clock in the morning on local time Baikal was released from an ice armour. This year opening of ice has taken place extraordinary early - usually the ice disappears in May only.
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Video clip (4:43, 29 MGb)
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The process of ice melting is very interesting: images of Baikal dramatically
changed literally within a few hours. There is the small video clip at current
page with which you can get an idea of how this happens.
April 22. Prior to the ice melting is 3 days, but we still do not know it. The
night before was snow and ice from the coast appears white and strong enough.
Slipping on ice Khivus - hovercraft that transport guests around the bay
Listvyanka. Some of guests even at risk to go out on the ice. At the coast, at
the mouth of the river Krestovka there are piles of ice hummocks.
April 23 and 24 is a clear, sunny weather. The day time temperature rises to
15oC. Under the action of the sun the ice begins to change color.
First greenish tint is appeared, then the ice becames dark. The cracks begin to
show distinctly on the ice. Obviously, the ice will soon come down, but when?
April 25 morning, rising a strong wind that finally breaks the ice shell.
Begins break-up. In Listvyanka best observed ice breaking off the cliff at Listvennicny Cape.
Baikal is a mixture of moving ice floes and areas of clean water.
But the break-up continues not so long - just a few hours. By the middle of the
day the bay is completely cleared of ice. Hummocks of the coast destroyed by
the waves. At this time it is worth descend to the water's edge, look at the
strange shapes of recent ice and listen to crystal bells, which they
publish, facing each other.
However, the ice has not gone completely. April 26 the wind
changes direction and some large floes brings back into the bay. Now we need to
wait for the first storm, which finally break up these ice floes and destroys
their fragments. In the meantime, they will still drift on Lake Baikal.
The storm came at night on April 28th. At th morning Baikal was absolutely
clean of ice. Until next winter.
The opening of ice on Baikal is always a holiday for us. The new
summer tourist season begins with this moment. We congratulate on
this holiday of all our potential guests and we wish them well to
have a rest on Baikal this year.