One can quickly lose the skills. The habit to dive from a boat makes you relax. During the last three years, we haven’t had any deep trimix in Listvyanka. Time to catch up! (Gennadi’s comment: “That’s true. All the deep dives in the last three years were made from the safari boats”). And now, it is December again, the freest time to dive “for yourself”. Be it Covid or not, there is a lot of work in summer, as usual. So, the intensive preparation has begun! (Gennadi’s comment: “The idea is to dive VERY deep!”)
The two weeklong “coronavirus” diving safaris in June were technical ones. So, technical diving is always there. BaikalTek is a technical dive center, with Trimix facility TDI & IANTD. However, it does not mean that there is no place for recreation, photography, filming and other kinds of divers. The other way round: we pay attention to everyone’s need and interests, and are ready to accompany you in your diving any time.
The BaikalTek instructors often meet the seals under the ice because they dive often. A ‘normal’ diver is rarely so lucky. Jean from Switzerland is one of the lucky guys. Though it was his first Olkhon Ice Safari at Lake Baikal, he saw a lot: huge ice shapes, moving ice mass, dancing planaria… and finally, a seal!
And I was really lucky. One teacher is good, two is even better. And two best teachers make it precious. Gennady Misan and Tatiana Oparina, thank you for your making all the long way and coming to share your knowledge, experience and wisdom! You did not only answer all our questions, but you also analyzed the situations, and you gave solution options and practical examples. Thank you for your high-grade professionalism, objective evaluation, thorough debriefing and promptly encouragement that was inspiring and empowering. Thanks for the interesting and useful communication. Living on the shore of Teletskoye Lake feels like living on another planet. When you came, it felt like the guests from a similar neighbor planet visited us, the same kind of people, and that was great! A return visit is ours!
In general, places and dates are in the schedule on our web-site. We prefer organized groups, but there are places for single divers, who can join organized groups or we might arrange a combined safari hosting such divers.
See you in the Baikal safari and have a great diving!
We planned to finish mounting a new engine and generator on our safari boat Valeriya. The testing was complete, State Ship Register seriously examined all equipment and approved of its operation, so in the third decade of May we started our first safari. This safari was only for BaikalTek members, as no matter how State Ship Register is strict, our BaikalTek testing is still more important.
I always wanted to see an iceberg. I thought an iceberg is as beautiful underwater as it is above the water… So, I went to Antarctica. I made a dive and I was disappointed – there was just some indistinct wall to see.
A few days ago, the Baikal Ice Jeep & Diving Safari finished. April. “Barguzin program». I have seen my ‘dream iceberg’ in Lake Baikal! The picture was a 100% match!!! I have never seen anything like this before, in no safari
Week 1 - It must have been the coldest safari in our history. We started safari season in the beginning of February for the first time. We used to make them in the beginning of March, then shifted to the middle of February and now we are starting in the beginning of February. During this safari we experienced as low temperatures as -35 Celsius at night and -23-30 Celsius in the day. This made us recollect our previous trips (when it was -22 Celsuis, wind and no sun) with a feeling that those seemingly harsh weather conditions were a laughable absurdity if compared to what we faced this year. However, despite the objectively reasonably lower temperatures we subjectively did not feel really cold.
November 1. A frosty morning. Out of the cafe window I can see the Baikal slowly chilling down with a gentle fog over its waters. Listvyanka shores are deserted, a few cars parked on the road along the shore, almost no people to be seen. Just a few leaves on the trees and bushes, very few needles on the larch trees, almost no needles, in fact - one can see spots of snow between the trees in the distance
An unusual divesite - Methane Volcano - was explored. 4 km away from the mouth of the Selenga River, at the depth of 40 metres in the dull clay bottom (what else can be expected from a place next to the mouth of a big muddy river?) there is a huge methane volcano and a small volcanic crater.
It’s been quite a while since we last published our news. This surely does not mean that there wasn’t anу. A lot of things have happened, so many, that we did not even have the time to sort them all out in order to make a nice quality presentation about our safaris, programmes, course and so on.
Gennady Misan set a personal record having reached the depth of 160 metres (his previous record depth was 155 metres). Tatiana Oparina also beat her previous record of 156 metres, which was, moreover, Lake Baikal record deep dive and, possibly, world record of diving deep in very cold water. Thus, her new dive to 170 metres, which Tatiana made, is a new Lake Baikal record and, possibly, a new world record of diving deep in very cold water.
Apart from the private safaris on "Myth" there surely were safaris for big groups of divers. We welcomed divers from Russia, Poland and China. For the first time in our career we hosted a Chinese group on a diving safari and it was new experience for us, which will hopefully have its continuation, because the Chinese divers liked lake Baikal diving safari. The Poles are traditional guests at our lake Baikal safaris, as they come in different groups almost every year.
On June 21-25, 2017 Listvyanka settlement (Irkutsk region, Lake Baikal) hosted Open Championship of Underwater Photography Lake Baikal Cup. Suchlike competitions were last held in the Baikal in 1980th (1985, 1987 and 1989), so the event served as a sort of revival of a forgotten tradition.
In 2017 the season of ice diving started with Ice Diver and Dry Suit Diver courses for numerous Russian and foreign divers. The courses took place in Listvyanka and by now some of Taiwan, Japan, China and the USA citizens can show off by demonstrating their Ice Diver certificates issued by BaikalTek divecentre, which guarantees high level of training
After the programme Following the Ice we went on a scheduled Around Lake Baikal Trip! 13 days aboard a ship, 1,500 km long the Baikal shoreline. It’s a challenge to be faced by a few.
Our main piece of news in 2015 is that Tatiana Oparina, divecentre BaikalTech instructor, Trimix instructor IANTD & CMAS, held a new record in deep diving in Lake Baikal and in cold water on December 19, 2015, beating Gennady Misan’s (also BaikalTech instructor) record of 153 metres.
The first safari on the boat Valeriya (May 22-27, 2015) followed a difficult route: 6 days in Listvyanka - Ushkan Islands - Chevirkuysky bay - Listvyanka. The reason for calling this trip difficult is the the short period of time to make it
Season of under ice diving of 2015 was successfully completed. This year we gained new experience and knowledge during our program of finding and photographing nerpa pups, which allows us to make this program even more interesting, and most importantly more environmentally friendly.
The story about the winter season would not be complete if we did not mention the Baikal dive safaris that take place in December (open water at this time!) which are called "Polar safari."
The 2014 Jeep Ice Safaris season started on March 1. The total of 6 safaris took place, each of which was unique in its own way. The season was finished successfully on March 31
In May 2013 BaikalTek’s trimix divers made several trial dives to depths up to 100 meters at water temperature of +2 degrees. July started with another safari at Baikal aboard “Valery”, this time following “Olkhon Safari” route. On the 7th and 8th of September we had test dives using unique hybrid dry suit Waterproof D1 Hybrid with built-in 3D net lining. BaikalTek’s instructor Tatyana Oparina made a dive to 150 meters, setting a record of diving in cold water among women.
Tough March is now over – the month of best under-ice diving in the world, the month of BaikalTek’s ice jeep diving safaris at Olkhon and Maloe More. Safaris are over, but the dragon has not left yet. This year extremely cold March has prolonged winter not only in Moscow, Kiev and Warsaw, but also here at Baikal.
The first of the season diving safari aboard ship “Valery” started on May 26th. We followed the route from Listvyanka to the north through Eastern Olkhon to “the Shore of Brown Bears”, and then via Ushkanii Isles back to Eastern Olkhon and Listvyanka. The safari was called “Chasing Ices” because it is a seasonal safari, which can take place only in May, when ices are supposed to float around the lake
So it happened that we celebrated the end 2011 and beginning of 2012 twice. First more than 30 participants (20 divers) got together on the 24th of December on the lake shores to congratulate Baikal with New Years celebratory dive. BaikalTek’s New Year’s tree this year was “green”, ecological; not to litter Baikal and cut down life fur-tree – we put together New Year’s tree out of wooden planks and used masks, flippers, snorkels and lanterns as decorations.
Irkutsk, Baikal, Dive-center “BaikalTek”. This Baikal safari started on June 11th 2011 when the ship “Valery” left from Listvyanka. The idea for this safari came up in October 2010, when divers from club “BADDI” (Novosibirsk, who participated in safari “Golden Fall”) found ship’s mast near Ushkanii Isles. We thought that it might be a mast of a steamship “St. Innokentij” that sunk in 1888 near Ushkanii Isles. A couple of expeditions have been looking for this ship, but had no results.
Not everybody knows yet, that near Olkhon Island from end February to the beginning of March you can experience a different kind of universe on Earth. At this place, just for a month (and not for everyone) a door opens to a different dimension. And through this door we enter the world of ice jeep safaris.
Olga Kamenskaya’s photo album “Baikal: the Kingdom of Water & Ice” was published in Italian town Piazzola sul Brenta not far from Venice. It was published by a small, but very famous in Europe family typography «Papergraf», which prints books and other publications for Vatican, and is a partner for Russian publishing giants “Slovo” and “Terra”.
The traditional technical diving week that we hold in the beginning of August was a success. The traditional participant of the event was “Krasnoyarsk club of underwater expeditions”, headed by the technical instructor NAUI Vasily Kirichenko. Kemerov’s club “Nayada”, headed by Roman Vytovtovym, has visited the great lake Baikal for the second time. The head of Moscow diving club SDD Sergey Dorofeev (Instructor-trainer NAUI Nitrox, Instructor NAUI-TEC, Instructor CMAS**, NITROX Instructor CMAS) together with his student Lena Zhuravleva (diver NAUI-TEC and TECHNICAL WRECK DIVER NAUI) joined us for a diving safari and completed Trimix courses.
In the beginning of the summer we had a small unusual safari with interesting prospects. It was small, because it was mini, but it had lots of unusual features never the less. First of all, there were only four us on “Valeriya”. Konstantin (from Bryansk) kept joking that it seems like we’re on a floating hotel with a restaurant service. Boat’s team always provides great service, but when it’s done only for four people, then it seem like you’re on “Aggressor”.
It is with a great pleasure that we introduce our new website!
This year’s winter was long and cold, thus enabling Baikal’s ice to form particularly interesting cracks and under-ice constructions. The transparency has been great as well. All of these factors led to wonderful jeep-safaris.
During this week there will be only deep dives with the team of only technical divers. Technical Diving Week is headed by Gennady Misan – instructor-trainer IANTD, instructor TDI, record holder for diving in cold water (154 meters – Lake Baikal, December) and Pascal Bernabe – instructor TDI and IANTD, world record holder for dives in open water (330 meters). We are looking forward to hosting both advanced tech divers and those divers who have a desire to get acquainted with technical diving. You can participate in classes and in master-class workshops, and obviously you can simply enjoy great diving in the company of skillful and well-known divers and instructors.
SPECIAL PRICE 15 350 rub (350 euro)!!!
For a tremendous safari at Northern Baikal.
Ushkanii Islands and Shore of Brown Bears are becoming more accessible! It is not necessary anymore to plan long vacations to get to the one of the most beautiful and unique places at Baikal.
The classes for under-ice divers started in March and BaikalTek started under-ice diving daily in Listvyanka, Bolshie Koty and Baikal Railway. This year we took daily under-ice diving to a new, higher level. We have a small portable “house” that is fully furnished with a heater, a table and benches. It is now much more convenient than ever because you can get ready for diving in our new building and not in the back of a car.. It is also a place to wait for your turn and have a nice lunch in friendly company (if you’re doing two dives).
Let’s see what has happened in the midst of the summer – July 2008. First of all, we would like to mention a successful international press safari, in which we had representatives from diving publication in Poland, Israel and England. Russian magazine “Octopus” was planning on participating as well, however the circumstances prevented them from joining us. We’re looking forward to their visit some other time. We’re also expecting a series of articles mentioning us together with truly spectacular photography. An important event for us was a diving safari with the largest diving club in Russia “Aquanaut”.
Club «ООРS» has joined us yet again: they increased their numbers and chose a unique route this time around.
There were 16 people total: we divided them into 2 groups - divers and non-divers. In diver’s group we had instructors, under-water photographers and of course regular divers. It’s notable that the most part of the diver’s group consisted of children (it’s not surprising, since the club started out as children’s one), and Olga Kamenskaya, one of the group’s organizers, is a children’s instructor CMAS. Among other organizers were Artem Melamed – instructor CMAS and spiritual leader and Dmitri Melamed – diver CMAS* and group’s logistic person.
This tour follows the most well-known places of Baikal Lake and shows different possibilities for rest and diving. From the lonely contemplation of the surf in the remote areas without men’s presence to active pastime in the modern holiday zones. Baikal is the biggest world’s lake and there are places where everyone may find something for himself.
As usually divers have installed a New Year Tree on the bottom of Baikal. Last year baikaltek team has installed the New Year Tree near Old Round Baikal Railway. This year it is Ushkanka – the place between Kadilny Point and Bolshoe Goloustnoe Village.
It has become a wonderful tradition for Polish people to join us for a safari at Baikal. The first one happened all the way back on 1988. Afterwards they came to visit us for 2 more summer, but everything has stopped in 1990. However, thankfully the tradition has been restored in the year before last, when Marek Mikhalek and his trimix team from club “Tehnika podvodna” came to Baikal. (unfortunately, Marek has recently passed away from heart attack.
These are the dates of safaris, for which you could join us by yourself, as a couple, or as a small group.
May, 18-20 – ship “Merlin”, route “Beginning of Angara” (“Magic triangle” – Bolshie Koty, Listvyanka, Round Railroad)
July, 9-13 – ship “Mars”, route “Heart of Baikal” (Bolshie Koty, Homuty, East Olkhon, Barhin, Bolshie Koty)
June 19-26 – ship “Myth”, route “Chasing Nerpa” (“Towards lost islands” – Bolshie KOty, East Olkhon, Ushkany, Chivyrkui, Maloe Sea, Birkhin, Bolshie Koty, Round Railroad)
June, 28 – July, 1 –ship “Valery”, route “Beginning of Angara” (“Magic Triangle” – Bolshie Koty, Listvyanka, Round Railroad)
11.03 – 18.03.2007 – these are the dates of final Jeep Ice Safari for this season. Why is it the last one – ice is still thick and winter does not seem to give up its rights? That’s because “BaikalTek” has new exciting events ahead.
This summer's season has coem to an end. July and August included classes, safaru, classes, technical safari, daily diving, classes, and technical safari. However even though summer season has ended, diving hasn't.
First safari on the ship “Valery” for the season of the year 2006. First safari on diving boat “Valery” took place May 31st – June 3rd. The route was “Beginning of Angara River”; we dove at dive sites of Bolshie Koty – Srednyaya, Sobolev, Skripper, and at Round Baikal Railroad – Serebryannyi Klyuch, Polumesyac and Katorzhanka wall. The participants of the safari were diving club MSU, headed by the president of the club Dimity Orlov – instructor CMAS, SDI, TDI and course-director PADI.
In March 2006 we held several ice diving safaris at Maloe Sea and Olkhon Isle. The weather was truly accommodating us – month of March is a perfect time for such safaris. It’s already relatively warm and not too windy. Ice is also very good in March –it is thick, but it is also moving around, creating very beautiful constructions for diving.
Season of year 2006 is almost over, but ship "Myth" has just held its first safari. Mostly we had smaller groups, so we've been using such vessels as "Merlin" and "Mars:; or we had extremely big groups which required ships like "Valery". Now, from 1st to 6th of October, we had Plosh group of divers "Nautica", headed by Janusz Solarz There were 8 of them - perfect group for Yaroslavets"
New Year of 2006 we met at Baikal on the ship in the diving Safari. Yes, that's right! Nobody wonders when people celebrate New Year on the cruises somewhere in Thailand or Maldives. Why is Baikal any worse?
A new record in deep diving at Baikal was made by instructor TDI Gennady Misan, who made a dive on 140 meters! Gennady used 2 mixes of trimix fro a dive and 3 nitrox for decompression. See photographs and article "The record dive in Lake Baikal".
First winter ice jeep-safari of the season has finished! Participants: club "BaikalTek". The road from Irkutsk to Island Olkhon was traditional: with stops for the eating of pozy (buryat national cuisine) and the ritual of bringing a victim to Baikal's god Burkhan when entering the ice (it's spraying of vodka). We lived in the guest hall of Nikita Bencharov in Khuzhir.
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