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Ice safaris of 2015 and Polar safaris of 2014

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. We moved the place of the program from the village of Sukhaya, covering the area north of the Selenga River delta, to Barguzin Bay and the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula.

How has the program become more interesting?

Firstly, and most importantly, there is much more nerpa seals. We were able to observe on the surface of ice tens of nerpas basking in the sun. We also saw a lot of single seals and accordingly many nerpa houses.

Second, and equally important, the program of finding and watching nerpa pups transformed into the Ice Diving Jeep Safari "Belki (Pups)". What does this mean? In the area of Barguzinsky Bay and Svyatoy Nos Peninsula we have great places for diving under the ice. It's fantastic dive sites of "Barguzin" diving area that we visit sometimes in the summer during the ship diving safaris, and great ice - cracks, which there are many of at this time in this area. Ice, due to the fact that it is April already, is opaque and does not have the bells and whistles that can be observed in the region of the Maloe More and Hoboi in February and March, because the ice structures have been already somewhat washed of. But here ice is strong and (because the it is more north and colder) and new cracks are forming (because of the strong April sun), which are an excellent target for diving. Altogether, by having fantastic dive sites and having interesting ice we can carry out a full-fledged Ice Diving Safari Jeep combining it with the finding and watching nerpa pups and nerpa itself.

Thirdly, there is the beautiful nature. Barguzin Bay, Maksimikha, the Svyatou Nos peninsula, Chivyrkuisky Bay – all are top places of the east coast of Lake Baikal. After all the Ice Diving Jeep Safari is not only diving - it is also a journey through the most beautiful places.

Fourthly, there are great hotels in the area, "Baikal Riviera" in Gremyachinsk and "Lukomorye" in Maksimikha, that make great bases for our Ice Safari, providing an opportunity to have a place to eat and relax in comfortable rooms with excellent views of Lake Baikal.

Fifth, here in Barguzin (as well as in Sukhaya) there are excellent specialists rangers to help us look for and observe seals.

How has the program become more environmentally friendly?

We have learned how to observe and photograph nerpa pups causing them a minimum stress, which of course is still present. Communication between a man and wild animal is unnatural situation. Previously we used to build the program so that damage to the pup did not exist. Now we seek to ensure that there is no stress to the animal, or bring the stress to minimal level. Our methods of communicating with a wild animal allow doing a unique observation of the pup and mother seals in their natural habitat. Of course we do not provide guarantees, because it is wild nature, but we do everything possible so that the divers get excellent experience and an opportunity to see nerpa.

This year's safari "Belki" was held from 4 to 10 April. Group has 6 people - photographers and divers from Austria, Germany and Switzerland. We had successful diving with nerpa pup and with his mother. Photos to follow.

In February and March, we had several groups in a row for Ice Diving Jeep Safari "Olkhon".

The first safari began on February 16th. Club «Terres Oubliees» from France discovered the ice of Baikal and French divers after a 6-day Ice Diving Safari Jeep did not remain indifferent to the beauty of ice. We dived using side mount and rebreathers, and made ​​excellent underwater photos. Many of the guests for the first time discovered Russia and joined the admirers of its beauty. Despite such early start to the season (usually the first safari is held on February 28th), the French guests got an excellent weather, not cold, beautiful ice formations at Hoboi, beautiful and transparent ice. Transparency of ice at this time is a 100% guarantee. Among the French divers our safaris are popular and «Terres Oubliees» are not the first French divers who visited Baikal either on their own or in groups.

The next group (from February 22^nd) had Novosibirsk divers headed by Alexander Dubrovin. Guys fully repeated the route of the previous group and got the same charms and pleasures that the French group. Some of the members of the group said that it was the best trip of their lives. We are pleased that we were able to bring such joy to people. Alexander Dubrovin - diving instructor - held for his friends the course "Ice diver." Ice Diver obtained on Lake Baikal - it's worth a lot! Where else can you make ​​under ice dives lasting one hour or more. There is much to look at and it can be a long dive.

On February 28^th we started a safari with combined team consisting of divers from BaikalTek (which, together with the Ice Diving Safari Jeep completed ​​the course "Ice Diver") and a French diver Simon Albarel who besides safari took courses "dry suit" and "Ice diver." For this group Baikal ice conditions have changed: the situation has changed in the Hoboi where ice formed an ambitious underwater formations, just a few hours before the safari a ridge crack formed passing through the Maloe More. Therefore the conditions were different than for previous groups. And this is what makes Lake Baikal is remarkable. You can take two or three safaris in a row and have a in all fantastic diving safari. It's also great for us. We spend the entire season in safaris (part of February, the month of March, and sometimes part of April) and we have each time unique diving and the changing views on the surface.

Since March 5, we had a group consisting of two teams. Divers from Vladivostok, arrived for participation in the safari and for the course Ice Diver. Another part of the group for safari were a team of dive club "Crocodile", headed by Alexander Danilin. "Crocodile" joined us for the first time and for the first time visited Lake Baikal. We are glad to welcome representatives of such well-known and respected Russian club. The program included already explored ridges and formations in the Maloe More and Hoboi areas. Elenka and Shamanka were admired by akk for excellent visibility and excellent ice twists. And of course Hoboi did not leave anyone indifferent. "Crocodile" team made ​​a film about Baikal ice diving, you can watch it on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=775427475859767&pnref=story

From March 19th we were joined by a team of free divers by Julia Petrik. Free divers in the Ice Diving Jeep Safari - it is very beautiful and at the same time a great responsibility. Under ice are people without tanks and belay at all. This requires special preparations from us in order to offer free divers same quality of experience as divers see, including ice formations and deep dives. Andrei Sidorov – free diver from Moscow achieved his personal record - 33 meters. Free divers examined the cracks and the ridges of the Maloe More, Hoboi and Elenka. They also tried our famous ice banya. In general, all were delighted and promised to come back on the ice, and in open water.

As we wrote the season ended on April 10^th. We are waiting for you next year. Schedule of Ice Diving Jeep Safari is already in announcements of our website.

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."

Polar safari, we - BaikalTek dive center and a safari boat "Valeria" conceived and carried out for the first time in 2004, attracting divers to Lake Baikal by two main factors: guaranteed excellent visibility and an unusual combination of winter, snow, cold and diving in open water.

At this time we were joined by the two teams. 3-7 December 2014 there was a five-day safari from Listvyanka – Bolshie Koty - Khomuty - Circum-Baikal Railway with a group of Denis Davydov. Denis Davydov - is known in Russian as diving instructor and also a great connoisseur and lover of Polar safaris. He participated in several of them and came here once again bringing with him a team of adventurers. Ordinary divers will not go for safari like that. It is difficult to understand how in minus 20 you can dive in diving safari mode - 2 times a day in the icy wind and in cold water. Just big fans of cold water diving can go on not noticing such nuances. And just a group like that was brought by Denis. Only 3 people out of 15 participants have been before diving in Lake Baikal, for the rest it was all new. For many it was a surprise that despite of external conditions seemingly very harsh were not as severe, and safari ship "Valery" was very warm and comfortable. There is a large warm common room, where delicious food is served. There are warm double cabins, which you can comfortably sleep between diving and after a busy day. Costumes and BSD dried quickly in a large hot engine room and sauna and second dive could be done without any problems with freezing equipment. An experienced team provides help to divers on sometimes on slippery deck to put on and take off equipment. The weather was different – there was extreme immersion in an ice storm and a calm and relax in the sunny still conditions. We also had surface program - walking around Peschanaya Bay and we made a large fire on the Circum-Baikal railway. We had a day cruise along the Circum-Baikal Railway - seeing bridges, tunnels, retaining walls - complex and beautiful engineering structures on the background of beautiful nature which leaves no one indifferent.

Next Polar Baikal Diving Safari (11-14 December 2014) was with mix of peoples. The backbone of the team was a team of Oksana Istratova (famous Russian instructor and excellent deep underwater photographer). There were our friends and multiple time participants of Polar safaris (and not only the Polar ones) Baikal dive safari renowned underwater photographer Olga Kamenskaya and Dmitry Melamed. Another participant in the underwater safari was an artist from St Petersburg - Denis Lotarev. And of course there was a small but strong team from BaikalTek. BaykalTek’s Dive-master Igor Khanaev, who is also a leading scientist in the Limnological Institute in the field of underwater research, was scientific advisor of the safari. With his help it was quick and easy to identify the representatives of underwater flora and fauna of Lake Baikal, other participants listened to interesting and instructive scientific comments from Igor. Safari lasted 4 days and we visted the best dive sites ofBolshie Koty and Circum-Baikal Railway.