Researchers at the Baikal Museum of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have managed to capture the natural oil spills on the surface of Lake Baikal in photos for the first time. The phenomenon was filmed during expeditionary work in the area of the village of Sukhaya.
The phenomenon of natural oil seeps on Lake Baikal has been known to scientists for a long time. It was first described by the naturalist Johann Georg Gmelin back in 1733. Only now, almost three centuries later, have researchers been able to capture this rare phenomenon on camera.
These natural oil seeps (about 4 tons per year) are not related to industrial production and represent a unique natural phenomenon that is being studied by scientists to understand the geological processes and ecology of Lake Baikal.
Despite the presence of natural oil seeps, Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remains one of the cleanest freshwater ecosystems in the world. Its waters are so clear that visibility underwater reaches 40 meters.
In 2025, observation of the natural phenomenon was complicated by an abnormally warm winter. The temperature exceeded the norm by 4–9 degrees, and in some places reached 12 degrees above normal. Because of this, the lake froze over quite late.
Read more materials on the topic:
Scientists create a digital twin of Baikal to protect its ecosystem
AI creates "smart molecules" to increase oil production at fields in Russia