Ushkany islands: description, history, flora and fauna

Ushkany islands - one of the most beautiful places in Buryatia. They are located approximately in the middle of Lake Baikal, 7 km to the west of the peninsula of St. Nose. These islands are listed in the register of natural monuments, the state monitors the protection of their unique nature.

Geographical features

Geographers explain that the archipelago is the top of the underwater ridge, which is called the Academic.

The total area of the islands of the Ushkan archipelago is 10 km ² . There are four islands in total: Big, Round, Thin, Long. As you might guess, the names of their islands are due to forms.

Name

Interesting origin of the name "Ushkani Islands." Philologists testify that the word "ushkan" the inhabitants of Siberia once called hares. However, there were never any hares on the islands of the archipelago in the middle of Lake Baikal. But, as it turned out, ordinary hares have nothing to do with Ushkan islands.

This name came from the northern edges. Pomors, living on the shores of the White Sea, are called sea hares of seals. And there are a lot of them in Baikal. Russian natives from the North, who visited Baikal for the first time, saw the seal - the Baikal seal. And this nickname was attached to the seal - it is "withered", although this beast can not boast of any outstanding ears. And the islands, on which the seals get to warm themselves in the sun and rest, were christened by the Hare. This is the name of the archipelago on the map of the explorer Semen Remezov in 1701. Subsequently, the name "Zayachye" was altered to a local harmony, and the islands began to be called Ushkanyimi. This name fell into the official literature, geographical atlases and maps.

Seals

And what about the seals? Have not touched the changes and them? Strange as it may seem, the population lives and flourishes today. Moreover, the Ushkany Islands on Lake Baikal are protected by the state.

Seals here, as in the old days, are many. They are an integral part of the history of Ushkaniye Islands, and everyone who visits these amazing places has the opportunity to contemplate (well, and to shoot on camera, of course) their pretty muzzles and sunny fatty carcasses.

Most of all seals live on the island of Tonkom. According to estimates of biologists, the population of the population fluctuates around 2000 head.

Islands of the archipelago

The island of Great Ushkany rises, like a mountain, above the water level by more than 200 meters. Its length is 5 kilometers in length and 3 in width. The Big Island is famous for its unique three caves, which are located on the north-eastern coast at the foot of limestone cliffs. In these caves, archaeologists have discovered traces of the sites of the New Stone Age man, whose age is about 4-5 thousand years. The primordial coniferous forest, in which tall larch and pine trees grow, covers almost the entire Great Ushkany island. Baikal saturates the soil with moisture sufficient for the growth of real giants.

The other three islets are not so impressive in size. They rise above the level of Baikal waters by only 20-22 meters.

Flora

Clean air and fertile soils always bring excellent fruits. Ushkany islands are famous for their beautiful nature. Under the tall trees stretch the thickets of the Dahurian rhododendron. This shrub in the spring is covered with a lot of bright purple flowers. The steep banks of the islands are covered with unusual sea cabbage, which has been blooming since June. The rocks became a wonderful soil for brown lichens, which spread almost all over the archipelago.

Some of the plant species that grow here are unique. The Daurian larch grows on the Big Island , which has a bottle-shaped thickening of the bark on the lower part of the trunk. A unique plant that is not found anywhere else in the world is the birch bark covered with a bark of black color. Its leaves are also unusual - with sharp edges. Crowns of some local trees have a flag-shaped form.

Animal world

The ushkanyi islands are cut off from the big world by the waters of the ancient lake, and this isolation could not but affect the fauna. One of the most noteworthy of these local phenomena is the anthills.

By the number of anthills with Ushkany Big Island, no other corner of Russia can match, and in the world such a high density is very rare. On one hectare of the surface there are about two dozen ant settlement.

Tourism

If you are attracted by the magical world of Ushkany Islands and you decided to go on a trip - prepare for the difficulties. To get to these places is not so easy. For travel, you need permission from the local administration.

Nevertheless, about 150 visitors come here every year, not only in the summer, when forests are amazing, and Baikal's waters are so transparent that you can see the bottom.

In winter, the lake freezes, you can travel to the islands by ice. You must do this with a guide, so as not to get into the wormwood.