A geologist by trade and an avid adventurer, Laila Al Habsi has always been fascinated by Lake Baikal ever since learning about it when studying in Russia. “I got very intrigued with the geology and mysticism surrounding the lake. In fact, my obsession with the lake grew to a point that I only started drinking Baikal water,” she said.
The Lake Baikal, located in southern Siberia, is the largest source of freshwater on Earth, containing 23% of the world’s fresh water. It is considered the clearest and geologically the oldest lake on the planet; its age estimated at 25-30 million years. At 1,642 meters deep, it is also the deepest lake on Earth and is only growing deeper. This is because the lake is located in an active continental rift zone, one that is widening at a rate of 2.5 cm per year. Although located in a frigid landscape, the lake is home to over two thousand species of plant and animal, many of which are endemic to the region.
“The lake is truly a sight to behold. Sitting on a thick clear slab of ice, with nothing but stretches of white in sight and cool stillness of the air in the dead of winter,” she said. “I have had my share of adventures including flying over Kamchatka’s volcanoes and visiting the kola peninsula to watch the aurora borealis, but I’ve never dived in a dry suit let alone a frozen lake before, that was a truly different experience.”
We managed to catch up with her earlier this month to get some insight into her dive into the deepest and oldest lake in the world. Here are some excerpts from the interview…
- How did you go about preparing for the dive into Lake Baikal?
It consisted mostly of mental preparation; meditation and breathing exercises. It was important for me to be able to regulate my breathing, to control my oxygen intake. Regulating your breathing is a challenge when your body is in a slight state of shock due to extreme temperature change.
- Can you describe your experience of the trip and dive itself?
I started my journey with a flight to Irkutsk, a large city west of the Lake Baikal, from which it was a two-hour car ride to the small diving center. This is one that nature lovers from all over the world travel to, to experience diving in the world’s clearest lake. There, I underwent the necessary psychological and physical preps for the upcoming one-of-a-kind adventure. The team of divers there helped dress me into the special dry suit designed to insulate heat and prevent water penetration. The dry suit, among other diving equipment, was an essential element to my upcoming diving experience, as the average temperature in the region during January sinks to as low as -20 degrees Celsius, and the water temperature is freezing near the surface; only getting warmer deeper into the lake.
As mentioned above, it was here that I was instructed to remain calm, regulate my breathing, and relax my muscles, so as not to cramp up. Meditation, too, comprised a big part of my experience to help economise oxygen usage. Although the suit felt incredibly thick and heavy for me on dry land, that feeling gradually faded as I got into the water. In its element, the suit hugged and squeezed itself to me, creating a balance of pressure.
Plunging down into the body of water, sunrays filtering through the square hole drilled into the thick ice, the clarity of the water exceeded all my expectations. I never expected the water of the most ancient of lakes to be this forgiving, where I could vividly watch various types of crustaceans, fish, and other residents of the lake float by.
This was my reminder that Baikal was not merely a body of water, but an ancient living creature with a soul, containing near endless life. It was also fascinating to see the oxygen bubbles imprinted and carved into the frozen sheets of ice above my head.
Coming back up toward the surface, I said my goodbye to the body of water that witnessed and nurtured millions of years of history and longed to feel the warmth fill my cheeks and palms again.
Having been engulfed deep down within a 30 million-year old lake, surrounded by nothing but absolute stillness and quiet, in freezing cold water, I came out the other side a different person. The sheer vastness of it all was humbling, and swimming alongside miniscule creatures served as a reminder that all life is connected. I felt gratitude for having the opportunity to face something as grave as Lake Baikal, and for mustering the strength to emerge a stronger woman. Most importantly, I felt indescribable joy for knowing that my story would impact generations of young girls and women to come, perhaps inspiring them to pursue their own dreams and aspirations.
- What to you personally was the most challenging part of the dive? And what was the most memorable?
The most challenging part was regulating my breathing. My body did feel the shock of the temperature change and it took some effort to help my body acclimate to the cold water. While I was extremely mesmerised by the underwater scenery, the most memorable part of this experience was looking up at the ice and watching the sun rays shine through; then noticing my friend wave – only then did it really hit me, I just dived in Lake Baikal. An even more memorable part to me was right before diving, my instructor handed me a cup of hot chocolate and said “Drink! You’ll need the warmth when we go down.” That was extremely funny because as soon as I hit the water, I appreciated every drop of that warm hot chocolate.
- What advice do you have for women thinking about taking up challenges such as these?
Mind over matter. There’s a whole world out there that’s yet to be discovered! The box we live in is created by the fear and limitations we impose on ourselves. It is just that – a box – and you have the power to step out of it whenever you want to.
- What you have planned for your next big adventure?
I have my eyes on the pacific ring of fire, I’d like to return and visit the Valley of Geysers (the second largest concentration of geysers in the world).