The Barguzinsky Reserve is the oldest protected place in Russia. The reserve was opened with a specific purpose - to support and significantly increase the number of sables, which at that time (1917) in the Transbaikalia were only about 30 individuals. Over the years, the reserve staff managed to not only save the sable genus, but also increase the number of animals to one individual (and in some places up to two) by 1 square meter.
Secrets of the Barguzinsky Reserve
The reserve is located in Buryatia, between Lake Baikal and the slopes of the Barguzinsky ridge. No wonder it is called the Trans-Baikal Pearl: the unique natural beauty and species-rich fauna distinguish it from a number of other protected places in Russia. 69 years after the occurrence, the reserve received biosphere status. In the protected area, research is being conducted aimed at preserving the genetic fund and environmental monitoring. I must say that today in the world a unified biosphere network has been created, covering 300 reserves. In Russia, the status of the biosphere was assigned to 17 places. Own station of integrated background monitoring, of which there are only six in the Russian Federation, is also available in the Barguzinsky Reserve.
A bit about the conservation area
So what is this place - Barguzinsky reserve? A brief description may look as follows. This is a rather large plot with a size of 374 322 hectares, of which 15 thousand are occupied by the water area of Lake Baikal.
There are 19 rivers flowing in the reserve, the most famous of which is Shumilikha. Its length is only 12 kilometers, but the estuary with sand dunes, larch and squat cedars, as well as a stepped channel, which resembles one large horizontal waterfall, helped to become famous. In addition, Shumilikha has its own lakes. Only four picturesque lakes with crystal clear water, surrounded by moss-covered waves. Other water bodies of the Barguzinsky reserve are also known: Karasevoe and Elk. The bays are unique in their unique beauty, of which there are 5 in the territory.
Local Attractions
The sights of the Barguzinsky reserve are numerous. For example, Davshinsky Bay passes along animal paths, or rather, along the path of bears.
Walking along it, you can see the traces of these dangerous animals: clawed prints on trunks, ground, pieces of wool. The bay itself impresses with its picturesqueness: here two opposing worlds are united together. On the one hand, a dense, almost impassable forest, on the other - an endless expanse of water spreading in the sun . Also, the thermal spring located at the mouth of the Davsha River is in great demand among visitors. The water temperature here reaches 43 degrees, and there are many rumors about its healing properties. Even the trees growing near the springs are truly gigantic in size. Barguzinsky nature reserve hides many beautiful places. A brief description of all the attractions can take far no page.
Barguzin capes
Separately, it is worth talking about the capes, which are also rich in Barguzin land. One of the most famous is Cape Valukan, which, like an arrow, cuts into the waters of Lake Baikal. The entire cape is indented with small bays, each keeps its secrets and charms. Only 6 capes are stored by the Barguzinsky Reserve. The description of each of them will be similar - steep, approaching the lake in the form of a ledge. But each has a name (name): Valukan and Kabaniy, Chase and Urbikan, Nemnyanda and Cherny.
They look especially beautiful, shrouded in fog, which constantly arises due to the low temperature of lake waters. Clouds of fog rise in the summer after each rain, as if wrapping feather tops of the Barguzinsky Reserve soaring up to the sky. Hence the climate. The hottest month is August, the coldest is February. Spring is much colder than autumn, and in June from the northern side of Lake Baikal you can see ice that has not melted.
The inhabitants of the reserve
The rich wildlife can boast Barguzinsky reserve. The animals found here are very different: marmots and shrews, bears and white hares, moose and musk deer, foxes, wolves, more than 41 species. We must not forget about the main inhabitant of the reserve, in whose honor it was founded - the Barguzin sable, which is valued for its very beautiful dark fur.
The rivers and lakes of the reserve are rich in fish (fishing is strictly prohibited in the water area): grayling, omul, whitefish, sturgeon, taimen, lenok and many other varieties. Generously feeds its inhabitants the forest. In the river valleys, cedar forests stretch out on terraces, among which lingonberries are buried in soft moss. Among the white and red carpets of Ledum, stars are scattered blueberry land. It is especially beautiful in the reserve in autumn: different types of coniferous forests form one continuous multicolored taiga sea.