"Mari Switzerland" - so called wonderful places in the Mari Republic for their unusual beauty. There are more than 200 lakes in this republic. Here is the Mari Chodra National Park, which is characterized by a variety of terrain. But the real pearls of the national park are its lakes. To enjoy their beauty, tourists come here from different cities. Each of the Mari lakes has its own zest, legend and history. The deepest (56 meters) of the lakes is Lake Zryv. Lake Deaf, recently ranked as a natural monument, has the shape of a crescent. It is famous for tall pines, which fell to the bottom many centuries ago. These pines form a real underwater forest. But the most legendary and unusual is the Sea of Eye Lake. The local name is Mushyl. Many fascinating legends are composed about him and his origin. These legends are passed down from generation to generation. They say that the lake is connected by underground sources to the sea. One of the wonders of Russia is considered the Sea of Eye Lake. A photo with his image is striking in its beauty.
Eye-like lake
Near the village of Shariboksad on the slope of the Sharin Mountains lies the unique Sea Eye Lake. No wonder they called him that. It has a rounded shape and from the cliff really resembles the eye. And centuries-old pines, which spread their branches around the lake, look like eyelashes. The water in the lake is blue-emerald . It has such an unusual color due to green algae. Around the lake is a sandy beach. Despite its small size (45 to 50 meters), Sea Eye Lake is very deep. Its depth reaches 35 meters. Therefore, at the bottom the water is constantly very cold (about 2 degrees heat), although on the surface it can warm up to 20 degrees. The bottom of the lake is dotted with caves in which underground springs beat. These springs feed the lake. Also, Sea Eye Lake feeds on precipitation and meltwater.
Favorite place to stay
Very popular among tourists enjoys the Sea of Eye Lake. On the map you can easily pave the way to the lake. They go here as part of cycling and horse riding excursions, drive on their own by car. For an overnight stay, you can sit in a nearby forest by setting up a tent. The water in the lake is characterized by significant transparency (up to 5.5 meters). Due to the unique purity of water in the lake, both tourists and locals like to swim. A brook flows out of the lake, the water of which the locals use for drinking needs. They say that water has healing properties and cures many diseases.
Flora and fauna of the lake
Due to the fact that there are many firs and firs around the lake, a little sunlight falls here. Therefore, the vegetation is very poor. Mostly forget-me-nots and arrowhead grow near the lake. Here you can see lichens, moss and mushrooms. Algae are represented by chlorella, chlamydomonas, volvox, spirogyra, ulotrix, elodea. The fauna of the lake is also not diverse. Toothless, common pond, frogs and some fish are found here. Of the fish in the lake, silver and golden crucian carp, loach, roach, pike, perch, bleak, tench live. The presence of tench indicates the purity of the water.