Small Sea Strait

The Small Sea Strait (Russian: Малое Море, Maloye more) is a strait of Lake Baikal, Russia. It separates the Olkhon Island from the Western shore of Baikal. Its length is about 8 km, width is about 1.7 km and maximal depth is 200m. In Buryat small sea called "the Dalai Narin", what means "narrow sea". 

 Its waters are heated up to 20-25 Celsius during summer. The strait is a result of millions of years of tectonic movement, resulting in the hollowing of the channel between the land and the block of stone forming the Olkhon Island.

Description

It situated between the west coast of the lake and the largest Baikal island Olkhon. Length - 76 km, maximum width - 17 km, the lowest - 4 km. The depth in the western part reaches almost 50 meters, in the east - in the range of 100 meters, at the entrance to the open Baikal reaches 200 meters. Coast is mountainous. Located on the northern coast of the Primorsky range (altitude up to 1746 m). Vegetation coast is mountain-taiga, steppe. There are shifting sands. The south-western part of the Small Sea is connected with Baikal Olkhon Gate Strait. To the south of the strait there is Mukhor bay.

There are many islands in the Small Sea Strait: Izhilhey, Zamogoi, Ogoy Oltrek, Hibin, - 16 islands. And there are stands  Aral, Zunduk, Oto Khushun Ural-Khans (mainland coast), Khoboy Budun, Shibetsky (Olkhon) on the coast. The Sarma River flows into the Small Sea.

The Small Sea has a complex coastline, which forms many shallow bays which are convenient for tourists sites and shelters small boats.

Climite

Small Sea features a large number of sunny days per year and low rainfall. In summer, the water in the shallow bays of the sea warms up to 19-21 ° C, which makes the small sea extremely popular destination for tourists. But it must be remembered that the banks of the Small Sea and adjacent areas, including the island of Olkhon is Baikal National Park. The National Park organized tourism on agreed with the administration of the park trails, and recreation in a specially designated and equipped for this purpose - to tourist centers.

Fishing

The Small Sea is known to be rich in fish. The main commercial fish is Omul. The biggest fish that lives in the Small Sea - Baikal sturgeon. Also, pike, grayling, whitefish and golomyanka.

localities

There is village Sahyurta (MPC) on the mainland side of the Small Sea. It associated with Irkutsk bus service and ferry - from the island of Olkhon. Also there are villages Huzhir and Kharantsy on the coast of the Small Sea.

External links

1. Small Sea Strait / / Magic Baikal: the site.