“Baikal has become a symbol of environmental dangers,” according to Amy Van Allen, author of a recent American University study of the lake—which has been celebrated by poets and scientists alike for its size, age, and the startling clarity of its frigid waters. “The similarities of Lake Baikal to other bodies of water indicate these dangers and the urgency of conservation.”

Allen compared Baikal to the U.S.-Canadian Great Lakes, now believed on the rebound after years of abuse. As a worst-case outcome, she cited Lake Tanganyika—which, unlike teeming Baikal, is all but lifeless.

CASE OF THE DEAD SEALS

Located in southern Siberia, Baikal’s watershed extends over the Mongolian border. An old Siberian song refers to it as “Ye glorious sea, ye sacred Baikal.” Russians call it “The Pearl of the East.”

Officials of the old Soviet Union once believed the lake’s very size would protect it and its 1,500 unique species of plants and animals from an onslaught of industrial pollutants. The environmental assault began in the 1950s as part of Soviet efforts to keep up with the West militarily.

Soviet citizens first heard in 1957 about plans for a huge plant on the lakeshore at Baykalsk to produce cellulose to toughen the tires on military jets. Their protests sparked an environmental movement that served as a model for the country’s subsequent grass-roots activism.

The Baykalsk Paper and Pulp Mill was built nonetheless, and the pollution has continued long after it was converted to a more peaceful purpose: producing bleached cellulose used to manufacture clothing. The mill’s output is now the second highest in Russia.

The latest evidence that something is wrong with the water was found in June 1999, when the bodies of 78 nerpa seals washed up on shores near the villages of Utulik and Baykalsk.

Nerpas have suffered mysterious mass die-offs before: in the 1930s, in 1988, and again in 1997. An infectious disease was suspected in the first two. But scientists and environmental activists are pointing to the two most recent incidents, occurring within a year of each other, as evidence that the seals’ natural immune systems are being compromised by pollution. A report by Russian and other scientists pinpointed dioxins from the mill as a possible culprit.

The water isn’t the only thing that’s being dirtied. The American University study called the rate of air pollution surrounding Baykalsk among the worst in Russia.

PROMISE OF ECOTOURISM

Even before the 1991 demise of the old Soviet Union, the government had begun responding to pressure from the country’s burgeoning environmental movement. In 1987, authorities issued a decree ending shore logging. The mill was to undergo renovations that would reduce pollution, and the area around Baikal was designated for reserves and parkland. An international ecological center was created in 1990.

However, then and now, the government proved unable to provide funding for all the remedies that had been recommended. Simply closing the mill is not an attractive option, since it provides important economic benefits to the region, including 3,500 jobs.

Among the most recent initiatives by park officials to raise funds for wildlife protection programs has been encouragement of ecotourism. Earth Island Institute, a San Francisco-based environmental group, operates Baikal Watch, which supports the protected areas and organizes ecotours.

For now, most scientists agree that the nerpa seals and other species found nowhere else in the world—including the omul salmon—are not in danger of extinction due to the huge size of the lake and its ability to regenerate its waters. But they warn that if the pollution of Baikal’s waters and surrounding air is not reduced, other animals will suffer—including the human residents.

Eye in the Sky is a weekly series that brings you the story behind the headlines using satellite imagery, remote sensing, aerial photography, and maps. This feature is developed by National Geographic News with the sponsorship of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and Earth-Info. Check out maps and imagery at http://www.earth-info.org.