Lake Svetloe in Altai has become incredibly popular in recent years – after all, more than 1200 whooper swans winter there. People already started to call it the Swan lake. On the Internet, information roams from site to site that in Russia there are only two reserves where whooper swans winter: in the Anadyr region of Chukotka and in the Sovietsky region of the Altai Territory. Is this true? Let’s find it out.

Whooper swans are migratory birds. They nest on the northern borders of the forests of Eurasia from Scandinavia and Scotland to Chukotka and Sakhalin. And they usually winter in regions with positive temperatures, because these birds need open water. For wintering, swans fly to Western Europe, to the north of the Mediterranean, the coast of the Caspian Sea, to Central, South and Southeast Asia, sometimes overcoming considerable distances. Whooper swans of Western Europe are more fortunate – they have to fly not so far. So, swans nesting in Iceland winter in Ireland, Finnish whooper swans fly to Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.

Whooper swans wintering in Ireland. Photo: birdwatchireland.ie

The most difficult situation is for the Russian swans. In order to get to relatively warm wintering grounds (at least with temperatures above 0°С), they have to travel thousands of kilometers. Every winter at the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, tens of thousands of whooper swans arrive. Big groups of Siberian swans find winter shelter in China in Hunan, Shandong and other provinces.

Swans in winter in Shandong province in China. Photo: NewChina.tv

However, sometimes birds choose non-freezing lakes or rivers for wintering in regions with sub-zero temperatures. Lake Kussharo at Hokkaido island in Japan is famous all over the world. Photographers and birdwatchers from many countries come to take photos of swans on a lake surrounded by snow.

Whooper swans at the Lake Kussharo in Japan

But in Russia there are also several places where swans spend the winter in spite of more severe climate.

The largest wintering place for whoopers and mute swans in Russia is the Volga delta and the coast of the Caspian Sea in the Astrakhan region. The Volga Delta is an ideal place for wintering, due to the abundance and availability of food, up to 50 thousand whoopers and up to 100 thousand mute swans gather there. But there are also frosty winters, when lakes and ponds are covered with ice, then flocks of swans fly further south, to the western coast of the Caspian Sea – to Dagestan and Azerbaijan, where the cold no longer threatens them.

Another place for wintering of whooper swans in Russia is Kamchatka, where lakes are not frozen due to thermal springs. On the territory of Kronotsky Nature Reserve about 300 whooper swans spend winters. Also, birds have chosen a lake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where the thermal power plant emits warm water. 

Already several years in a row about 30 birds winter on the non-freezing section of the Vuoksa River in the Leningrad Region. From time to time not big groups of swans are observed in the south of Urals, in Bashkiria. 

Sometimes single birds or couples stay on lakes that do not freeze during warm years in the south or in the European part of Russia. In cold years, when the lake is completely covered with ice, this can turn into a tragedy. 

Swans in winter in Astrakhan region Photo: Perkovsky M., Mesccheryakov, /astravolga.ru/

But you must admit that the climate of Kamchatka and the Leningrad region, Bashkiria, and even Hokkaido is much softer than in Altai. With an average January temperature of minus 20-24 degrees Celsius and frequent frosts of minus 35-40 Celsius, there are several wintering places in Altai!

Firstly, Lake Svetloe, where the Lebediny reserve is organized. The lake is fed by a large number of underground sources with a temperature of +5 + 6 degrees Celsius, so it never completely freezes. In 2023, the Altai branch of the Russian Bird Conservation Union conducted a census and counted more than 1,200 whooper swans here. Secondly, this is Molodezhny village near Biysk, where, due to the release of warm water from the thermal power plant, a large area of the Biya River does not freeze. More than 400 birds winter there. Also, in some years, small groups of wintering whooper swans are observed in the area of the village of Yailyu on Lake Teletskoye and on the Biya River in the Turochaksky district.

Thus, Altai is the coldest wintering place for swans in Russia, but at the same time so numerous!!!

Swans at the Swan Lake in Altai Photo: J. Van der Kooij

And what about in the Anadyr region of Chukotka? This is the Arctic, there are no non-freezing reservoirs, so swans cannot winter there. They come there to nest. Probably, the mistake came from the fact that in Russia there are 2 reserves under the name “Swan” – in Altai and Chukotka.” The main task of Chukotka swan reserve to protect the nesting whooper swans. By the way, there is an interesting film about these two wildlife sanctuaries called “Swan Paradise” on the channel “Culture”. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGZimbfdzDI)

And we invite you to observe swans. We offer both one-day excursions and an 8-day tour with a visit to the Swan Lake.

As we travel mostly in wild nature, we always have to be careful about ticks. So, we decided to write about ticks as many people have questions about them or are scared for them. In Altai, there are many ticks during the period of end April till half of July. But as I am writing this on the 30^th of March, there is already reported a tick-bite in Altai, so be careful any time of the year.

What are Ticks

Ticks are small parasites, approximately 3-5 mm, depending on age, gender, species and “fullness”. They live on the blood of their victims. Mostly mammals, birds and sometimes reptiles. They will find you in a few different ways: smelling you, feeling your body heat/moisture and/or vibrations near them. Ticks have 8 legs, and have an ovoid/pear shaped body. The kind you find in Altai has a hard shield, and a mouth (or something looking like that) at the front. It is possible the tick is carrying tick-borne encephalitis, tick-borne typhus, tick-borne borreliosis, ehrlichiosis and some other deseases.

When

As mentioned, you should be careful any time of the year although in winter you will hardly find them. But from end of March till end of October, they are active. From end of April till half of July, you have to be extra careful, it is really high season for the ticks. In Altai you will notice a lot of billboards along the Chuysky tract that will warn you.

Where

Well, ticks have even been found in Antarctica, but we are only travelling in Altai, and that means look out when you are in nature, under trees, in long grass, and even on rocks.

Prevention

It is possible to get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis, you have to do this in time as it requires some time to get your immune-system activated. Usually 2 or 3 doses are recommended. It will take up to 4 weeks after the first doses to build up enough resistance. After one to three months you need to get the second dose, final dose should be in 9-12 months. To keep up to date and protected you should have an additional vaccination every 3 years.

Whether to vaccinate against encephalitis, if you plan only one trip a year to regions dangerous for tick-borne diseases, is up to you. What we always do for our guests is make a insurance that if unfortunately a guest is bitten by a tick, the treatment is free.

In addition, experts advise to drink only boiled milk. In the tick season, the milk of cows and goats that are bitten by ticks is dangerous to drink without sufficient heat treatment. In the Republic of Altai, there were more than ten cases of infection with tick-borne encephalitis in this way.

How to avoid tick bites if possible:

There are a few things you can do to prevent yourself from being bitten by a tick.

• Use special sprays that protect you and your clothing. When you travel with us, we always have it in our cars available for you to use. You can read the instructions yourself or we will inform you how long it will protect. In any case, when you change clothes/trousers, use the spray again.
• Put on clothes with long sleeves, preferably tight. Ideally, if there is an elastic band on the trousers-legs and sleeves or tight-fitting cuffs. Use some kind of hat (also recommend against the sun). If necessary put your trousers in your socks.

In addition, experts advise to drink only boiled milk. In the tick season, the milk of cows and goats that are bitten by ticks is dangerous to drink without sufficient heat treatment. In the Republic of Altai, there were more than ten cases of infection with tick-borne encephalitis in this way.

How to check

Check every 15-20 minutes your body. They can even be on your backpack or usual bag, and any other things you took with you from outside. When travelling in the Altai mountains, check every evening before you go to bed your whole body. They love warm places like armpits etc.

What to do when a tick has bitten you?

In case you are unlucky and the tick has bitten you, you can remove it the following way:

Use some ammonia or alcohol to clean the area where the bit is.

Use a fine-tipped tweezers to take the tick as close as possible to your skin

Pull slowly but steadily upwards to avoid breaking the tick, till the tick let the skin go.

You can have a tick checked if it is carrying diseases if it is still alive. Just put it in a small container and it is possible to bring them to the organization that can check it.

Do you have to visit a doctor?

It is better to visit a doctor when the tick has managed to bite you. After removing the tick, immunoglobulin must be administered to prevent encephalitis (free with an insurance). There are several points in Gorno-Altaisk and Altai republic where you can do this. In districts, you should contact the Central District Hospital or the district hospital. To prevent other tick-borne infections common in the Altai Mountains (tick-borne typhus, tick-borne borreliosis, ehrlichiosis), you need to undergo antibiotic therapy as prescribed by a doctor.

Thus, if all recommendations for protection against a bite are carefully followed, then the risk of contracting diseases transmitted by a tick is minimal.

Siberia is a paradise for true nature lovers. With its area of about 10 million square kilometer it contains all kinds of landscapes – arctic ice shores and semi-deserts, high snowy mountains and tundra lowlands, thousands of rivers and lakes, glaciers and caves. In some areas for hundreds of kilometers you can’t find any village or settlement and nature is really wild. And of course, Siberia is a home for so many species of animals and birds which live here undisturbed by humans and feel very good.

If you wish to travel to Siberia, the first idea which comes to mind is the Trans-Siberian Express. But travelling by train, all natural beauty just sweeps by you at a speed of 100 km/h. You are not able to smell the fresh air in the mountains, to listen to the silence, to touch tender leaves, to enjoy a sunset or watch wild animals playing. To experience the real Siberia you should take a special tour to one (or more) of the following stunning Siberian destinations.

1. Altai mountains

Altai is a very picturesque and impressive mountain land situated almost in the middle of Eurasia where Siberia meets Asia. You can cross Russian Altai travelling along one of the most beautiful roads in the world – the Chuyskiy tract – and observe how mountains grow from 400 to 4000 meters and landscapes change after every turn of the road.

You can see green meadows covered with flowers and thick forests, bold rocks and snow-covered peaks, dark-blue lakes and whitewater rivers, sparkling waterfalls and endless caves.
Turn from the asphalt road and drive a few kilometers – and you find yourself in the middle of pristine nature. Clean water in the rivers which you can drink, fresh air without any pollution – there are no industrial enterprises for about 500 km around, wild animals and birds. Altai is home to the elusive snow leopard, lynx and manul. Vultures, eagles, falcons and cranes fly in the sky.

If you visit Sailugem national park, you can even check trap cameras and be the first to see new videos of snow leopards.

2. Baikal lake

Baikal is a majestic and amazing lake situated in the middle of Siberia. It has a superlative degree in many aspects – the largest world’s freshwater lake by volume, the deepest in the world – 1620 meters, the oldest existing lake. And it is superlative in its beauty.

Due to Baikal’s great length (636 km), nature also changes significantly. The Island Olkhon with its rocks and sand dunes is ideal for landscape photographers. If you want to swim in Baikal’s clear water (you can see the bottom at the depth of 40 m) better to go to the side of Republic Buryatia. In the bays, water can warm up to 20 degrees in July. And the north of the lake is impassable thick taiga. Another good idea is to come to Baikal in the winter to see its fantastic ice. The layer of ice is more than 1 meter thick, cars drive over it and it is a great destination for photographers.

Plant and animal life of the lake is very rich, the majority of species are endemic to Baikal. The real treasure of the lake is a nerpa (Baikal seal), a species of earless seal. You can take a special boat trip to the islands to watch nerpas in their habitat.

 3. Putorana Plateau

This is the wildest and less visited by tourists place in our list of travel ideas for Siberia holidays. There are almost no roads, you can get there either by helicopter or boats in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter.

The Putorana Plateau is located in northern Central Siberia. The Plateau is 100 km north of the Arctic circle. The area is famous as “the land of 10,000 lakes and 1,000 waterfalls”. The concentration of waterfalls is the highest in Russia and no other elevated province can be compared in the number and depth of lakes. The relief consist of rocks shaped in huge steps and terraces with tabletops rising up 1,000-1,500 m at sea level, cut by deep canyons.

An endemic Putorana snow sheep inhabit the plateau. It is also a place of reindeer migration twice a year. There are no human settlements on the plateau, though local tribes with a reindeer herding tradition live in a nearby village.

4. Krasnoyarsk stolby

The Stolby nature reserve is situated close to Krasnoyarsk city.

The main attraction of the park is its rocks of wonderful beauty. They stay in a distance one from each other, rising high out of the green ocean of taiga. The rocks are 60-90 m high and have strange forms which resemble people, animals or things. Every rock has its own name. They appeared due to volcanism and were shaped during time by wind, water and erosion. The word “Stolby” is translated from Russian as “Pillars”.

Because of the particular shape of the rocks, Stolby has become the local center of cliff-climbing. The original technique of free-climbing invented by local sportsmen was acclaimed worldwide.

Nature in Stolby reserve is very beautiful – it is a junction of forest steppe and mountain taiga. Nowadays the touristic area of the National Nature Reserve “Stolby” is a well-kept zone with tracking routes of different length and difficulty. There are routes of 4 km for families with kids and longer paths of 15 – 16 km for more experienced hikers.

5. Ergaki

Ergaki is a natural park and tourist center located in the Western Sayan mountains.

Surprisingly, the place remains relatively unknown even in Russia considering the natural highlights it offers to hikers, photographers, nature admirers and other travelers, who are ready to explore this area off the beaten track.
The natural park includes the Ergaki mountain range, located in the central part of the Western Sayan. From east to west, the Ergaki mountain range is about 80 kilometers long, and its maximum width is 70 kilometers. The mountains are not very high – about 2000-2500 meters. But sharp granite peaks rising to the sky and reflecting in the lakes make the views really amazing.

Nowadays tourism facilities in this corner of Siberia are being developed and you can find good accommodation and a tour itinerary to suits you best.

Visit Siberia – a real treasure of world’s nature!

This day is committed to raise awareness for the plight of these elusive cats. Snow leopards inhabit primarily remote mountain terrains in 12 countries. The total population in the wild is estimated to be from 4500 to 6000 animals. So, snow leopards are among the most threatened big cats in the world. Unfortunately, in the past two decades the number of snow leopards has declined by 20% due to numerous threats.

Great, that officials of all countries which are home to snow leopards managed to unite their efforts. On 23rd of October 2013, representatives of 12 countries endorsed the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) to conserve Snow Leopards and the high-mountain ecosystems in which they live. The Forum also announced October 23 as an annually celebrated Snow Leopard Day.

We are happy that our trips take place on the land of the Snow Leopard – in Russian Altai. And we see how much effort Sailugem national park and WWF make to conserve snow leopards in the Altai mountains.
In our trip Explore Altai 2017 together with the rangers of Sailugem park we studied snow leopards’ marks on the trees, found fur on the rocks and even smelled rocks marked by a male cat :).

And how great was our happiness when checking the wildcams. We found 2 visits of snow leopards. One – female with a cub and second – a serious male. We followed the path 9 days after the male snow leopard had been there…

Enjoy the video and take into consideration – you can join our trips in summer 2018 and experience it yourself.

We are happy that, next to the wellknown Snow Leopard, also the Pallas cat will be better protected. The Pallas cat is on the edge of extinction.

During our trips we visit the Sailugem nature park which will have an enhanced role in the monitoring and observing of the Pallas cat.

You can read more about it in the Siberian Times. http://siberiantimes.com/ecology/casestudy/news/n0758-pallass-cats-to-get-their-own-palace-in-siberian-mountains/

On the 1st of April we visited a concert of traditional Altai singers – Bolot Bairyshev and Radmila & Emil Terkishevs.
Bolot Bairyshev is a famous performing musician of traditional altai epos by throat singing. He has a masterful command of national musical instruments – jew’s harp, topshur and shoor. He is a participant of international festivals and projects all over the world – in France, Austria, Hungary, Japan, Germany, Turkey and other countries.
Here you can find a video clip of Radmila & Emil Terkishevs which shows the beauty of the Altai mountains, national customs accompanying by a nice song in the national style.

You can see it with your own eyes when you take part in one of our trips.

During our trip “Explore the wild nature in Sailugem park” we will join the rangers for 5 days. Visiting the beautiful nature and will have fantastic views of the mountains, the lakes and the many wild animals. Next to that we will spend time with the local shepherds, and you will be able to enjoy the local drink called Koumiss which is made from horse milk.

Together with the rangers we will check the wild cameras and we will be the first to see the pictures on there, to give you an idea we added some of the pictures to this message. Maybe if we are lucky we will see some pictures of rare animals. On one of the other days we will experience how Kazakhs and Altains live together in the area and we will be able to enjoy the local cuisine of the Kazakhs. If you are interested please send us a message and we will send you all information available.

Pictures kindly provided by Sailugem park.