21 Februari 2014

Swimming through ICE

Ever wondered what it would be like to be frozen inside a giant ice cube? A team of intrepid divers decided to find out and took these extraordinary pictures of their adventure.

Andrey Nekrasov, 42, joined an adventurous group who spent an hour below the frozen surface of Russia's Lake Baikal, the world's largest lake, in temperatures of -20 degrees Centigrade.
These photos, taken at up to 50ft deep under the crust of ice, show the incredible underwater world which few people have been able to witness. 

A diver stands on the ice at Lake Baikal, the world's largest lake
A diver stands on the ice at Lake Baikal, the world's largest lake


The adventurous group of ice-divers as they penetrate the ice and spent an hour 50-feet deep under the crust of ice
The adventurous group of ice-divers as they penetrate the ice and spent an hour 50-feet deep under the crust of ice


Photographer Andrey Nekrasov, 42, took the plunge and dived into the 2,500ft deep frozen lake to take these incredible images
Photographer Andrey Nekrasov, 42, took the plunge and dived into the 2,500ft deep frozen lake to take these incredible images


The divers prepare to enter Lake Baikal. Andrey travelled more than 3,000 miles by plane from his home in Odessa in the Ukraine to Siberia
The divers prepare to enter Lake Baikal. Andrey travelled more than 3,000 miles by plane from his home in Odessa in the Ukraine to Siberia


Despite surface temperatures of minus 20-degrees Centigrade at this time of year the divers spent around an hour in the water
Despite surface temperatures of minus 20-degrees Centigrade at this time of year the divers spent around an hour in the water


In spite of the freezing temperatures, Lake Bailkal is a wildlife haven and home to 1,700 species of plants and wildlife
In spite of the freezing temperatures, Lake Bailkal is a wildlife haven and home to 1,700 species of plants and wildlife


A diver chills out on the Siberian ice at Lake Baikal
A diver chills out on the Siberian ice at Lake Baikal


A member of the support team feeds a line to an ice diver
A diver looks into the ice passage under Lake Baikal
A member of the support team keeps an eye on the divers (left) while one explores a tunnel in the ice (right)



The lake lake is the largest in the world, it has five-times the volume of all five Great Lakes of North America.
 
Despite surface temperatures of minus 20 degrees Centigrade at this time of year, the 12,200 square mile Siberian UN Heritage Site of Lake Bailkal is a wildlife haven - home to 1,700 species of plants and animals.

Andrey travelled over 3,000 miles by plane from his home in Odessa in the Ukraine to the town of Ulan Ude in Siberia. He then journeyed the final eight miles across frozen tundra to reach the lake. 

A female team-member looks through ice
A female team-member looks through the ice
Photographer Andrey Nekrasov is watched by two female divers who stare through the ice as he explores life below the ice


A diver moments after jumping into the -20 degree waters of Lake Baikal
A diver moments after jumping into the -20 degree waters of Lake Baikal

DUIT