Olkhon Island sits on the western shore of Lake Baikal, the world's oldest and deepest freshwater lake, and the two sites listed here, Olkhon North and Kharantsy, are both shore-entry reef dives for intermediate divers. Depths range from five to twenty metres. Visibility at Kharantsy is notably good, typically between ten and thirty metres, while Olkhon North sits in the five-to-ten-metre range with mild currents. The water is extremely cold year-round, with temperatures from near freezing in winter to the low single digits in summer, so a drysuit is not optional. The broader island area is known for steep walls, rock formations, and endemic green sponges, and summer boat diving and winter ice diving are both practised on the lake.
Fin maps 2 sites in Olkhon Island (2 scuba diving sites).
Across Olkhon Island's dive sites, February and March are most often reported as the best months to visit.
