President Ts.Elbegdorj explores Baikal’s depths

Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj became the first president to dive the bottom of the world’s deepest lake, Baikal, in the Mir-1 mini-submarine, a representative for the Fund for the Protection of Lake Baikal said.
“Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj and a representative of the Fund for the Protection of Lake Baikal’s advisory board, Mikhail Slepenchuk, explored the depths of Lake Baikal for two hours,” he said. “The president liked it all,” he continued adding that Elbegdorj had already returned to shore. Last year Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dove to the bottom Lake Baikal on the same submersible.

Putin has won popular support for his extravagant feats, especially among women: he has co-piloted a bomber, traveled inside submarines and driven various vehicles. He’s also been pictured on horseback, showing off his torso while fishing, and tagging a wild polar bear in the Arctic. The fund spokesman also said that in mid-August James Cameron, the director of the two highest-grossing films of all time, Avatar and Titanic, as well as an American oceanographer, explorer and marine policy specialist, Don Walsh, might join the exploration of Lake Baikal in Siberia. The Mir-1 and Mir-2 mini-subs involved in research in Lake Baikal performed 52 dives last summer. They resumed work in June to monitor the southern part of the lake, near Cape Tolsty, with plans to conduct research in the lake’s central and northern parts as well.

source: Ria-Novosti