Siberian Gothic

We started our day with a visit to the local museum here in Bol'shie
Koty which housed many preserved specimens from the lake, including a
19-year old omul (as old as Ashley!) We also saw a poorly stuffed
nerpa (endemic freshwater seal) that didn't do justice to the real
thing. Speaking of which, we spotted our first nerpa of the trip right
from the village as we collected specimens. In the afternoon, we took
a 45-minute hike to Chyornaya Pad' where we once again collected
specimens from the lake, including many species of gammarids, sculpin
eggs, and even a sculpin itself! After dinner, a few brave souls took
advantage of the sunny weather and jumped into the lake for the first
time. Although there were no reports of hypothermia, a few expletives
might have been expressed.
Ashley and Laura