The largest thermokarst basin in the world. Its depth reaches 100 meters, and its length is almost 1.5 km. Previously, there was taiga in its place, but then the forest was cut down to clear a road for all-terrain vehicles. It soon became clear that this should not have been done. Without trees to hold back the melting of permafrost, the earth began to subside. Researchers believe that the volume of the Batagay crater increases by about a million cubic meters every year. Two-thirds of this figure is due to melting ice. Russian scientists have named the melting of permafrost as the reason for the rapid expansion of the crater. It is caused by the warming observed in the Verkhoyansk region: the average air temperature has increased significantly compared to the previous level.

A unique natural object that allows you to look hundreds of thousands of years into the past, revealing the secrets of the climate and ancient fauna. Scientists are actively studying this object to understand how the climate changed and what species of animals and plants inhabited the region in the past. This is not only a geological phenomenon, but also a treasure trove of paleontological finds. Over the years of research, numerous remains of ancient animals (mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, etc.) have been discovered here.