Tso Moriri — lake
Ingo Mehling · CC BY-SA 3.0

Tso Moriri

  • Elevation4,522 m
  • 1 min read
  • 32.900° N 78.300° E

Interesting facts

  • Tso Moriri is said to be the only breeding ground in India of the bar-headed goose, a bird famous for migrating over the Himalayas.
  • In 2000 the people of Korzok declared the lake a Sacred Gift for a Living Planet, pledging to protect it under a WWF conservation initiative.
  • The lake drains a catchment of nearly 2,300 square kilometres of high mountain terrain.
  • Winter temperatures around the lake can fall to about -40 °C, while summer days may reach 30 °C.
  • About 34 bird species have been recorded at the lake, including the endangered black-necked crane and the ferruginous duck.
  • The lake's water is alkaline and poor in nutrients, so it supports only sparse plankton.
  • Rare mammals of the surrounding plateau include the Tibetan gazelle, the Eurasian lynx and the Tibetan argali, the world's largest wild sheep.

Why it is worth it

Tso Moriri is a long, deep-blue lake lying at 4,522 metres on the Changthang plateau of Ladakh, enclosed by bare, rounded mountains streaked with snow. It stretches about 26 kilometres from north to south and is 4 to 8 kilometres wide, reaching a depth of some 105 metres. In a landscape of brown slopes and high pastures, the colour of the water is the first thing that holds the eye.

The lake is fed by streams coming down from the surrounding snowfields and glaciers, chiefly the Karzok Phu, Gyama Phu and Phirse Phu, and has no outlet; its water is only slightly brackish. The region around it, near the Rupshu valley, is home to the Changpa, nomadic herders of Tibetan origin who move with their yaks, sheep, goats and horses between seasonal pastures. On the north-western shore lies the village of Korzok, with its Buddhist monastery, said to be around four hundred years old.

Despite the altitude, the lake and its marshy margins teem with wildlife. Bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls and great crested grebes are found here, and the black-necked crane visits the wetlands. On the surrounding plateau live kiang, the Tibetan wild ass, as well as bharal, marmots, Tibetan wolves and snow leopards. The lake and its surroundings are protected as the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve, and it was designated a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2002.

Getting there

Tso Moriri lies in south-eastern Ladakh, about 240 km from Leh by road; the route passes a wildlife checkpoint at Mahe Bridge. The nearest airport is Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL), about 154 km away in a straight line.

On these lists

The Most Beautiful Places in Ladakh 5The Most Beautiful Places in India 90The Most Beautiful Lakes in India 8The Most Beautiful Water Wonders in India 11The Most Beautiful Lakes 105The Most Beautiful Water Wonders 429

From the encyclopaedia

Tso Moriri or Lake Moriri, 4,522 m (14,836 ft), is a high-altitude lake and a Ramsar wetland site in the remote Changthang Plateau in the Changthang district of the union territory of Ladakh in India. As the largest high-altitude lake entirely within India and Ladakh's Trans-Himalayan region, it spans 26 km north-south and 4-8 km wide. The lake is fed by three primary glacial streams - Karzok Phu (west), Gyama Phu (north), and Phirse Phu (southwest) - which form extensive marshes at their deltas. Though now an endorheic lake due to its blocked southern outlet, Tso Moriri maintains slightly brackish yet palatable waters. Its oligotrophic (nutrient-poor), alkaline ecosystem supports unique biodiversity. The area gained protection as the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve, though accessibility remains limited mostly to summer months. Year-round settlements exist only at Karzok village and military outposts along the eastern banks, enduring the extreme high-altitude climate.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

32.90000, 78.30000per Wikidata