Tumanly-Kel lake is located in the valley of the Gonachkhir river near the resort settlement of Dombay in Karachay-Cherkessia.
The exact origin of the lake is unknown.
According to the most common scientific theory, Lake Tumanli-Kel is a remnant of an ancient moraine-origin body of water.
It is fed by the melting of glaciers.
The age of the reservoir is approximately 2,000 years.
The lake is 275 meters long, 120 meters wide, and has an average depth of 4 meters.
The name “Tumanli-Kel” translates from Karachay as “foggy lake.”
This name is fully justified.
Daily morning and evening fog forms due to the unique microclimate of the enclosed basin: in summer, the sun warms the upper layer of water to surprisingly high temperatures for such an altitude +18-20°C, while at night the mountain air cools down.
The fog is the result of the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures of water surface and air above.