Saimaa ringed seal

The Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa saimensis, Finnish: saimaannorppa) is a special kind of seal. It is one of the most endangered seals in the world, with only about 500 left. These seals live only in Lake Saimaa in Finland. They have lived there alone, far from other seals, for around 9,500 years. This long separation made them different from other seals.

The Saimaa ringed seal came from regular ringed seals that were separated when the land rose after the last ice age. Today, they are one of the few kinds of seals that live in fresh water, along with the Baikal seal, the Ladoga seal, and the Ungava seal. These seals are very special and need protection to make sure they survive.

Distribution

Habitat

The Saimaa ringed seal lives only in Lake Saimaa in Finland. This lake stretches between the cities of Lappeenranta and Joensuu. It has many islands and long shorelines, covering a large area. The lake freezes in winter, giving the seals places to rest, and thaws in summer, providing open water for swimming.

Range

These seals are called Saimaa ringed seals because they are found only in Lake Saimaa and its nearby areas.

Appearance

The Saimaa ringed seal is a special kind of seal that lives only in Lake Saimaa in Finland. These seals are between 85 and 160 centimetres long and weigh between 50 and 90 kilograms. Males are usually bigger than females. They have dark grey fur with white rings on their backs and lighter grey fur on their bellies. This makes them darker than any other type of ringed seal.

Diet

The Saimaa ringed seal mainly eats fish. Their diet includes small fish, with the most common being vendace, smelt, perch, and roach. Young seals eat slightly smaller fish, mostly perch and roach, while adults eat more vendace and smelt.

It was once thought that these seals might harm fishing, but now we know they do not affect local fishing much. They do not eat endangered salmon species, and even though they eat some vendace, it does not create a big problem for the fishing industry.

Behaviour

Saimaa ringed seals grow up and can have babies between the ages of 4 and 6. They carry their babies inside for 11 months, and when they are born, the baby seals are about 55 to 65 centimetres long and weigh 4 to 5 kilograms. These seals can live just over 20 years.

These seals make special homes called dens near the shore. They have two types of dens: one for resting and another closer to the shore where they have their babies each year.

Diving is very important for these seals. They dive deeper and longer as the seasons change, with some dives lasting around 15 minutes. They usually dive between 10 to 15 metres deep, but this can change depending on how deep the water is. Their special whiskers help them feel their way in the dark water. In May and June, when they shed their fur, they come out of the water both day and night. Later in the summer, they only come out at night.

Conservation

The Saimaa ringed seal has been protected by law in Finland since 1955 and is listed as endangered by the United States government under the Endangered Species Act.^{[citation needed][clarification needed]}

The number of these seals has changed over time. In 1983, there were between 100 and 150 seals. By 2005, this number grew to about 270, but it dropped to 260 after two difficult breeding seasons in 2006 and 2007. By 2013, the population was just over 300 and was slowly increasing. Recent estimates place the current population at around 500 individuals.

To help protect these seals, there are rules about fishing in parts of their habitat. Some fishing methods, like strong mesh nets, have been banned to reduce harm to the seals. The seals also need ice and snow to breed successfully, and climate change is making this harder. People have used artificial snowdrifts and are developing special shelters to help the seals during winters with little snow.

The Saimaa ringed seal mainly lives in two Finnish national parks, Kolovesi and Linnansaari. Sometimes, they can be seen in a larger area, including Savonlinna centre.

Norppalive

Norppalive means "Ringed Seal Live." It is a live webcast of the Saimaa ringed seal made by WWF. The webcast shows a place where a Saimaa ringed seal sometimes visits. The goal of Norppalive is to help people learn more about the Saimaa ringed seal. In 2016, Norppalive had up to 180,000 people watching at the same time, with more than two million total viewers. One of the most famous seals shown on the webcast is Pullervo, who became Finland's most well-known Saimaa ringed seal.