Baikal seal

Baikal Seal

The Baikal seal is a special kind of seal that only lives in Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. It is one of the smallest seals and is different from most others because it lives only in freshwater. Most seals live in the ocean, but the Baikal seal calls Lake Baikal its home.

These seals are closely related to the Caspian seal and the ringed seal. They are about 1.1 to 1.4 meters long and have shiny, steel-grey coats on their backs and lighter, yellowish coats on their bellies. Baby seals are born with a white, soft coat.

Baikal seals mainly eat a special fish called golomyanka, which is only found in Lake Baikal. They can dive very deep—up to 400 meters—and stay underwater for more than 40 minutes. Female seals usually have their babies on the ice in late winter and take care of them alone.

Today, scientists think there are between 80,000 and 100,000 Baikal seals. They are not in danger right now and are an important part of the unique wildlife in Lake Baikal. People have made rules to protect them, but they still face challenges from harmful chemicals and changes in the lake's environment.