Saima Ringed Seal
Saimaan norppa
The Saimaa Ringed Seal is one of the most threatened seals in the world. The ringed seals are the most northely seal species. The Saimaa Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) is subspecies of the ringed seal. The other subspecies include the Ladoga Seal (Phoca hispida ladogensis), the Baltic Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida botnica) and the the Arctic Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida hispida). The connection between the lakes of Eastern Finland and the present Baltic Sea were cut off at the end of the last Ice Age some 8000 years ago. Then the journey of the Saimaa Ringed Seal started in the lake landscape. As a species, the Saimaa Ringed Seal has adapted itselt well to living conditions on Lake Saimaa in Eastern Finland. The only threat to its being has been man.
Until the early 1980s, the seal population grew smaller. Thanks to the protection measures started then, the population has grown and the chances for survival of especially the young seals has improved. On the other hand the habitat has grown smaller all the time. The Saimaa Ringed Seal is still very threatened. The present size of the population is some 220 to 250 individuals. (Metsähallitus, 2001).
See a picture of the Saimaa Ringed Seal at the following address: