Saimaa Seal (Phoca hispida saimensis)

Saimaa Seal
(Phoca hispida saimensis)
Photo: Juha Taskinen

Did You Know?

· The Saimaa seal only exists in the Saimaa Lake system of eastern Finland, with only 270 individuals remaining in the wild.

· Females dig their lairs in snow drifts and create a hole in the ice below through which to enter and exit for fishing.

· The primary threat to the population is entrapment of young seals in fishing nets and collapse of lairs.

Status
ESA Endangered - throughout its range
MMPA Depleted - throughout its range

Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Phoca
Species: hispida
Subspecies: saimensis

The saimaa seal is a subspecies of the ringed seal (Phoca hispida).

Species Description
Saimaa seals, like other ringed seals, are short and stocky. Both males and females reach about 5 ft (1.5 m) long and 240 lbs (110 kg). Saimaa seals tend to be darker than other ringed seals. They are a dark gray or even black on their backs, with signature white or light gray rings. Their undersides are a pale cream or light gray color and have fewer, if any, rings.

Pups are born generally in March or April about one month before mating begins again. Adult males and females appear to form familial bonds during each breeding season, though males may mate with different females in different years. Their lifespan is around 25-30 years.

Their diet consists mainly of fish.

Habitat
Unlike most other ringed seal species, Saimaa seals are found only in freshwater. Female Saimaa seals build lairs in snowdrifts near the shoreline rocks of the lake during breeding season.

Distribution
Saimaa seals are found only in Lake Saimaa in eastern Finland.

Population Trends
There are only about 200-250 Saimaa seals in the world.

Threats
Historically, hunting and interactions with fisheries in the lake were a threat to this species. Today, enhanced conservation efforts and protections limit these threats, but incidental capture in fisheries--except when fisheries are prohibited during breeding season--still occurs.

Conservation Efforts
Saimaa seals are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972. Special national parks in Finland have been set up in and around Lake Saimaa to help protect the seals.

Regulatory Overview
The Saimaa seal has been protected under Finnish law since 1955. The Saimaa seal was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) in 1993. They are considered a "depleted" stock under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972.

Key Documents
(All documents are in PDF format.)

Title	Federal Register	Date
ESA Listing Rule	58 FR 40538	07/28/1993

More Information

References

Shirihai, H. and B. Jarrett (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton, Princeton University Press.