Saimaa Seal (Phoca hispida saimensis)
Saimaa Seal
(Phoca hispida saimensis)
Photo: Juha Taskinen
Saimaa Seal Range Map
(click for larger view PDF)
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.
MMPA Depleted - throughout its range
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Weight:
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240 pounds (110 kg) |
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Length:
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5 feet (1.5 m) |
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Appearance:
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short and stocky, dark gray or black, with signature white or light gray rings, with gray or cream colored undersides |
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Lifespan:
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about 25-30 years |
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Diet:
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mainly fish |
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Behavior:
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form familial bonds during each breeding season, though males may mate with different females in different years |
Saimaa seals, like other ringed seals, are short and stocky. Both males and females reach about 5 feet (1.5 m) long and 240 pounds (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.
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. Saimaa seals are found only in Lake Saimaa in eastern Finland. There are less than 300 Saimaa seals.Historically:
- hunting
- interactions with fisheries
Currently:
- incidental capture in fisheries--except when fisheries are prohibited during breeding season--still occurs
have been set up in and around Lake Saimaa to help protect the seals.
The Saimaa seal has been protected under Finnish law since 1955. The Saimaa seal was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1993.
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: 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). (All documents are in PDF format.)
| Title | Federal Register | Date |
|---|---|---|
| ESA Listing Rule | 58 FR 40538 | 07/28/1993 |
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Saimaa Seal Species Profile
- Brochure on the Saimaa Seal: Finland Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services [pdf]
References
- Shirihai, H. and B. Jarrett (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton, Princeton University Press.
Updated: January 16, 2015
