The Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida
saimensis) is an endangered lake seal
subspecies only found in the labyrinthine waters of Finland’s largest lake
system, Lake Saimaa, which became cut off from the Baltic Sea about 9,000 years
ago due to post-glacial land uplift.
Saimaa’s seals have recently returned from the brink of extinction thanks to
the efforts of nature conservationists, but they are still endangered, as there
are only about 280 of these unique seals left.
These attractive seals are most likely to be spotted in
waters near the historic lakeland town of Savonlinna, including the national
parks of Linnansaari and Kolovesi
- where canoeists may come face to face
with these curious creatures at close range as they pop their heads out of the
water to see who is passing by.
