Saimaa ringed seal
Pusa hispida saimensis
A freshwater seal in the lakes of eastern Finland, shy by nature, and no sighting is ever a promise.
Endangered (IUCN, 2016) means it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The Saimaa population is small and lives in one lake system.
Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.
Length
About 85 to 160 cm (2.8 to 5.2 ft); males are larger than females
Weight
About 50 to 90 kg (110 to 198 lb)
Next to a person
Roughly the length of a child to a tall adult, and about as heavy as one adult
What it eats
Fish. Vendace, smelt, perch and roach make up most of the diet, and one source notes a preference for schooling fish. Pups feed on smaller fish in shallow water.
Around people
Shy, give space
How it lives
Saimaa ringed seals live in the lake system of south-eastern Finland and are most often found in Kolovesi and Linnansaari National Parks. They live a little over 20 years and reach maturity at about 4 to 6 years. Gestation lasts about 11 months. A single pup is born in February or March in a snow lair built on the ice, and a pup weighs about 4 to 5 kg at birth.
Where it goes
Saimaa ringed seals live only in the lakes of the Saimaa basin in Finland and stay within that freshwater system. Some seals were moved to new waters in Finland to help the population spread, and they have been catching fish there.
We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.
Populations
Finland only. The IUCN lists the Saimaa ringed seal as Endangered (assessment dated 2016). Counts were about 100 to 150 in 1983 and about 300 in 2013. Metsähallitus reports about 530 seals, with more than 90 pups born in recent years. WWF Finland describes around 530 seals today, up from fewer than 120 in the early 1980s.
Meet it respectfully
Seals here are shy and easily disturbed, most of all in the breeding season. Keep your distance, stay quiet, and never approach, chase, touch or feed a seal or enter its resting area. Do not get near lairs or shoreline nesting spots, and keep dogs away. WWF Finland notes that a nesting peace period is declared each year, and net fishing is restricted around nesting sites, so follow park signs and your guide. Many trips pass without a sighting.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
This seal lives only in Finland's Saimaa lakes, and has been protected in Finland since 1955.
Pups are born in snow lairs, so a winter with little snow is a real problem. In 2026, volunteers built more than 400 artificial snowbanks, and about 90 per cent of pups were born in man-made banks.
Fishing nets are a main danger, especially for pups. A spring net ban around key nesting areas has been in force by decree since 2011.
Saimaa ringed seal in the Ocean Atlas
Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.
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FinlandSources for this page
- Wikipedia, Saimaa ringed seal, 2026
- Wikipedia, Pusa saimensis, 2026
- Metsähallitus, Saimaa ringed seal, 2025
- WWF Finland, Saimaa ringed seal, 2026
Facts checked 5 October 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
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