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The seals that shouldn't exist: How did 100,000 end up trapped in the middle of Siberia, a whopping 2,000 miles from the ocean?
BBC Wildlife Magazine • • science
Key Points:
- Lake Baikal in Siberia is home to 100,000 Baikal seals (nerpas), the only seal species living entirely in freshwater, far from any ocean.
- The seals likely descended from Arctic ringed seals that migrated via the Yenisey River system around 400,000 years ago, becoming isolated and evolving into a distinct species.
- Lake Baikal, the world's oldest and deepest freshwater lake, hosts a unique ecosystem with nearly 2,000 endemic species, earning it the nickname "Galapagos of Russia."
- Baikal seals are highly adapted to their environment, diving up to 400 meters and surviving underwater for up to 70 minutes, feeding mainly on the endemic Baikal oil fish.
- Despite their remote habitat, Baikal seals face pollution threats from industrial and agricultural sources around the lake, raising conservation concerns for this unique freshwater species.
