One of the 13 seals on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Phocidae
Pusa sibirica
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The Baikal seal, or nerpa, is one of only three seals in the world that live exclusively in fresh water, and the only one confined to a single lake. It inhabits Lake Baikal, the deepest and oldest lake on the planet, more than 1,500 kilometres from the nearest sea. It feeds almost exclusively on golomyanka, translucent fish endemic to the lake, and dives to more than 300 metres. In winter it keeps breathing holes open in the ice and gives birth to its pups in lairs dug in the snow.
Weight
50 kg – 130 kg
Size
1.1 m – 1.4 m
Life expectancy
55 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Estimated population
Some 80,000-100,000 individuals
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pusa_sibirica
The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
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