Seal habitats. Who are seals and how do they differ from seals Baikal red seal

May 25 marks the regional children's and youth ecological holiday- day of the seal. It was first held in 2003 in Irkutsk.

The holiday very quickly became popular in many regions of Russia, including the Irkutsk region, the Republic of Buryatia and other regions of Siberia, and is included in the calendar of environmental dates. We collected 10 unique facts about this rare mammal.

The Baikal seal is one of three species of freshwater seals found nowhere else except this lake. The main rookery of the seal is located on the Ushkany Islands, where you can find a lot of food and there are practically no people who pose the main threat to these animals.

What is interesting and unique about the Baikal seal?

1. The seal is the only mammal of Lake Baikal. According to morphological and biological characteristics The Baikal seal is close to the ringed seal, which lives in the seas of the Far North and Far East. There are also some signs of similarity between the seal and the Caspian seal.

2. It is unknown how the seal ended up in Baikal. Some researchers believe that it penetrated into it during the Ice Age from Arctic Ocean through the Yenisei-Angara river system simultaneously with the Baikal omul. Others believe that the entire family of true seals (Caspian, Baikal and ringed seals) initially appeared in large freshwater bodies of Eurasia and only then settled into the Caspian Sea, the Arctic Ocean and Lake Baikal. However, this mystery has not yet been solved.

3. The Baikal seal can accelerate underwater to a speed of 25 kilometers per hour. She is an unrivaled swimmer and can easily outrun danger at such speed.

4. The seal dives to a depth of 200 meters and remains under water for 20-25 minutes.

5. A seal can stop a pregnancy: no other animal on Earth can do this. In some cases, the embryo stops developing, but does not die or be destroyed, but simply falls into suspended animation, which lasts until the next mating season. And then the seal gives birth to two cubs at once.

© Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. Sergey Shaburov

© Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. Sergey Shaburov

6. Pregnancy of seals lasts 11 months. Females whelp in March-April. The fur of seals is white, which is why they are called squirrels. This coloring allows them to remain almost invisible in the snow in the first weeks of life. With the transition to independent feeding on fish, the cubs molt, the fur gradually acquires a silver-gray color in two-three-month-olds, and in older and adult individuals it becomes brownish-brown.

7. The fat content of Baikal seal milk is 60%. The nutritional properties of milk help seals gain weight quickly.

8. Seals build their winter homes from under the ice. They swim to a suitable place, make holes - vents, scraping the ice with the claws of their forelimbs. As a result, their house is covered from the surface with a protective snow cap.

9. The Baikal seal is a very cautious, but inquisitive and intelligent animal. If she sees that there is not enough space in the rookery, then she begins to deliberately splash her flippers on the water, imitating the splash of oars, in order to scare away her relatives and settle down in the vacant place.

10. Seals live 55-56 years. Adult animals reach 1.6-1.7 meters in length and 150 kilograms in weight. Sexual maturity occurs in the fourth to sixth year of life. Females are able to bear fruit up to 40-45 years.

© Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. C. Elderberry

© Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. C. Elderberry

From whom should the Baikal seal be protected?

Huge losses of the Baikal seal were recorded in 1996, mainly due to licensed and poaching hunting, as well as chemical pollution of the lake.

“Today, the approximate number of Baikal seals ranges from 75 to 100 thousand heads. This is quite a lot, but there is no fishing now,” said Mikhail Kreindlin, a Greenpeace expert on specially protected natural areas.

Formally, the Baikal seal is still a commercial species and is not listed in the Red Book, but hunting it was banned in 1980. Until 2009, a quota for industrial catching of 50 animals was issued. Since the end of 2014, the quota has been issued only to research institutes.

“Currently, a decline in the number of seals has not been recorded, but the condition of Lake Baikal cannot but affect its inhabitants. For example, a recent drop in water level has led to the drying out of the spawning grounds of fish - the main food for seals. There are also threats that have not yet been realized, for example, the construction of the Shuren hydroelectric station on the Selenga River, the largest tributary of the lake, which can also lead to severe shallowing and will indirectly threaten the seal too,” noted Mikhail Kreindlin.

Scientists claim that the seal lived on the territory of Lake Baikal already in the Tertiary period Cenozoic era, that is, approximately 1.6 million years ago, and its ancestors lived in the northern seas of the Arctic Ocean shortly before that. Another version says that the seal got to Baikal along the Lena River, which is believed to have flowed from Lake Baikal.

The ancestors of the modern seal found conditions suitable for themselves in Lake Baikal and quickly adapted to the characteristics of the ancient reservoir, and then remained to live there. The first mention of the Baikal seal is in the reports of pioneers who came to Baikal in the 17th century. Scientific description seals were first made during the Great Northern Expedition, which was organized by the “Russian Columbus”, the traveler Vitus Bering.

Fact 2: The seal saves the omul

The seal closes the food chain of Lake Baikal, and its only enemy, oddly enough, is man. Despite its clumsy appearance, the seal can reach speeds of up to 25 km per hour in water and still retains the ability to swim into rivers and travel hundreds of kilometers.

The Baikal seal is not just an outstanding swimmer, but also a well-equipped underwater hunter. Big eyes provide her with a catch even in poor lighting conditions. Diving to a depth of 300 meters, the seal can withstand pressure of 31 atm. The seal feeds mainly on golomyanka-goby fish, and in such quantities that it can eat more than a ton in a year.

Thanks to his hunting nimble animal has a huge impact not only on the ichthyofauna of the lake, but also on its entire ecosystem. For example, by eating at least 50 thousand tons of small and large golomyankas per year, the seal thereby saves from extinction thousands of tons of important inhabitants of Baikal - macrohectopus, epishura and other crustaceans that would be eaten by golomyankas. In turn, these crustaceans are the main food not only of golomyankas, but also of the beloved omul and other species of commercial fish. Thus, the seal provides food for Baikal fish and saves them from extinction.

Fact 3: Nerpa is a talented builder

Seals wait out the winter under the ice, scratching out special breathing holes in its thickness. Each animal supports several of these open vents. In the hummocks, female seals set up real snow houses for themselves, where in February-March pups are born: this is what young seals are called because of their white-yellow color.

The color serves as their main protection from predators (weak cubs are hunted by crows, foxes or wolves) and makes the babies invisible on the snow-white Baikal ice. Inside such shelters, which mothers set up for their children, a special microclimate is formed, in which even in 20-degree Siberian frosts the temperature can reach 5 degrees Celsius. Here the babies spend the first 4-5 weeks of their lives, and the mother leaves them only during the hunt. The cubs feed on their mother's fatty milk (milk fat content is 50-60%) and manage to grow from 3-5 kg ​​(at birth) to 20-30 kg. Wherein total weight his body increases by 7-9 times, and the mass of subcutaneous fat increases by 22 times. The fat of the mother's milk is deposited under the skin of the baby, forming a kind of fat “bag” on the body. This “bag” plays the same role as a sleeping bag for a person.

Fact 4: Seals have their own “sanatoriums”

However, everyone who is seriously interested in Baikal knows what the Baikal seal has favorite place, where you can see hundreds, or even thousands of individuals. This place is the small Ushkany Islands. Such coastal rookeries become a kind of sanatorium or “rest home”: animals that need peace and health often accumulate there. The reason may be wounds that have not healed after winter, unfinished molting on time, or other health problems that the seal comes to heal in the Baikal sun.

Fact 5: The seal has its own alarm clock

In fact, seals cannot breathe underwater. Under experimental conditions, in a large aquarium, a seal can stay under water for up to 68 minutes. In nature, the Baikal seal stays under water for up to 20-25 minutes - this is enough for it to get food or escape from danger.

But at the same time, the seal can sleep in water, and its sleep lasts as long as there is a supply of oxygen in its lungs. The question is, how can she sleep in water, if in an active state she can only be under water for no more than 25 minutes? The fact is that when the seal sleeps, it consumes much less oxygen, since it is in an immobilized state. If you swim up to a sleeping seal, it will not wake up, even if you touch it or turn it over in the water. So only a lack of oxygen can wake up the seal. This is such a reliable alarm clock!

The average body length of an adult seal is 165 cm (from the end of the nose to the end of the hind flippers). Weight from 50 to 130 kg, females are larger than males. Linear growth ends in seals by the age of 17-19, and weight growth continues for a number of years and is possible until the end of life. They live up to 55 years.

In a calm environment, the speed of movement under water does not exceed 7-8 km/h. Maximum speed 20−25 km/h. But she swims at such speed when she moves away from danger. On a hard substrate, the seal moves quite slowly, moving with its flippers and tail. In case of danger, he goes to horse races.

According to fishermen, seals have been caught in nets at depths of up to 200 m, but, as a rule, they dive to much shallower depths. The seal finds food in a well-lit area (25-30 m) and apparently does not need to dive deep. Nerpa is capable of diving up to 400 m and can withstand pressure of 21 atm. Under experimental conditions (in a large aquarium), when it was kept under water, the seal remained there for up to 65 minutes. (record duration). In nature, it stays under water for up to 20-25 minutes. - this is enough for her to get food or escape from danger.

Area

Evolution

Baikal seal modern classification belongs to the family of true seals (Phocidae), genus Pusa. Researchers (in particular, K.K. Chapsky, a widely known expert on pinnipeds in Russia and abroad) believe that the Baikal seal descended from a common ancestor with the northern ringed seal. Moreover, the ancestral forms of these two species are later than the Caspian seal.

Lifestyle

Nutrition

The seal feeds on non-commercial fish (golomyanka, Baikal goby). Under experimental conditions (in an aquarium), the seal's daily diet ranged from 3 to 5 kg of fish. An adult seal eats up to 1 ton of fish per year. The main food of the seal is golomyanka-goby fish. Omul comes into the seal's food accidentally and in very small quantities, no more than 1-2% of the daily diet.

Reproduction

By 3-4 years of life, seals become sexually mature. Pregnancy lasts 11 months, of which the first 3-5 lasts during embryonic diapause.

Young animals

The seal gives birth to its cubs in a specially prepared snow lair. Most of The seal is born in mid-March. Usually the seal gives birth to one, rarely two cubs. The weight of a newborn is up to 4 kg. The skin of the cubs is silver or silver- gray. The cub spends about 4-6 weeks exclusively inside the den, feeding on mother's milk. By the time the lair collapses, it will have shed almost completely. The mother takes care of the baby, leaving only for the duration of the hunt. In her presence, the temperature inside the lair reaches +5 °C, while outside there are frosts of −15...-20 °C.

Wintering

On the ice in lairs under the snow, often in hummocky areas of Lake Baikal.

When the lake is covered with ice, the seal can only breathe through vents - spare holes in the ice. The seal takes a breather by raking the ice from below with the claws of its forelimbs. Around its lair there are up to a dozen or more auxiliary vents, which can be tens or even hundreds of meters away from the main one. Vents are usually round in shape. The size of the auxiliary vents is 10-15 cm (enough to stick your nose above the surface of the water), and the main vent is up to 40-50 cm. From below, the vents have the shape of an overturned funnel - they expand significantly downwards. Interestingly, the ability to make perfume is an innate instinct. In the experimental aquarium, for the seal to rest, a small floating platform made of 5-centimeter foam plastic was installed on the water surface, and the rest of the aquarium was open water. Young seals, one month and two months old, made holes in the foam, raking it with their claws from below, stuck out their noses and breathed into the vents, although there was someone nearby open water. Having become “saturated” with air, they went under the water again. It should be noted that the seals were caught at a week or two weeks of age, when they were still feeding on their mother’s milk. I had to feed them with condensed milk through a nipple from a bottle, like children. They had not yet swum in water and were afraid of water. And when they grew up, they showed what they were capable of.

Dream

According to observations, the seal sleeps in water, as it is in an immobilized state for quite a long time, probably as long as there is enough oxygen in the blood. While the seal was sleeping, scuba divers swam close to it, touched it and even turned it over, but the animal continued to sleep.

Ecology

Nerpa - the top in the food chain in the Baikal ecosystem. The only source of danger is man.

The appearance of seals in Baikal

Until now, there is no consensus among scientists on how this animal got to Baikal. Most researchers adhere to the point of view of I.D. Chersky that the seal entered Baikal from the Arctic Ocean through the Yenisei-Angara river system during the Ice Age, simultaneously with the Baikal omul. Other scientists do not exclude the possibility of its penetration along the Lena River, which is believed to have flowed from Lake Baikal.

The first description of the seal (Baikal Seal)

It is mentioned in the reports of the first explorers who came here in the first half of the 17th century. A scientific description was first made during the work of the 2nd Kamchatka, or Great Northern, expedition led by V. Bering. As part of this expedition, a detachment worked on Baikal under the leadership of I. G. Gmelin, who comprehensively studied the nature of the lake and its surroundings and described the seal.

Did the seal live in the Bauntovsky lakes?

According to the legend of local residents, seals quite recently (one or two centuries ago) were found in the Bauntovsky lakes (Bauntovsky lakes are connected with the Vitim River basin). It is believed that the seal got there along Lena and Vitim. Some naturalists believe that the seal came to the Bauntov lakes from Baikal and that these lakes were supposedly connected with it. However, reliable data confirming one version or another has not yet been received.

Seal population

According to the records of employees of the Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, there are currently about 100 thousand heads. Counting is being done different ways. The fastest, but less reliable, is visually from an airplane that flies along a certain route network. Counters look out the window and mark each lair seen, or take aerial photographs of routes and use them to count lairs. And then they are recalculated from a unit area to the entire water area of ​​the lake. The second method is to lay out about 100 survey sites across Lake Baikal, each 1.5×1.5 km long. They go around them on a motorcycle or walk around them on the ice and count all the lairs that are found on the sites. Then a recalculation is carried out for the entire water area of ​​the lake. And finally, the route method. On two or three motorcycles, a group of surveyors makes routes across Lake Baikal at a certain distance from each other, sufficient to see from the motorcycle all the lairs they encounter. In recent years, the most accurate (maximum statistical error of 10%) - area - counting of seals has been used. Greatest age seals in Baikal, determined by V.D. Pastukhov, an employee of the Limnological Institute, are 56 years old for females and 52 years old for males. At the age of 3 - 6 years it is capable of mating, producing offspring at the age of 4 - 7 years. Males reach sexual maturity a year or two later. Pregnancy in seals lasts 11 months. It begins with embryonic diapause - a delay in the development of the embryo in the female womb for 3 - 3.5 months. During her life, a female can probably bring up to two dozen or more cubs, given that she is capable of bearing offspring until she is 40 years old. Females usually give birth annually. However, every year up to 10 - 20% of females various reasons remain barren. This period extends over more than a month - from the end of February to the beginning of April. Most seals appear in mid-March. They are born on ice, in a snowy lair. During the first period, while they are feeding on their mother’s milk, they do not dive into the water, but prefer to lie down in the den.

Fishing

The basis of the Baikal seal fishery is its valuable fur. Fat, meat and internal organs animals are used limitedly by the local population. Options for the rational use of the Baikal seal in the food industry are being considered

St. John's wort is hunted mainly for cubs after the first molt.

It breathes air, feeds its young with milk, and eats fish. Miracle Yudo? Of course not, and the most highly developed animal among the representatives of the Baikal fauna is the Baikal seal.

Uniqueness in everything

The uniqueness of the Baikal seal lies in the fact that it is the only mammal that lives on. Belongs to the family. Enough large mammal, body length reaches up to 140 cm, and weight reaches a full 90 kg. Males are always larger and heavier than females. Even a newborn baby is particularly heavy; at birth it weighs about 3 kilograms.

The color is quite uniform, light gray along the back, transitioning to yellow closer to the belly. This coloring, dull at first glance, perfectly camouflages the seal. In nature she does not have natural enemies, the only one who hunts her is a man.

The seal skin is considered the warmest and most practical, which is why fishermen catch this animal. The indigenous inhabitants of Transbaikalia gladly use the meat of hunted seals for food.

Nature and biology create perfection

The seal has very powerful paws topped with strong nails, which allows it to tear apart the thin part of the ice in winter in order to breathe oxygen. Constantly being under water at dusk has formed a certain structure of the eyes; they are quite convex, which allows the seal to easily obtain food for itself. The seal can stay under water for up to an hour, holding its breath for this period; it is an amazing swimmer, thanks to the increased concentration of hemoglobin, it can dive up to 300 meters in depth.

Her habitat habitat - deep water, despite its impressive dimensions, it is very maneuverable and dexterous in water, under water it can reach speeds of up to 25 km/h. But, like all seals, they are completely clumsy on land; in moments of danger, while on the shore, they can start racing, which looks quite funny.

The seal's favorite food is the small and large golomyanka, the long-winged goby, the yellow-winged goby, and the sand broadhead. Golomyankas occupy the main stage in seal nutrition. A seal eats from 3 to 5 kg of fish per day. And it takes 2-3 hours to digest food in the stomach.

The mystery of birth or where seals come from

After 4 years of life, females are ready to mate and reproduce, but males are a little behind and mature a couple of years later. The mating season for seals lasts from the end of March to the end of April. At this time, the males make every effort to invite the female onto the ice to mate. And if successful, after 11 months a small seal pup will be born. A natural feature is that pregnancy is delayed by 2-3 months, that is, the fertilized egg may be in the freezing stage, and only after this period the female’s pregnancy will begin to develop.

It is the female who takes care of the future birthplace for her cubs, usually a den in the snow, since the cubs appear in winter. After the baby is born, the seal mother will feed him milk for 3 months. Seal babies are born completely dependent on their mother, their skin is colored White color. During the feeding period, the mother will only go fishing for her food; the rest of the time the female spends with the babies. When she is in the lair, the temperature there rises to +5, although outside it the temperature can drop to -15.

Family Pinnipeds

Seals are a family of mammals belonging to the order Pinnipedia (Pinnipedia). Representatives of the families Steller sea lions, or eared seals (Otariidae) and seals, or true seals (Phocidae), are called seals. The family of eared seals is represented by two species - fur seals and sea lions.

Depending on the breed and habitat, the family real seals are divided into many genera, species and subspecies. Let's look at several genera and species of real seals living in the CIS:

Genus Common seals (Phoca)

Common or spotted seal or common seal (Phoca vitulina)

Larga or spotted seal (Phoca larga)

Ringed seal, or ringed seal, or akiba (Phoca hispida)

Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica; syn. Pusa sibirica)

Caspian seal, or Caspian seal (Phoca caspica; synonym: Pusa caspica)

Striped seal, or lionfish (Phoca fasciata; syn. Histriophoca fasciata)

Harp seal, or coot (Phoca groenlandica; synonym Pagophilus groenlandicus)

Genus Long-faced or gray seals (Halichoerus)

Long-muzzled or gray seal or tavyak (Halichoerus grypus)

Genus Crest seals (Cystophora)

Crest seal or white-bellied seal (Cystophora cristata)

Genus Monk seals (Monachus)

Monk seal (Monachus monachus)

Genus Sea Hares (Erignathus)

Sea hare or bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus)

In both groups, both pairs of limbs are transformed into flippers, limbs with membranes between the fingers, armed with claws. The rear flippers are directed backwards and are used for swimming. U eared seals For movement in water, the forelimbs are used, and the hind limbs in the water serve as rudders, and on land they bend forward and support the massive body.

Seals are well adapted to the aquatic lifestyle and carry low temperatures, due to living in harsh arctic conditions. They spend their entire lives surrounded by ice and snow in cold arctic waters. A thick layer of subcutaneous fat takes on the main thermoregulatory function, which reduces specific gravity body and makes swimming easier.

harbor seal

harbor seal(lat. Phoca vitulina Linnaeus) is a representative of the family of true seals. Two subspecies are in the Red Book - the European subspecies and the Steineger seal or island seal. Some subspecies are endangered, the subspecies Phoca vitulina vitulina is protected under the Wadden Sea Agreement.

There are five subspecies of the harbor seal:

The Western Atlantic seal, Phoca vitulina concolor, is found in eastern North America;

Ungava seal, Phoca vitulina mellonae - found in fresh waters eastern part of Canada. Some researchers include it in the subspecies P. v. concolor;

Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi. Found in western North America;

Island seal, Phoca vitulina stejnegeri. Found in East Asia;

East Atlantic seal, Phoca vitulina vitulina. The most common of all subspecies of the common seal. Found in Europe and Western Asia.

Seals are common in the seas adjacent to the Arctic Ocean, the Barents, Japan, Okhotsk, Bering and Chukchi seas, as well as in inland waters - in lakes Baikal, Ladoga, and Caspian. They inhabit the coastal waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Baltic and North Seas. Harbor seals usually inhabit rocky areas where predators cannot reach them.

Usually the main background of the head, sides and flippers is yellowish-ochre-olive; on the back there is a beautiful pattern of olive-black-brown spots with the outlines of oblong strokes. Harbor seals are brown, rufous or gray in color, and have characteristic V-shaped nostrils. Seals in western waters have two types of coloration: dark and light. In seals (larga) of eastern waters, the main tone is lighter and brighter, the spots are rarer and smaller, dark individuals are very rare. Adults reach 1.85 m in length and 132 kg in weight. Females live up to 30-35 years, and males up to 20-25 years. The global population of seals ranges from 400 thousand to 500 thousand individuals.

Larga, or motley seal

Larga, or motley seal (lat. Phoca largha) is a species of seal that is closely related to the common seal and has a similar appearance. The Tungus used the word “larga” to call seals. Lives in the northern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Japan and beyond east coast Russia. The larga seal lives in the Sea of ​​Japan all year round. Largs prefer shallow bays, small islands and small groups of rocks near the coast.

The color of the fur is light, variegated, whitish or light silver below, darker above, dark gray. Along the back, on the sides and belly there are brown-brown-black spots of irregular shape. Adult sealed seals weigh from 81 to 109 kg and reach a length of 1.7 m for males and 1.6 m for females. The animal's flippers help it move not only in water, but also on the surface.

The fur of a newborn seal is white, the subcutaneous layer of fat immediately after birth is small, but over the course of 3 weeks, while the baby is drinking full-fat mother’s milk, the amount of fat increases, and the baby rapidly gains weight. Already by 4 weeks, the baby’s body fully adapts to the world around it. He becomes ready for active swimming and learning to forage on his own. But even if they cannot immediately learn to catch their own food, the reserve of fat accumulated during breastfeeding, enough for 10-12 weeks of life.

The population of spotted seals is estimated at 230 thousand individuals. Larga is a fairly numerous species in the Far Eastern seas, so hunting for them is allowed. In addition, a certain number of animals are also hunted for industrial purposes, producing leather, fur, lard and meat. Despite its population, the spotted seal is a little-studied animal. You can see these animals from afar and can only guess what the seals are doing.

Ringed seal

Ringed seal, or ringed seal(lat. Phoca hispida) is a species of true seal, most often found in the Arctic. In addition to the Arctic Ocean, this close relative The common seal lives in the Baltic Sea, as well as in lakes Ladoga and Saimaa.

There are 4 subspecies of ringed seals that live in different living spaces, but all of them are located in polar or subpolar regions:

The White Sea subspecies (P. h. hispida) is the most common seal in the Arctic Ocean and lives on ice floes.

The Baltic subspecies (P. h. botnica) lives in the cold regions of the Baltic Sea, particularly off the coasts of Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Russia, occasionally reaching Germany.

Ladoga (P. h. ladogensis) is a freshwater species that lives in Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, this subspecies is included in the Red Books of Russia and Karelia.

Saimaa (P. h. saimensis) is a freshwater species that lives in Lake Saimaa. The Saimaa seal is in immediate danger of extinction, this subspecies is the only mammal- endemic to Finland. According to estimates in 2012, there were about 310 representatives of this subspecies.

The ringed seal is named after the light rings with a dark frame that make up the pattern of its fur. The ringed seal is the smallest species of seal found in the Arctic, length - up to 1.5 m, weight - 40-80 kg. Baltic specimens are slightly larger - 140 cm and 100 kg. Males are larger than females. Ringed seals have good eyesight, as well as excellent hearing and smell. The fur of the seal is thicker and longer than that of other seals. On a gray background there are spots bordered by light rings. The fishery produces seal oil, up to 20 kg per individual, and the skins are used to make leather and fur products.

Baikal seal

Baikal seal, or Baikal seal(lat. pusa sibirica) - one of three freshwater species seal in the world, endemic to Lake Baikal, relict of the tertiary fauna. It is found only in Lake Baikal, from which it enters rivers such as the Angara and Selenga. The main habitat in Baikal is the pelagic zone. Sometimes found in litters and bays of the lake.

The body length of adult seals is from 110 to 150 cm, weight is from 60 to 130 kg. The Baikal seal has a spindle-shaped body, the neck is not demarcated from the body. There are membranes between the fingers. The front flippers are armed with powerful claws, of which the front one is the most powerful. Thin, rather long claws of the hind flippers are weaker than the claws of the front ones.

The skin of the seal is covered with rather dense short, up to 2 cm, fur. The edges of the ear canal, the narrow ring around the eyes and the nostrils remain bare. The muzzle of males is almost naked, the flippers are covered with hair. The color of the upper body of the Baikal seal is brownish-gray with a silvery tint; the bottom is somewhat lighter.

On the upper lips of seals there are usually eight translucent vibrissae arranged in regular rows. Males have shorter oral vibrissae than females. There are supraorbital vibrissae. Such “eyebrows” consist of seven vibrissae, six of which are located in a regular circle, and the seventh is located in the center. The seal's nostrils have two vertical slits; their outer edges form leathery folds - valves. In water, the nostrils and ear openings remain tightly closed. The nostrils open under the pressure of air released from the lungs.

Fishing has been prohibited since 1980. The Baikal seal is included in the IUCN Red List 2008 as a species close to extinction.

The Baikal seal is mentioned in the reports of the first explorers who came to Lake Baikal in the first half of the 17th century. A scientific description was first made during the work of the 2nd Kamchatka, or Great Northern Expedition, led by V. Bering. As part of this expedition, a detachment worked on Baikal under the leadership of I. G. Gmelin, who comprehensively studied the nature of the lake and its surroundings and described the seal.

According to the legend of local residents, seals were found in the Bauntovsky lakes one or two centuries ago. It is believed that the seal got there along Lena and Vitim. Some naturalists believe that the seal came to the Bauntov lakes from Baikal and that these lakes were supposedly connected with it. However, reliable data confirming one version or another has not yet been received.

Caspian seal

Caspian seal, or Caspian seal(lat. Phoca caspica) is a species of true seals, order of pinnipeds. The smallest seal in the world, endemic to the Caspian Sea. It is found in the entire sea - from the coastal regions of the Northern Caspian Sea to the shores of Iran.

Body length 1.2-1.4 m, weight up to 90 kg. The color of the back of adult seals is olive-grayish, the lower part of the body, sides, front of the head, cheeks and throat are of a dirty straw-whitish tone. Top part body is covered with spots.

This unique species is endangered: its population has declined by 90% over the past 100 years. If at the beginning of the 20th century the number of Caspian seals reached 1 million individuals, then, according to aerial photographs, the number of animals in 1989 was about 400 thousand individuals, in 2005 - 111 thousand individuals, and in 2008 no more than 100 thousand individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed Caspian seals as a “vulnerable” species back in the last century. Currently, these animals are classified as endangered species. One of the main negative factors leading to the decline of the species is sea pollution and whitefish fishing.

Striped seal

Striped seal, or lionfish (Histriophoca fasciata) is a species of the family of true seals. It got its name due to its peculiar coloring. Adult males have a very contrasting color - an overall dark, almost black background with white stripes encircling the body in several places. Females have a less contrasting color, their overall background is lighter, and the stripes sometimes merge and are often almost indistinguishable. The body length of an adult animal is 150-190 cm, weight 70-90 kg.

The lionfish is widespread in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean - in the Chukchi, Bering, Okhotsk Seas and the Tatar Strait. Mainly prefers the open sea, but in case of ice drift it may end up close to the coast.

harp seal

harp seal, or coot (lat. Pagophilus groenlandicus) is a common species of marine mammal in the Arctic of the family of true seals (Phocidae) from the order Pinnipeds (Pinnipedia).

Harp seals are found in the arctic waters of the Arctic Ocean. There are three populations of harp seals, which almost never overlap. The first population is distributed in the Barents, White and Kara seas. The second population lives off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The third population has chosen places north of Jan Mayen.

The body length of adult males is 1.7-2 m, females 1.5-1.8 m, weight 150-160 kg. The coloration of the adult male (fruit bat) and female (utelgi) differs sharply. The adult male is white with a straw-yellow tint, the muzzle is black, and there is a wide black stripe on the back on each side. An adult female with a light muzzle, a smoky-gray okoaska, a light belly, dark brown or black spots of irregular shape on the back and sides.

With age, the color of the coot's fur changes. Newborn white seals are white seals. After the first molt, the long white fur becomes short and gray. During the molting period, when young seals are white and gray in color, they are called Khokhlush, and after molting - serk. At the age of two years, the fur color is ash-gray with dark spots. In the third year of life, it becomes dull and the dark spots fade. Seals aged two and three years are called conjuys. Only four-year-old seals acquire the characteristic plumage of adult animals.

The fur of the harp seal consists of short, hard and sparse hair, has no undercoat and does not protect the body from cooling. Looks shiny, smooth, thick, durable. It is very warm and dense, protects even from the coldest, most piercing wind, and it is not at all afraid of water. Its delicate velvety and lightness make fur an excellent material for making casual clothing and evening wear. Discreet and aristocratic fur looks great on men and women, emphasizing the expressiveness and willfulness of the owner.

sea ​​hare

Sea hare, or bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) is a pinniped of the seal family (Phocidae). The only species of the genus Erignathus. Name " sea ​​hare" was given to this seal by Russian hunters because of its timid habits. Or, according to another version, for the similarity of the “jumps” that he makes when moving on land and ice.

The sea hare is the largest among northern seals, length over 2 m, and weight - up to 300 kg. The color of the fur is a uniform brown-gray color, darker on the back than on the belly, and sometimes faintly expressed small spots are found on it. The hair is relatively sparse and coarse. The vibrissae are long, thick and smooth.

The sea hare is common in the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean and northern parts Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the Atlantic southward it is found up to and including Hudson Bay and the coastal waters of Labrador. In the Pacific Ocean south to the northern part of the Tartary Strait. Occasionally occurs in the central parts of the Arctic Ocean. Avoids open sea, prefers shallow coastal areas.

The commercial importance of the sea hare is significant. It's being mined local population and special hunting vessels. When fishing they use subcutaneous fat(40-100 kg per animal) and skin as raw hides. In some places, meat is also used, mainly for feeding fur-bearing animals.

The Greatness of the Monk Seal

Monk seal, or white bellied seal(lat. Monachus monachus) is a representative of the monk seal genus (Monachus), of the true seal family (Phocidae). Endangered.

Another thing has long been respected by fishermen in Algeria, Turkey, and Libya. sea ​​animal- monk seal. If you offend him, they said, you will have no luck in the fishing business. On the west coast of Africa, it was believed that the monk seal monitored the fisherman’s respect for his prey: one should not swear while fishing. Among the ancient Greeks, the monk seal was under the protection of two influential gods - Apollo and Poseidon. Many cities in Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia had the local name for monk seal in their names. This same animal was Marcel's first totem. The image of a monk seal is often found on ancient Greek coins. In Spain, in Port Avila, a monument to this marine mammal still stands to this day. And according to biblical stories, turned into seals egyptian pharaoh with his army, when he rushed to catch up with Moses and the Jews leaving Egypt.

Fur seal

Northern fur seal, or sea cat, or eared seal (lat. Callorhinus ursinus) - pinniped mammal, belonging to the family of eared seals. There are 7-9 types fur seals, which are divided into two genera - 1 species - northern fur seals, and the remaining species - southern fur seals.

The range of various species covers the entire Pacific basin from Alaska and Kamchatka in the north to Australia and the subantarctic islands in the south. In addition, the Cape fur seal lives on the coast of the Namib Desert in South Africa. This is the only thing marine mammal, about which we can say that it lives in the desert.

Fur seals live on the coasts of seas and oceans, occupying flat and steep rocky shores. Seals have a pronounced gregarious nature; their rookeries number several thousand animals, often living in crowded conditions. Usually animals rest on the shore and go to the sea to feed. However, each such hunt can last up to 2-3 days, so the seals can sleep in the water.

Fur seals feed mainly on fish, but less often they can eat cephalopods. In water they are agile and fast predators, and also quite voracious. By autumn, fur seals accumulate a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.

Seals have an elongated body, a relatively short neck, a small head with barely noticeable ears, and their limbs are flattened into flippers. Fur seals move on land using all four limbs. The tail is short, almost invisible. Fur seals have moist, large and dark eyes. They are quite shortsighted, although this is compensated by well-developed hearing and smell, and are also capable of echolocation.

Fur seals are covered with quite peculiar fur. The fur of fur seals has a low, very thick and soft underfur, and a rough and hard spine. There are about 300 thousand hairs on the skin. The awn-down ratio is 1:30.

Fur seals' fur color changes with age. The color of the animals is often brown, sometimes from silver-gray to black-brown. Newborn seals are a shiny pure black; after molting, their fur turns gray. As a cat ages, its fur turns brown. The older the animal, the more dark tones there are in the color.

Males and females of fur seals differ greatly in size: males look more massive due to their thick necks and are 4-5 times larger than females. The weight of male large northern fur seals can reach 100-250 kg, while females weigh only 25-40 kg.

In addition to natural enemies, hunting brings considerable damage to populations. To this day, fur seals are hunted in industrial scale. Only the cubs are killed (their fur best quality), in addition to skins, the meat and fat of these animals are also used. However, the main production goes specifically to the fashion industry. Some subspecies of fur seals are on the verge of extinction.

This species was described by Carl Linnaeus based on detailed information provided by Georg Steller, who first encountered the species on Bering Island in 1742.

Northern fur seal rookeries were first described in 1741 on the Commander Islands by the expedition of Vitus Bering. Naturalist Georg Steller wrote in his diaries about “countless herds of cats,” whose numbers were enormous at that time (Golder, 1925). Since then, hunters for “fur gold” have flocked there, as well as to other islands of the northern Pacific, and the rookeries have repeatedly fallen into disrepair as a result of uncontrolled fishing and have been rebuilt. In 1957, a convention was adopted for the conservation of North Pacific fur seals. In recent decades, seal fishing has greatly decreased, and on some islands, including in 1995 on Medny Island, it was completely stopped due to economic unprofitability (Stus, 2004). On Tyuleniy Island, fur seal fishing has been discontinued for 5 years. But every year teams of trappers arrive here to catch animals on orders from Russian dolphinariums and oceanariums - usually from 20 to 40 individuals. Until now, fishing in Russia is carried out on a small scale on Bering Island.

Fur seal fur for connoisseurs of beauty

The fur of fur seals is highly valued because of its extraordinary thickness, tenderness and silkiness. It is very warm and wearable, waterproof and extremely durable, wearability is 95%. Service life is about 12-14 years.

Seal fur is of high quality and is in great demand in the foreign and domestic markets. The best quality is considered to be skins aged 2-4 years, length from 50 to 150 cm; skins older than 4 years are of little use for making fur products, as they have sparse fluff and thick, heavy leather fabric. Natural shades of seal fur range from dark gray to almost black. During the dressing process, the spine is sometimes plucked out, and the down is painted: the top is black or dark brown, the bottom is cherry or golden. In a one-piece product made of seal fur, it may seem too heavy, so it creates dense folds on the fold. Looks great in combination with other fur or as a trim. Fur is used to make collars and men's hats, while lighter ones are used for women's coats.

Designer modern coat made of fur seals - their straight silhouette demonstrates natural beauty beast and emphasizes the super-stylishness and originality of the owner, providing her with comfort in any bad weather. Fur coats allow women to look mysterious and seductive, and men - courageous and powerful.

Seal fishery

Seals are game animals. The Arctic Ocean is characterized by three species: the harp seal, the bearded seal and ringed seal. The common seal is found within Russia outside the polar Arctic. In Russia, the first place in production is occupied by the harp seal, the length of an adult animal is over 1.5 m, weight - up to 160 kg. Fishing for other seals is difficult due to the fact that they do not form mass aggregations.

The fishery uses the lard and skin of adult animals, and the skin of the whites is used for processing into fur. Belkov fishing is a type of fur trade, the object of which is Belek. Belek is a newborn baby of a harp or Caspian seal, covered with snow-white fur. For recent years this fishery attracts the attention of various environmental organizations and is subjected to severe criticism from them, despite the fact that indigenous peoples have always restrained the number of pups and this has maintained a balance in nature because a large number of whitefish eat all the fish, which can threaten an environmental disaster.

Depending on the breed and habitat of the seal, the fur differs in pile length, color and texture:

Belek - skins have the greatest density and quality of fur. They have primary, shiny, soft, tightly-fitting hair. The color is white or cream, as well as with a grayish even or spotted tint on the spinal part of the skin.

Crested Crested - the skins have a primary, dense, soft, tightly fitting hair coat that is light to dark gray on the ridge and silver-gray on the belly.

Serka - faded, sparse, coarse, shiny, short hair. The color is gray or silver-gray with dark spots.

Sivar (Caspian) - the skins of a moulted seal up to a year old, with shiny, low, soft hair of a variegated gray color.

Akiba - skins of gray-green color with a yellowish tint, with a pattern of large ring-shaped spots, dark in the middle, surrounded by a light border.

Larga - the color of the skin is light yellow or cream with a pattern of solid dark spots.

Nerpa - skins have a shiny, thick, low, even, long pile. The fur consists of a rough, almost downless spine, tightly adjacent to the skin tissue, dark brownish in color, with ring-shaped spots. Leather tissue is thick and heavy.

Durable seal fur for demanding customers

Seal fur is one of the most popular, beautiful and durable materials. The seal's fur is thicker, smoother and longer, silky to the touch, gray in color with ring-shaped spots. Beautiful silver seal fur with a wonderful natural pattern has excellent qualities and has unique water-repellent properties. Ring seal fur is extremely practical - it is very durable, does not fray, does not tangle, and does not wear out for a long time. They are used in their natural form, and also dyed brown, black, white, using tone and top dyeing. Seal fur can be plucked or unplucked. It has high wear resistance - 95%, up to 20 seasons and water-repellent properties.

Seal fur is quite expensive due to the rarity of this animal. Requires very high-quality dressing, due to the thick bottom layer of the skin. The fur of the seal is very hard and a little heavy, so short products are often sewn from the seal. After several years of wear, the fur becomes softer and the seal fur product looks even more attractive than new. Manufacture of leather and fur products: women's coats, men's jackets, jackets, hats, men's collars and women's bags. Seal fur is universal, suitable for classic and sports items, perfectly combined with leather and suede, with shiny fittings, and is as comfortable as possible in an urban environment.

Seal fur looks great on men and women, and many fashion houses include it in their winter and autumn collections. Products made from seal fur fit perfectly and are ideal for people leading an active lifestyle, mainly men. Seal fur drapes beautifully and is suitable for sewing outerwear, skirts, jackets, and hats. If a new seal product may seem stiff to you, then after two to three weeks of wear, like a leather product, it acquires its natural flexibility.

The rigidity of the skin increases the durability of this fur, so the owner of a seal coat or jacket can be sure that it will serve him long and reliably. Clothes made from seal fur, when worn daily, not very carefully, can last for more than a decade. In bad weather, seal fur retains its appearance And thermal insulation properties. It is moisture resistant and not afraid of it pouring rain and reagents that utility workers sprinkle on roads. Seal fur requires minimal care: you can remove dirt by simply wiping the fur with a damp sponge; it will sparkle with a beautiful silver-bluish glow. When you return home, you just need to shake off your fur coat or jacket. Products made from seal fur are beautiful and practical for city dwellers.

Products made from seals are suitable for active, energetic people who do not like clothing to restrict movement. For those who want to look good, but don't like to spend too much time caring for their clothes. For those who choose fur for daily wear, and not to impress friends. For those who strive to combine comfort and an elegant look in clothing.

With the development of the fur industry, some species of marine animals, which are valuable raw materials for the fur industry, are on the verge of extinction. Every year, the snow-white landscape of Canada's east coast is covered in bloody footprints. Hunters brutally kill thousands of innocent seal cubs, who die in terrible agony, and their skins are used to make luxury goods. Therefore, think about whether the life of a little pup is worth your fur product? You can learn more about ways to protect marine animals on the website: