Baikal seal: "Mermaid" of ideal shape. How did they get to Baikal if they were originally marine animals? (11 photos)

Imagine the situation. Hot desert. You walk along the sand, scorched by the heat, and stumble upon an oasis. And there is a sea turtle in the water. Absurd? Absurd! But the Baikal seal is not familiar with logic. What did the pinniped animal forget on the lake when all its relatives hang out in the oceans? Plop down on the sofa and let's figure it out.





The Baikal seal is one of three species of seals in the world that lives exclusively in freshwater bodies. As the name suggests, it only muddies crystal Baikal water and no other water. Its closest relative is the ringed seal. She warms her sides under the polar sun. But Baikal is so isolated from the ocean that the question arises for the seal: how did you get there in the first place?



Without going into details, a couple of million years ago, water from Lake Baikal fed the Arctic Ocean. And the ancestors of the ringed seal went upstream for some kind of interest. As a result, we have a unique species from the Ice Age that cannot be found anywhere else.





The Baikal seal is a kind of analogue of a mermaid: the top is cat-like and the bottom is fish-like. On land, of course, such a chimera will not shine with dexterity. But this does not make the animal’s movements any less epic: cat claws and a ninja caterpillar-style movement help it climb the ice.



Girl who came from a manicure: Check out the nails. Are they really beautiful? Guy who doesn't understand anything about this: Yes, of course, honey!

But in the water, the plump pinniped sausage turns into Miss Grace. The fins and tail accelerate the body weighing 80 kilos to 8 km/h. For reference: the average person swims twice as slow.



And all for the sake of eating heartily. The cat’s nature helps here too: the whiskers catch prey well, small sharp teeth perfectly hold nimble and slippery fish, and the vertical pupil dilates in the dark water for better visibility. There’s no need to rush into the search—the diving vent will last her for half an hour! Even if you don’t catch anything, you can always swim up to people and ask for a fish or two with the eyes of the cat from Shrek.



All for the sake of the cherished goal: to gain fat for the winter. In winter, the seal’s fat layer reaches as much as 15 centimeters! This immediately gives you protection from the cold, an emergency reserve for bad times, increased buoyancy, and + 10 to heavy armor.



By March, the fat will drop to two centimeters in order to lighten the carcass for the upcoming acrobatic and erotic sketches, because the rut begins. After loud mooing serenades, passions begin. Under the water. Yes, those entertainers live on Lake Baikal.



After 11 long months, the babies are ready to be born. But, if the female doesn’t like something, she can pause the pregnancy. Yes, northern relatives can do this too, but their record is 2-3 months. And the Baikal seal is holding the emergency stop until the next breeding season! Then next year the cycle will repeat, and a year later 2 cubs will appear at once.



It will happen in February-March, in a lair among the ice floes. In a couple of months, just in time for warmer weather, the pups will wean themselves from their mother’s mammary glands and change into diving suits. Young catfish will be able to raise their babies from the age of four and will continue to do so for another 40 years.



The figure is reliable, because in nature the Baikal seal has no enemies. It is only very rarely that a baby may be attacked by an eagle or a fox that has climbed onto the ice out of hunger. We can assume that there is only one threat to them - bipeds. And she agreed to protect the unique animal from attacks by its own kind.



No, these are not tears of patriotism. It’s just that the seal’s eyes quickly dry out in the air, and tears are the only salvation.

Moral of the story? Even if you don’t go further than your own home, there will always be people who are ready to love you and protect you from poachers. But maybe they're shitting in your lake. So choose your friends carefully.