The ringed seal on vacation on the Hel Peninsula
Oleg Nekhaev - Fotolia Oleg Nekhaev - Fotolia / Oleg Nekhaev
Since recently, the Hel Peninsula has a special guest: a young ringed seal, rarely seen on the Polish coast. This is a record summer in terms of the observation of three species of seals found in the Baltic Sea, announced WWF Polska.
WWF representatives reported in the release sent to PAP that a young seal of the ringed seal species has been seen near Kuźnica on the Hel Peninsula.
Although ringed seals, in contrast to the grey seal, do not have a permanent habitat are on the Polish coast, the visits of specimens of this species are recorded every year.
Ringed seals are the smallest of the Baltic seals. They have pronounced rings on their bodies, from which this seal gets its name. Another characteristic feature is a short snout. Ringed seals are solitary animals. Pups remains under the care of a mother for two months.
"The presence of this seal species in the area of Kuźnica may be due to the presence of sticklebacks, on which the ringed seal feeds, in the Gulf of Puck - explained Monika Łaskawska of WWF Polska. - Ringed seal feeds mainly on small fish".
According to the WWF, ringed seals are now found in the Gulf of Bothnia and Finland. Their population is estimated at only six thousand animals. A hundred years ago, there were about 200 thousand ringed seals in the Baltic Sea. In addition to hunting, the decline in their numbers is currently also influenced by global warming. Ringed seals, unlike grey and common seals, need ice cover to breed. Excessive warming causes its decay, due to which during the breeding season in February and March, ringed seal females have difficulty building lairs in the snow, which would serve as shelter for pups.
"Remember not to disturb the seals or approach it - Monika Łaskawska reminds. - Watch it from afar. Each observation shoud be reported to the WWF Blue Patrol, telephone number 795536009, or to the Hel Marine Station, telephone number 601889940. The seal’s fate may depend on our behaviour during the encounter."
WWF Blue Patrol activity is made possible by the project "Support for restitution and protection of the Baltic mammals in Poland" (abbreviated to the "Baltic Mammals") co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Programme "Infrastructure and Environment". The project partners are the Marine Station of the Institute of Oceanography at the University of Gdansk and the Gdansk University Development Foundation. (PAP)
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