How did a seal get to a lake in the middle of Siberia

Lake Baikal is a geologic phenomenon. It is the deepest and oldest lake in the and has a very unique ecosystem with many species of animals not being found in any other bodies of water around the world. However, arguably the most interesting thing about this lake is that it has its own population of seals living in the lake despite the lake sitting in the middle of Siberia. So how did these seals get here?

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[ikebeckman]

I love the idea of a caravan of ancient seals using their little undulating hops to migrate

[ninjaassassin]

The real question is who placed Siberia around a lake full of seals?

[jscire__]

There’s also a rare sub species of fresh water seals living in a single lake in Finland called Saimaa Ringed-Seal, Pusa hispida saimensis (named for the comparably small lake Saimaa where they live). They’ve been under protection via WWF for a long while but local fishermen still dislike them and cause their young to die in fishing nets. Also warmer and warmer winters make nest building impossible for them. Their population is continually very small. It’s so important to spread awareness about these animals

[Archie_Haddock]

The saimaa ringed seal in Finland is another seal that lives in fresh water. It got trapped as the Baltic receded after the latest ice age, the same with the Ladoga seal, living slightly to the east.

[nicks]

Had literally no idea there were landlocked seals, let alone freshwater ones so far from the ocean. God bless this fascinating channel.

[boarbot]

I love lake Baikal so much. It is important to mention that it is by far and away the largest lake by water volume, and contains a whopping 20% of the worlds unfrozen fresh water.

[b.a.erlebacher]

There are thermal vents or hot springs in Lake Tanganyika, another old deep lake in a rift valley with a lot of endemic species.

[axmajpayne]

The whole "came from the Arctic Ocean" theory makes a lot more sense when you realize that Lake Baikal drains into the Yenisey river system which flows into the Arctic Ocean. Siberia doesn't seem to have had near the level of glaciation that North America and Europe had during the last ice age, so It's very likely that the drainage from the lake was able to find it's way to the ocean for most of that period.

[douglasbubbletrousers]

It was the Oregon Trail for Seals. Rumors of water in the West led to many seal families packing up their belongings and slinking across the Siberian Tundra in search of better opportunities.

[ProfezorSnayp]

You can appreciate how deep this lake really is when you consider it is filled with some 7000 meters of sediment.

[ltlbuddha]

Frogs often spread by their eggs being stuck to bird feet in one body of water and then falling off in another.
I think it is obvious that this is how these seals got to Lake Baikal

[MDondy]

It met the spawn criteria and spawned there.
I'm sure all they need is a water block.

[rl]

“How did a seal get to the middle of Siberia?”

The ancestors of the Siberia’s seals preparing to bounce across a massive landmass: “This is one small bounce for seal, one giant bounce for sea dog’s everywhere”

(Proceeds to shuffle intensely across Russia)

[lifdohop]

In Finland we have a freshwater seal too. The Saimaa ringed seal is the name of the species...well subspecies. Some ringed seals got trapped in a lake during the last ice age.

[onlyfacts]

Lake Baikal is literally referred to as the North Sea by ancient China for its similarities to the ocean.

[andreymenumerov]

The Saimaa and Ladoga nerpas also are freshwater seals.

[mangogo]

Being born in Russia I visited Baikal 2 in my life. Super pretty, clear cold water. Buryatia Republic region is very beautiful and rich in local culture (influenced by neighbouring Mongolia) and unique animals.

[darko]

The answer seems to suggest itself: The Caspian seals were trapped by receding sea levels and the Baikal seals migrated as glaciers retreated.

[engel]

Finally the first content creator I found that actually has their sources, I congratulate you.

[rl]

Editor is one of the most fascinating subjects when it comes to learning natural history, beautifully done video on this topic.