The
Saimaa ringed seal (
Pusa hispida saimensis) is a subspecies of
ringed seal (
Pusa hispida). They are among the most endangered seals in the world, having a total population of only about 310 individuals. The only existing population of these seals is found in
Lake Saimaa,
Finland (hence the name). The population is descended from ringed seals that were separated from the rest when the
land rose after the last
ice age. This seal, along with the
Ladoga seal and the
Baikal seal, is one of the few living
freshwater seals.