Introduction to the Ringed Seal: The freshwater seal of Lake Baikal or the Baikal seal is a relative of the northern seal. Scientists believe that Baikal seals set out from the Ice Sea during the Ice Age and arrived at Lake Baikal via the Enis and Angara rivers. The current number of seals in Lake Baikal is 60,000. The seals can live for more than 50 years, and a female Baikal seal can give birth to up to 20 pups. The main habitat of ringed seals is located in the Ushkany Islands in the north of the lake. They are the only freshwater seals in the world living in Lake Baikal.