Five Baltic ringed seals, rescued and rehabilitated by the St. Petersburg-based “Friends of the Baltic Ringed Seal Foundation,” were released into the Narva Bay on June 16. These seals are a crucial part of the foundation’s work as there are less than 100 of them in the Gulf of Finland.

The released seals, consisting of four females and one male, were rescued as pups and arrived at the center in serious condition. After being under the care of the foundation’s specialists, they recovered and grew strong enough to return to their natural habitat.

The “Friends of the Baltic Ringed Seal Foundation,” which has been studying and rescuing seals for almost 20 years, opted for a private release, limiting attendance to supervisory authorities. The foundation emphasizes that the Baltic ringed seals are their most important patients, as the organization was specifically created to protect them.

This release follows a similar event in early June, when four gray Baltic seals were released into the Gulf of Finland ahead of World Environment Day. These seals had been found on the shore following severe storms that disrupted the ice floes where they are naturally nursed.