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 Ringed seal off Kronstadt harbour

 

Based on observations in Estonia and Finland ringed seals have been held to be very shy creatures up to now, that become discouraged and rather dive at every artificial sound or smell. One tagged female seal in the Gulf of Finland however shows what she thinks of the humdrum of this world and has chosen for habitat a sheltered site close to the old sea fortress of Kronstadt.

 

Home: Fort no. 5, close to a motorway

 

In winter these islands are uninhabited but to get there the bank built for the protection of St Petersburg and the channels under the motorway must be passed. If this were not enough – for feeding she still goes to the open sea side. On one hand it shows the adaptibility of animals in a human neighbourhood, on the other however  it is a telling example of what options remain for animals whose habitats simply become filled with buildings.

The city of St Petersburg covers the eastern part of the bay uniformly for tens of kilometres and it is good that some derelict sea fortress there offers even this foothold. The forts of Kronstadt are mostly already today marked as potential nature reserve areas.