"You have to look for a rock lying on a rock," was the advice from our guide as we peered through our binoculars in search of a Saimaa ringed seal. Unfortunately, the best time to observe the seals was already over at the beginning of June. The best chances to see them are during the moult in May. "They don't like rain and they don't like wind", was another piece of information that our guide shared with us. Well, it was warm and dry and almost windless on our three-hour sunset tour. But only at the end, when I had almost given up on it, did we get to see two of these cute animals.

For my visit, I focused on the two national parks that are mentioned in the description on the Unesco website. I largely followed Juha's recommendations, his review was really helpful. I stayed for two days in Oravi village which is the logistical centre of the region. Here you can find tourist information, boat rental, supermarket, restaurant and reception all under one roof. On the first day, I took a boat taxi to the island of Linnansaari. The one-way fare is 15 euros, but a minimum of 50 euros per boat. The regular service didn't start until mid-June, but luckily a family of four also wanted to go to the island, so I only had to pay the regular price. Five hours was more than enough for the hike to the Linnavuori viewpoint, and there …

Site visited May 2021. Ringed seal archipelagos of Lake Saimaa were a nice experience. It was also something new to me in my home country. This natural site may not be for everyone, but those who want to see the rare seals, and those who love birdwatching, pristine lake nature and beautiful landscapes will be pleased. I spent two days exploring some of the elements of this tentative site.

When Finland announced a revised list of tentative sites in 2021, it presented one totally new site which seemed right away a logical move. Saimaa ringed seals – of course. It is hard to think any other object in Finland with so much positive impression and support from Finnish people.

Saimaa ringed seals are among the most endangered seals in the world, having a total population of only about 400 individuals. The only existing population of these seals is found in Lake Saimaa. They have lived in complete isolation from other ringed seal species for around 9,500 years and have diverged into a morphologically and ecologically different subspecies of ringed seal. The population is descended from ringed seals that were separated from the rest when the land rose after the last ice age.

Saimaa ringed seal has evolved from the verge of extinction to a celebrity whose symbolic value is huge in Finland. The population was at its lowest in the 1970s and 1980s just between 100 and 150 individuals. Big efforts have been made over the …