Nerpinarium in Irkutsk

Nerpinarium in Irkutsk is an entertainment and educational institution where tourists can get acquainted with Baikal seals. Beautiful and intelligent freshwater seals are considered a symbol of Baikal and one of its cutest inhabitants. In captivity, seals are kept in only two places – in Irkutsk and Listvyanka, an urban-type settlement on the shore of Lake Baikal. The reason for this lies in the peculiarities of the biology of these animals – Baikal seals can not live far from the lake.

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Video: Nerpinarium in Irkutsk

Contents

Highlights

The Nerpinarium is open year-round and hosts 10-11 performances of 45 minutes each day. Presenters talk about Baikal seals and their behavior in nature, and show what the trained animals can do. During the fascinating show the seals “sing”, “dance”, “count” and play with a ball. They are able to portray a “hungry faint”, patting themselves on the stomach and begging the host for another portion of fish, and readily “salute” the trainer. In the Irkutsk nerpinarium the audience can also see the painting seal and buy a painting created by the animal. For this purpose, a special auction is held during the performance.

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If desired, tourists can take a picture with the seal or make a small video in a special pool. The Irkutsk nerpinarium sells artistic photos of Baikal seals, books about these animals and funny souvenirs – soft toys, key chains and mugs with the image of these charming seals.

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Baikal seals

The first mention of the existence of seals in Baikal dates back to 1675. Records about it were made by Protopope Avvakum and Russian envoy to China Nikolai Gavrilovich Spafariy. In the middle of the XVIII century Baikal seals interested biologists. They described the appearance and biology of freshwater seals, but for a long time scientific works were of a fragmentary nature. A systematic study of Baikal seals was conducted only in 1930-1990.

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Like all pinnipeds, the seals living in Lake Baikal have a streamlined body. Adults grow up to 165 cm and their weight reaches from 50 to 130 kg. Interestingly, about 80% of the total weight is fat, because the animal has to be constantly in the cold Baikal water.

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The nerpa is covered with a dense warm fleece and has webbing between the toes. The front flippers are much more powerful than the rear ones. When the animal is submerged, its nostrils and ear holes are tightly closed. The eyes of the seal are arranged in such a way that they can not stay in the air for a long time. If this happens, the seal begins to tear profusely.

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The main reason why the nerpinarium in Irkutsk is loved by adults and children is the opportunity to look at seals at close range. The fact is that in the natural environment Baikal seals try to lead a secretive lifestyle and do not like to get in front of people. Even those travelers who come to Baikal not for the first time, can not boast of frequent meetings with the seal. At best, tourists observe the animals from afar when they come out to rest on the rocky shores.

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Features of training

The idea to train Baikal seals in various tricks was suggested by E. A. Baranov, an employee of the Limnological Institute, candidate of biological sciences. Biologists around the world considered the freshwater seals of Baikal the most fearful of all pinnipeds, so it took a long time for the animals to get used to people and stop being afraid of them.

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It turned out that Baikal seals are highly intelligent creatures and have great learning abilities. They sleep only 3-4 hours a day, and the rest of the time they are ready to spend with a trainer or perform in front of an audience. The trainers have managed to teach the seals to swim at speed, play soccer, accept a thrown ball and effectively jump to music. The seal’s intelligence level is believed to be higher than a dog’s, but it is still poorly understood.

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The main difficulties in training the staff of the nerpinarium in Irkutsk caused group numbers, because in nature the seal prefers to live alone, not creating families and not gathering in packs. Baby seals are already 2.5 months old when they break away from their mother and lead a completely independent life.

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Visitor Information

The doors of the nerpinarium in Irkutsk are open for guests from 11.00 to 18.30. From June to September it is open from Wednesday to Sunday, and from October to May – from Thursday to Sunday.

The ticket price on weekdays is 300 rubles for adult visitors and 250 rubles for children from 2 to 12 years old. On weekends you have to pay 50 rubles more for a ticket. Photography and videotaping with a personal camera are paid separately: 3 frames cost 100 rubles, and 5 minutes of video – 200 rubles.

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How to get there

Nerpinarium in Irkutsk is located in the Sverdlovsky district of the city, in the house № 66 on the 2nd Zheleznodorozhnozhnaya Street. You can get here by cab, streetcar № 2 or buses № 7k, 18, 18c, 21, 26k, 54, 55, 57, 67 and 90.

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