Mediterranean monk seals: introduction

These elusive animals once lived along the coasts of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Senegal. But today only 500 remain, in two main regions: the eastern Mediterranean (Mediterranean population) and north-western Africa (Atlantic population). In both regions, the seals are mostly scattered and isolated.

Loved for centuries
Monk seals have long been part of Mediterranean culture. The ancient Greeks put them under the protection of Poseidon and Apollo because of their love of the sea and sun. A monk seal head is depicted on one of the first-ever coins, minted around 500 BC. Homer and Aristotle mentioned the animals in their writings. And to fishermen and seafarers, seeing a monk seal was considered a good omen.

From colonies to caves
Monk seals originally lived in colonies on open beaches and headlands. They were easy prey for people, who hunted them for their pelts, used for tents, shoes, and clothes, and their fat, used for lamps and candles. There is evidence that Mediterranean monk seals first became depleted by hunting in Roman times. The fall of the Roman empire gave the species a brief respite, but commercial exploitation increased again during the Middle Ages.

This hunting wiped out the largest colonies in the Mediterranean. Surviving seals no longer congregated in open areas, but instead began to live in small groups on inaccessible rocky areas and in coastal caves.

Further pressure
By the end of the 1900s, the Mediterranean monk seal population had declined further and their range had drastically shrunk due to excessive hunting, habitat destruction, marine pollution, depletion of fish stocks, and competition with local artisanal fishermen. Without conservation efforts, the species is unlikely to survive in the Mediterranean.