seal.watch / madeira

Madeira · 2000—2026

Mediterranean monk seal

Madeira’s wild return.

Follow public reports of Madeira’s rare monk seals, known locally as lobo-marinho. Their main refuge is the Desertas Islands, with animals also seen around Madeira’s coast.

About Madeira’s monk seals

In Madeira, Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) form a small resident population. These seals feed mainly on fish, cephalopods and crustaceans, and depend on quiet coastal waters and sheltered beaches or sea caves for resting, giving birth and nursing—making respectful distance essential to their recovery.

Total reports
129
Latest observation

Public reports · newest first

Public records archive

6 January—10 January

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2 of 129 reports

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Markers represent broad named areas, never exact observation locations. Select an area to filter the archive.

2 of 2 reports mapped · 1 area

N ↑Calheta · 2 reports1
  1. Calheta2 reports

Map: Natural Earth.

Reports over time

All dates

Select a year, then a month. Counts describe published reports; one animal may appear in several reports.

  1. 12014
  2. 32021
  3. 72023
  4. 12024
  5. 12025
  6. 42026

Months in 2023

  1. 2Jan
  2. 0Feb
  3. 0Mar
  4. 1Apr
  5. 0May
  6. 2Jun
  7. 0Jul
  8. 0Aug
  9. 0Sep
  10. 2Oct
  11. 0Nov
  12. 0Dec

Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.

  1. 2023
    Off Calheta harbour Calheta
    Unidentified Lobosonda

    Seen directly in front of the harbour during the 10:00 Ribeira Brava trip.

  2. 2023
    Calheta marina entrance Calheta
    Unidentified Lobosonda

    Surfaced between short dives at the marina entrance and appeared on both boats' trip logs; conservatively counted as one encounter.