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
2 August—6 September
Follow updates
Receive alerts for new public reports. Lock-screen alerts show only the broad Madeira area, never the exact location.
Checking notification support on this device…
2 of 129 reports
Loading public records…
Public records could not be loaded. Check your connection and try again.
Explore by area
All areasMarkers represent broad named areas, never exact observation locations. Select an area to filter the archive.
5 of 6 reports mapped · 3 areas
Other reported areas
No map reference yet. You can still explore these reports.
Map: Natural Earth.
Reports over time
All datesSelect a year, then a month. Counts describe published reports; one animal may appear in several reports.
Months in 2019
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Orlando Drumond / Diário de Notícias Madeira
Observation: A possible seal was reported near Avenida do Mar at night. The authorities said they had received the report but had not located the animal or confirmed that it was a seal.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified RTP Madeira; images and account by Anibal Rodrigues
Observation: Anibal Rodrigues recorded a seal near the coast by Clube Naval do Funchal in the afternoon. The account raised a concern about its condition and said marine-biology staff were monitoring it; no diagnosis was established.