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
27 January—1 July
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Receive alerts for new public reports. Lock-screen alerts show only the broad Madeira area, never the exact location.
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4 of 129 reports
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Explore by area
All areasMarkers represent broad named areas, never exact observation locations. Select an area to filter the archive.
4 of 4 reports mapped · 1 area
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 2020
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
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Date: 2020Reported: Pontinhos Diário de Notícias Madeira
Observation: Injured-animal sighting: found injured on 1 July and last reported on 3 July; the cause of the wounds was not established publicly.
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Date: 2020Reported: Unidentified; apparently female (uncertain) Diário de Notícias Madeira
Observation: Sighting / resting: observed resting or sleeping beside the bathing area; the reported sex was not confirmed.
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Date: 2020Reported: Probably Pontinhos (uncertain) Diário de Notícias Madeira
Observation: Sighting: observed inside the harbour area; probably part of the later documented Pontinhos sequence, but the identity was not confirmed.
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Date: 2020Reported: Unidentified Diário de Notícias Madeira
Observation: Sighting: filmed swimming offshore.