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
17 January 2011—14 July 2023
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6 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.
105 of 129 reports mapped · 12 areas
- Calheta17 reports
- Calheta waters1 report
- Câmara de Lobos3 reports
- Caniçal1 report
- Caniço1 report
- Desertas Islands17 reports
- Funchal41 reports
- Machico7 reports
- Porto Santo3 reports
- Ribeira Brava1 report
- Santa Cruz12 reports
- Santana1 report
Other reported areas
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Map: Natural Earth.
Reports over time
Select a year, then a month. Counts describe published reports; one animal may appear in several reports.
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
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Date: 2023Reported: Unidentified Lobosonda
Observation: Seen during the 13:30 Ribeira Brava trip; the exact position was not published.
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Date: 2023Reported: Unidentified Lobosonda
Observation: Seen during the 13:30 Ribeira Brava trip; the exact position was not published.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified Jan-Christopher Fischer / Lobosonda
Observation: Lobosonda recorded a Mediterranean monk seal during Ribeira Brava's 09:00 refuelling trip. The daily list gives neither a seal count nor an exact encounter location.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified Lobosonda, firsthand boat-trip report
Observation: Lobosonda reported seeing one monk seal during its trip. The post included photographs but did not establish the seal's identity or exact location.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified Lobosonda, firsthand boat-trip report
Observation: Lobosonda reported a brief morning encounter with one monk seal. The exact location was not stated.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified Lobosonda, firsthand boat-trip report
Observation: Lobosonda reported a monk seal eating a ray during its trip that day and included photographs. The encounter site was not specified.