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
10 July—20 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
Markers represent broad named areas, never exact observation locations. Select an area to filter the archive.
4 of 4 reports mapped · 4 areas
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 2024
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
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Date: 2024Reported: Unidentified Diário de Notícias Madeira
Observation: Repeated sightings: the animal had reportedly used this coastal section for about three days; its identity was not established.
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Date: 2024Reported: Unidentified RTP Madeira
Observation: Sighting: seen beside the sea-access steps; no link to adjacent-date reports was established.
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Date: 2024Reported: Unidentified RTP Madeira
Observation: Sighting: seen by bathers near the beach.
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Date: 2024Reported: Unidentified Diário de Notícias Madeira
Observation: Sighting: observed close to shore in the bathing area.