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 May—14 August
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4 of 129 reports
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2 of 4 reports mapped · 1 area
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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 2006
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
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Date: 2006Reported: Unidentified Rosa Pires, Parque Natural da Madeira, in The Monachus Guardian
Observation: Rosa Pires reported one male monk seal found dead and floating near Ilhéu Chão. Its recorded length was 161 cm. Decomposition prevented a preliminary cause-of-death diagnosis.
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Date: 2006Reported: Unidentified Rosa Pires, Parque Natural da Madeira, in The Monachus Guardian; Sealcentre Pieterburen archive on iNaturalist
Observation: Rosa Pires reported an injured hooded seal discovered in the Madeira archipelago. It subsequently died during rehabilitation. The archived case describes one juvenile male that stranded alive; the exact finding site is unspecified.
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Date:Reported: Mascarilha Rosa Pires / Parque Natural da Madeira
Observation: First identified in Desertas.
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Date:Reported: Desertinha Rosa Pires, Parque Natural da Madeira / The Monachus Guardian; photographs by Carlos Freitas
Observation: Desertinha was discovered alive off Madeira with a deep wound around her hind flippers. She subsequently stayed near a Funchal waterfront facility for several days. Rosa Pires reported her later recovery; the injury's cause was unconfirmed.