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
28 May—27 July
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3 of 129 reports
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1 of 3 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 2012
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
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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: 2012Reported: Unidentified iNaturalist — Paul Kingsnorth
Observation: Paul Kingsnorth recorded a Mediterranean monk seal in the Madeira archipelago. The observation includes photographs; the source obscures the location.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified Madeira Wind Birds, firsthand expedition report
Observation: Madeira Wind Birds recorded one Mediterranean monk seal near Quinta do Lorde marina during its pelagic expedition.