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 April—21 November
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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 2015
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified Luís Calisto / Fénix do Atlântico
Observation: Journalist Luís Calisto reported a seal swimming near the Clube Naval bathing area below Quinta Calaça on Saturday morning. The animal was seen around the entrance to the club's waterfront.
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Date: 2015Reported: Unidentified iNaturalist — Dario Pozzan
Observation: Dario Pozzan 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 Lobosonda
Observation: Lobosonda encountered a monk seal shortly after leaving harbour on its morning trip. The seal dived and returned to the surface with an octopus.