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
4 July—29 October
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4 of 129 reports
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1 of 4 reports mapped · 1 area
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Reports over time
All datesSelect a year, then a month. Counts describe published reports; one animal may appear in several reports.
Months in 2017
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
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Date: 2017Reported: Unidentified iNaturalist — Andry Castro
Observation: Andry Castro 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 Monaco Explorations mission report (2020), section 6.4
Observation: The visiting party saw two adult monk seals swimming in Doca Cove from the summit path on Deserta Grande.
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Date: 2017Reported: Unidentified iNaturalist — Sophie Mowles
Observation: Sophie Mowles recorded a Mediterranean monk seal in the Madeira archipelago. The observer reported seeing the seal through binoculars around fish cages, without a photograph. The identification is unverified.
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Date: 2017Reported: Unidentified iNaturalist — Andreas Michalik
Observation: Andreas Michalik recorded a Mediterranean monk seal in the Madeira archipelago. The observation includes photographs; the source obscures the location.