View source for Mediterranean monk seal

{{short description|Species of endangered mammal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Mediterranean monk seal
| image = Billy monk seal 2.jpg
| image_caption = [[Alonnisos Marine Park]], [[Greece]]
| status = VU
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author=Karamanlidis, A.A. |author2=Dendrinos, P. |author3=Fernandez de Larrinoa, P. |author4=Kıraç, C.O. |author5=Nicolaou, H. |author6=Pires, R. |name-list-style=amp |year=2023 |title=''Monachus monachus'' |page=e.T13653A238637039 |doi= 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T13653A238637039.en |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
 | status2 = CITES_A1 
 | status2_system = CITES 
 | status2_ref = <ref>{{cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}</ref>
| genus = Monachus
| parent_authority =[[John Fleming (naturalist)|Fleming]], 1822
| species = monachus
| authority = ([[Johann Hermann|Hermann]], 1779)
|range_map=Monachus_monachus_distribution.png
}}

The '''Mediterranean monk seal''' ('''''Monachus monachus''''') is a [[monk seal]] belonging to the family [[Phocidae]]. {{As of|2015}}, it is estimated that fewer than 700 individuals survive in three or four isolated subpopulations in the Mediterranean, (especially) in the [[Aegean Sea]], the archipelago of [[Madeira]] and the [[Ras Nouadhibou|Cabo Blanco]] area in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean.<ref name=Karamanlidis2016>{{cite journal | author = Karamanlidis, A.A. | date = April 2016 | title = The Mediterranean monk seal ''Monachus monachus'': status, biology, threats, and conservation priorities | journal = Mammal Review | volume = 46 | issue = 2 | pages = 92–105 | doi = 10.1111/mam.12053| bibcode = 2016MamRv..46...92K | s2cid = 86285100 |display-authors=etal| hdl = 11511/29839 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> It is believed to be the world's rarest [[pinniped]] species.<ref name=iucn/> It is the only extant species in the genus '''''Monachus'''''.

==Description==
This species of [[Pinniped|seal]] grows from approximately {{convert|80|cm|ft}} long at birth up to an average of {{convert|2.4|m|ft}} as adults, females slightly shorter than males.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Benton|first=Melody|title=Monachus monachus (Mediterranean monk seal)|url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Monachus_monachus/|access-date=2020-10-16|website=Animal Diversity Web|language=en}}</ref> Males weigh an average of {{convert|320|kg|lb}} and females weigh {{convert|300|kg|lb}}, with overall weight ranging from {{convert|240|-|400|kg|lb}}.<ref name=iucn/><ref name=mom>{{cite web |url=http://www.mom.gr/displayITM1.asp?ITMID=30 |title=MOm Website |publisher=Mom.gr |access-date=6 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316102410/http://www.mom.gr/displayITM1.asp?ITMID=30 |archive-date=16 March 2012  }}</ref><ref name=monachus-guardian>{{cite web|url=http://www.monachus-guardian.org/factfiles/medit1903.htm |title=Mediterranean Monk Seal Fact Files: Biology: External appearance and anatomy |publisher=Monachus-guardian.org |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref><ref name=noaa1>{{cite web|url=http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/mediterraneanmonkseal.htm |title=Mediterranean Monk Seal (''Monachus monachus'') - Office of Protected Resources - NOAA Fisheries |publisher=Nmfs.noaa.gov |date=18 November 2005 |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> They are thought to live up to 45 years old;<ref name=mom/> the average life span is thought to be 20 to 25 years old and reproductive maturity is reached at around age four.

The monk seals' pups are about {{convert|1|m|ft}} long and weigh around {{convert|15|–|18|kg|lb}}, their skin being covered by 1–1.5 centimeter-long, dark brown to black hair. On their bellies, there is a white stripe, which differs in color and shape between the two sexes. In females the stripe is usually rectangular in shape whereas in males it is usually butterfly shaped.<ref name="Funchal">{{cite web|url=http://www.cm-funchal.pt/ciencia/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=593:lobo-marinho&catid=109:especie-do-mes&Itemid=338|title=Lobo marinho|publisher=The City of [[Funchal]]|access-date=27 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916053201/http://www.cm-funchal.pt/ciencia/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=593:lobo-marinho&catid=109:especie-do-mes&Itemid=338|archive-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> This hair is replaced after six to eight weeks by the usual short hair adults carry.<ref name=mom/> Adults will continue to molt annually, causing their color vibrancy to change throughout the year.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Tropical Pinnipeds|date=2017-07-12|publisher=CRC Press|doi=10.1201/9781315151588|isbn=978-1-315-15158-8|editor-last=Alava|editor-first=Juan J.}}</ref>

Pregnant Mediterranean monk seals typically use inaccessible undersea caves while giving birth, though historical descriptions show they used open beaches until the 18th century. There are eight pairs of teeth in both jaws.

Believed to have the shortest hair of any pinniped, the Mediterranean monk seal fur is black (males) or brown to dark grey (females), with a paler belly, which is close to white in males. The snout is short broad and flat, with very pronounced, long nostrils that face upward, unlike their [[Hawaiian monk seal|Hawaiian relative]], which tend to have more forward nostrils. The flippers are relatively short, with small slender claws. Monk seals have two pairs of retractable abdominal teats, unlike most other pinnipeds.

===Reproduction===
[[File:Colonia de focas monje de Cabo Blanco (1945).jpg|thumb|160px|right|A colony on [[Ras Nouadhibou|Cabo Blanco]] in 1945]]

Very little is known of this seal's reproduction. As of 2020, it is thought that there are roughly 500 pairs of monk seals remaining in the world.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Natalie|title=Alonissos Honoured By National Geographic's 'Best Of The World List' 2021|url=https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/11/22/alonissos-nat-geo-best-of-the-world/|access-date=2020-12-02|website=Greek City Times|date=22 November 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> Scientists have suggested that they are [[polygyny in animals|polygynous]], with males being very territorial where they mate with females. Although there is no breeding season since births take place year-round, there is a peak in September, October, and November. Although mating will take place in the water, females will give birth and care for the pups on beaches or underwater caves. The use of underwater caves may have begun in order to make predatory actions almost impossible as these caves are difficult to access. Because they will stay with the pups to nurse and protect, they use their stored fat reserves to nurse.<ref name=":0" /> Data analysis indicates that only 29% of pups born between September and January survive. One cause of this low survival rate is the timing of high surf around the areas of breeding, creating a threat to young pups. As well, if a female determines that her environment is not a safe one, she can initiate an abortion, indirectly lowering the population.<ref name=":2" /> Because of smaller populations there is an increase in genetic events such as inbreeding and lack of genetic variation. During other months of the year, pups have an estimated survival rate of 71%.<ref name=iucn/>

In 2008, lactation was reported in an open beach, the first such record since 1945, which could suggest the seal could begin feeling increasingly safe to return to open beaches for breeding purposes in Cabo Blanco.<ref name=monachus-guardian2>{{cite web|url=http://www.monachus-guardian.org/mguard22/2215mednew.htm#MauritaniaWestern%20Sahara |title=Mediterranean Monk Seal News II - Monachus Guardian 11 (2): November 2008 |publisher=Monachus-guardian.org |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref>

Pups make first contact with the water two weeks after their birth and are weaned at around 18 weeks of age; females caring for pups will go off to feed for an average of nine hours.<ref name=iucn/> Most female individuals are believed to reach maturity at four years of age unto which they will begin to breed.<ref name=":0" /> Males begin to breed at age six.<ref name=":1" /> The gestation period lasts close to a year. However, it is believed to be common among monk seals of the Cabo Blanco colony to have a gestation period lasting slightly longer than a year.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pastor |first1=T. |last2=Aguilar |first2=A. |date=2003 |title=Reproductive Cycle of the Female Mediterranean Monk Seal in the Western Sahara |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2003.tb01111.x |journal=Marine Mammal Science |language=en |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=318–330 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-7692.2003.tb01111.x |bibcode=2003MMamS..19..318P |issn=1748-7692|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Diet==
Mediterranean monk seals are [[diurnality|diurnal]] and feed on a variety of [[fish]] and [[mollusk]]s, primarily [[octopus]], [[squid]], and [[eel]]s, up to 3&nbsp;kg per day. Although they commonly feed in shallow coastal waters, they are also known to forage at depths up to 250 meters, with an average depth varying between specimens.<ref name=iucn/> Monk seals prefer hunting in wide-open spaces, enabling them to use their speed more effectively. They are successful bottom-feeding hunters; some have even been observed lifting slabs of rock in search of prey.

==Habitat==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2016}}
The habitat of this pinniped has changed over the years. In ancient times, and up until the 20th century, Mediterranean monk seals had been known to congregate, give birth, and seek refuge on open beaches. In more recent times, they have left their former habitat and now only use sea caves for these activities. Often these caves are inaccessible to humans. Frequently their caves have underwater entries, and many caves are positioned along remote or rugged coastlines.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Fisheries |first=NOAA |date=2024-11-22 |title=Mediterranean Monk Seal {{!}} NOAA Fisheries |url=https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/mediterranean-monk-seal |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=NOAA |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mediterranean Monk Seal |url=https://ppnea.org/portfolio-item/mediterranean-monk-seal-2/?lang=en |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=PPNEA |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bundone |first1=Luigi |last2=Panou |first2=Aliki |last3=Molinaroli |first3=Emanuela |date=2019 |title=On sightings of (vagrant?) monk seals, in the Mediterranean Basin and their importance for the conservation of the species |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3005 |journal=Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems |language=en |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=554–563 |doi=10.1002/aqc.3005 |issn=1099-0755|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=González |first=Luis Mariano |date=2015 |title=Prehistoric and historic distributions of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) in the eastern Atlantic |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12228 |journal=Marine Mammal Science |language=en |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=1168–1192 |doi=10.1111/mms.12228 |bibcode=2015MMamS..31.1168G |issn=1748-7692|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Scientists have confirmed this is a recent adaptation, most likely due to the rapid increase in human population, tourism, and industry, which have caused increased disturbance by humans and the destruction of the species' natural habitat. Because of these seals' shy nature and sensitivity to human disturbance, they have slowly adapted to try to avoid contact with humans completely within the last century, and, perhaps, even earlier. The coastal caves are, however, dangerous for newborns, and are causes of major mortality among pups when sea storms hit the caves.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Citation |last1=Notarbartolo di Sciara |first1=G. |title=Are Mediterranean Monk Seals, Monachus monachus, Being Left to Save Themselves from Extinction? |date=2016-01-01 |journal=Advances in Marine Biology |volume=75 |pages=359–386 |editor-last=Notarbartolo Di Sciara |editor-first=Giuseppe |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0065288116300153 |access-date=2025-01-16 |series=Mediterranean Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation |publisher=Academic Press |doi=10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.004 |last2=Kotomatas |first2=S. |pmid=27770990 |isbn=978-0-12-805152-8 |editor2-last=Podestà |editor2-first=Michela |editor3-last=Curry |editor3-first=Barbara E.|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gazo |first1=Manel |last2=Aparicio |first2=Fernando |last3=Cedenilla |first3=Miguel Angel |last4=Layna |first4=Jorge F. |last5=González |first5=Luis Mariano |date=2000 |title=Pup Survival in the Mediterranean Monk Seal (monachus Monachus) Colony at Cabo Blanco Peninsula (western Sahara-Mauritania) |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2000.tb00910.x |journal=Marine Mammal Science |language=en |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=158–168 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-7692.2000.tb00910.x |bibcode=2000MMamS..16..158G |issn=1748-7692|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Anecdotal Observations of Open Beach Use by Female Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus) and Their Pups in Greece: Implications for Conservation |url=https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/vol-48-iss-6-dendrinos/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |journal=Aquatic Mammals |date=2022 |language=en-US |doi=10.1578/am.48.6.2022.602 |last1=Dendrinos |first1=Panagiotis |last2=Adamantopoulou |first2=Styliani |last3=Koemtzopoulos |first3=Kimon |last4=Mpatzios |first4=Panagiotis |last5=Paxinos |first5=Odysseas |last6=Tounta |first6=Eleni |last7=Tsiakalos |first7=Dimitris |last8=Karamanlidis |first8=Alexandros A. |volume=48 |issue=6 |pages=602–609 |bibcode=2022AqMam..48..602D |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Distribution and status==
The Mediterranean monk seal can be found in the Mediterranean Sea off of [[Croatia]], [[Cyprus]], [[Greece]], and [[Turkey]], as well as the [[North Atlantic Ocean]] off of [[Mauritania]] and [[Western Sahara]].<ref name=iucn/> It may be locally-extinct (extirpated) in and around [[Albania]], [[Corsica]], [[Egypt]], [[France]], [[Italy]], [[Libya]], [[Malta]], [[Monaco]], [[Montenegro]], southern [[Spain]] (and the [[Balearic Islands]]), and [[Tunisia]].<ref name=iucn/> Its status in [[Algeria]], [[Israel]], [[Lebanon]], [[Morocco]] and [[Syria]] is unknown.<ref name=iucn/>

This [[earless seal]]'s historical range extended from the northern Atlantic coastline of Western Africa east to the [[Black Sea]], including all offshore islands within the Mediterranean, the [[Canary Islands]], [[Madeira Island|Madeira]], [[Desertas Islands|Desertas]], [[Porto Santo]], and as far west as the [[Azores]]. [[Vagrancy (biology)|Vagrants]] could be found as far south as [[The Gambia]] and the [[Cape Verde]] (Cabo Verde) islands, and as far north as [[Portugal]] to [[Northern Spain]] and the [[Bay of Biscay]] to the coast of [[Brittany]].<ref name=iucn/>

Several causes provoked a dramatic population decrease over time: on one hand, commercial hunting (especially during the Roman Empire and Middle Ages) and, during the 20th century, eradication by fishermen, who used to consider it a pest due to the damage the seal causes to fishing nets when it preys on fish caught in them; and, on the other hand, coastal urbanization and pollution.<ref name=iucn/>

Some seals have survived in the [[Sea of Marmara]],<ref>Inanmaz E.Ö..
Değirmenci Ö.. Gücü C.A.. 2014. [http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09397140.2014.944438?journalCode=tzme20 A new sighting of the Mediterranean Monk Seal, Monachus monachus (Hermann, 1779), in the Marmara Sea (Turkey)]. pp.278-280. Zoology in the Middle East. Volume 60, 2014 -  Issue 3. The [[Taylor & Francis]]. Retrieved on 28 March 2017</ref> but the last report of a seal in the [[Black Sea]] dates to 1997.<ref name=iucn/> Monk seals were present at [[Snake Island (Black Sea)|Snake Island]] until the 1950s, and several locations such as the {{ill|Danube Plavni Nature Reserve|ru|Дунайский биосферный заповедник}} and [[Doğankent]] were the last known [[hauling-out]] sites post-1990.<ref name=BlackPedia>{{cite book | last1=Grinevetskiii | first1=S. R. | last2=Zonn | first2=I. S. | last3=Zhilʹtsov | first3=S. S. | last4=Kosarev | first4=A. N. | last5=Kostianoĭ | first5=A. G. | title=The Black Sea encyclopedia | publication-place=Berlin | date=2015 | isbn=978-3-642-55227-4 | page=532}}</ref>

Nowadays, its entire population is estimated to be less than 700 individuals widely scattered, which qualifies this species as endangered. Its current very sparse population is one more serious threat to the species, as it only has two key sites that can be deemed viable. One is the [[Aegean Sea]] (250–300 animals in Greece, with the largest concentration of animals in [[Gyaros]] island,<ref name=Karamanlidis2016/> and some 100 in Turkey); the other important subpopulation is in the Atlantic Ocean, in the [[Western Sahara]]n portion of [[Ras Nouadhibou|Cabo Blanco]] (around 270 individuals which may support the small, but growing, nucleus in the [[Desertas Islands]] – approximately 30–40 individuals<ref name="EFEverde"/>). There may be some individuals using coastal areas among other parts of Western Sahara, such as in [[Cintra Bay]].<ref name=FootPrintBook>{{
Cite book|author=Tiwari M. |author2=Aksissou M. |author3=Semmoumy S. |author4=Ouakka K. |year=2006|title=Morocco Footprint Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LtXcAgAAQBAJ&q=cintra+bay+monk+seal&pg=PA265|publisher=Footprint Travel Guides|page=265|access-date=27 December 2014|isbn=978-1-907263-31-6}}</ref>

These two key sites are virtually in the extreme opposites of the species' distribution range, which makes natural population interchange between them impossible. All the other remaining subpopulations are composed of less than 50 mature individuals, many of them being only loose groups of extremely reduced size – often less than five individuals.<ref name=iucn/>

Other remaining populations are in [[Antalya Province|southwestern Turkey]] and the [[Ionian Sea]] (both in the eastern Mediterranean). The species status is virtually moribund in the western Mediterranean, which still holds tiny [[Morocco|Moroccan]] and [[Algeria]]n populations, associated with rare sightings of vagrants in the [[Balearic Islands]],<ref name=monachus-guardian3>{{cite web|url=http://www.monachus-guardian.org/news/news080620.htm |title=Sighting in Mallorca |publisher=Monachus-guardian.org |date=20 June 2008 |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> [[Sardinia]], and other western Mediterranean locations, including Gibraltar.

In [[Sardinia]] the Mediterranean monk seal was last sighted in May 2007 and April 2010. The increase of sightings in Sardinia suggests that the seal occasionally inhabits the Central Eastern Sardinian coasts, preserved since 1998 by the [[Gennargentu National Park|National Park of Golfo of Orosei]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecoblog.it/post/3403/sardegna-rispunta-la-foca-monaca|title=Sardegna: rispunta la foca monaca|author=Razzanelli, Matteo |date=8 May 2007|work=Ecoblog.it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centrostudinatura.it/news/default.asp?id=119|title=Riavvistata la foca monaca in Sardegna|work=centrostudinatura.it|access-date=30 November 2012|archive-date=3 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803233934/http://centrostudinatura.it/news/default.asp?id=119}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://gruppodinterventogiuridico.blog.tiscali.it/2010/04/17/torna-la-foca-monaca-e-forse-non-e-mai-andata-via/|title=Gruppo d'Intervento Giuridico o.n.l.u.s.|work=tiscali.it|access-date=30 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114043405/http://gruppodinterventogiuridico.blog.tiscali.it/2010/04/17/torna-la-foca-monaca-e-forse-non-e-mai-andata-via/|archive-date=14 November 2012}}</ref>

Colonies on the [[Pelagie Islands]] ([[Linosa]] and [[Lampedusa]]) were destroyed by fishermen, which likely resulted in local extinction.<ref>{{cite journal|date=November 2004|url=http://www.monachus-guardian.org/mguard14/1415mednew.htm |title=A brief survey of Linosa island |journal=The Monachus Guardian|volume=7|issue=2|page=1|access-date=2022-09-05}}</ref>

===Cabo Blanco 1997 die off and recovery===
Cabo Blanco, in the Atlantic Ocean, is the largest surviving single population of the species, and the only remaining site that still seems to preserve a colony structure.<ref name=iucn/> In the summer of 1997, more than 200 animals<ref name=iucn/> or two-thirds of its seal population were wiped out within two months, compromising the species' [[viable population]]. While opinions on the precise causes of this epidemic remain divided between a [[Phocine distemper virus|morbillivirus]] or, more likely, a [[Red tide|toxic algae bloom]],<ref name=iucn/> the mass die-off emphasized the precarious status of a species already regarded as critically endangered throughout its range.

Numbers in this all-important location started a slow-paced recovery ever since. A small but incipient (up to 20 animals by 2009) sub-population in the area had started using open beaches. In 2009, for the first time in centuries, a female delivered her pup on the beach (open beaches are the optimal habitat for the survival of pups, but had been abandoned due to human disturbance and persecution in past centuries).<ref>[https://www.cbd.int/iyb/doc/celebrations/iyb-spain-monksealatlantic-successstory.pdf The recovery of the Mediterranean monk seal in the Atlantic: a success history]. cbd.int</ref>

Only by 2016 the colony had recovered to its previous population (about 300 animals). This was made possible by a recovery plan financed by Spain.<ref name="EFEverde">{{cite news| url=http://www.efeverde.com/noticias/la-colonia-de-focas-monje-de-mauritania-se-triplicado-desde-su-crisis-de-1997/ | work=EFE Verde | first=Eloy | last=Vera | title=La colonia de focas monje de Mauritania se ha triplicado desde su crisis de 1997| date=22 December 2016| language=es| access-date=8 January 2017}}</ref> Also in 2016, a new record of births was set for the colony (83 pups).<ref name="EFEverde"/>

However, the threat of a similar incident, which could severely reduce or wipe out the entire population, remains.<ref name=monachus-guardian4>{{cite web|url=http://www.monachus-guardian.org/factfiles/medit01.htm |title=Mediterranean Monk Seal Fact Files: Overview |publisher=Monachus-guardian.org |date=5 May 1978 |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref>

===Recent sightings===
[[File:Mediterranean Monk Seal.jpg|thumb|On [[Coaling Island]] in September 2012, possibly the first record in the [[Strait of Gibraltar]]]]
[[File:Phoque Moine Monachus.jpg|thumb|On rocky shore at [[Serifos]], Greece]]
[[File:Phoques moines.jpg|thumb|Group at [[Lefkada (regional unit)|Lefkada]], Greece]]
[[File:Yulia aka Tugra, female Mediterranean monk seal sleeping in Israel – by Bar.jpg|thumb|Yulia, aka Tugra, female Mediterranean monk seal sleeping in Israel]]
In June 2009, there was a report of a sighting off the island of [[Isola del Giglio|Giglio]], in Italy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.giglionews.it/2009060953175/news/isola-del-giglio/avvistato-esemplare-di-foca-monaca-a-giglio-campese.html |title=Avvistato Esemplare Di Foca Monaca A Giglio Campese &#124; Isola-Del-Giglio &#124; News |publisher=Giglionews.it |date=8 June 2009 |access-date=6 November 2012 |archive-date=25 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425234820/http://www.giglionews.it/2009060953175/news/isola-del-giglio/avvistato-esemplare-di-foca-monaca-a-giglio-campese.html  }}</ref> 
On 7 January 2010, fishermen spotted an injured Mediterranean monk seal off the coasts of [[Tel Aviv]], Israel. When zoo veterinarians arrived to help the seal, it had slipped back into the waters. Members of the Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center arrived at the scene and tried to locate the injured mammal, but with no success. This was the first sighting of the species in the region since Lebanese authorities claimed to have found a population of 10–20 other seals on their coasts 70 years earlier.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rinat |first=Zafrir |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1141303.html |title=Critically endangered seal spotted off Israel coast - Israel News |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=8 January 2010 |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> In addition, the seal was also sighted a couple of weeks later in the northern kibbutz of [[Rosh HaNikra (kibbutz)|Rosh Hanikra]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/1143950.html |title=כלב ים נזירי - מין נדיר ביותר - נצפה שוב בחופי ישראל, הפעם בנהריה - מדע וסביבה - הארץ |publisher=Haaretz.co.il |date=20 January 2010 |access-date=6 November 2012|newspaper=הארץ }}</ref>

In April 2010, there was a report of a sighting off the island of [[Marettimo]], in the [[Egadi Islands]] off the coast of [[Italy]], in [[Province of Trapani|Trapani Province]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corriere.it/cronache/10_aprile_16/foca-monaca-marettimo_01f2edda-4978-11df-839c-00144f02aabe.shtml|date=2016-04-10 |title=La foca monaca torna dopo 50 anni - Corriere della Sera |publisher=Corriere.it |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> In November 2010, a Mediterranean monk seal, supposedly aged between 10 and 20, had been spotted in [[Bodrum]], Turkey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/id/25152437/ |title=Bodrum'da fok müjdesi - Doğal Hayat |publisher=ntvmsnbc.com |date=1 January 1970 |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> On 31 December 2010, the BBC Earth news<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9317000/9317582.stm | work=BBC News | first=Victoria | last=Gill | title=Refuge of endangered seals found | date=31 December 2010}}</ref> reported that the MOM Hellenic Society<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mom.gr/homepage.asp?ITMID=101 |title=MOm Website |publisher=Mom.gr |access-date=6 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031010442/http://www.mom.gr/homepage.asp?ITMID=101 |archive-date=31 October 2012  }}</ref> had located a new colony of seals on a remote beach in the Aegean Sea. The exact location was not communicated so as to keep the site protected. The society was appealing to the Greek government to integrate the part of the island on which the seals live into a [[marine protected area]].

On 8 March 2011, the BBC Earth news<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9416000/9416895.stm | work=BBC News | first=Victoria | last=Gill | title=Rare baby seal rescued in Greece | date=7 March 2011}}</ref> reported that a pup seal had been spotted on 7 February while monitoring a seal colony on an island in the southwestern Aegean Sea. Soon after, it showed signs of weakness and it was taken to a rehabilitation centre to try to save it. The aim is to release it back into the wild as soon as it is strong enough. In April 2011, a monk seal was spotted near the [[Egypt]]ian coast after long absence of the species from the nation.<ref>{{cite web|year=2011|title=Monk seal sightings in Egypt|url=http://www.disciara.org/monk-seal-sightings-in-egypt/|access-date=18 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218144837/http://www.disciara.org/monk-seal-sightings-in-egypt/|archive-date=18 February 2015}}</ref>

On 24 June 2011, the Blue World Institute of Croatia<ref>{{cite web|author=Blue World Institute |url=http://vimeo.com/25628506 |title=Sredozemna medvjedica snimljena uz zapadnu obalu Cresa - Monk seal observed and filmed on Cres, 24.6.2011. on Vimeo |publisher=Vimeo.com |date=26 June 2011 |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> filmed an adult female underwater in the northern Adriatic, off the island of [[Cres]] and a specimen of unverified sex on 29 June 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.plavi-svijet.org/hr/news/2012/7/2/sredozemna-medvjedica-na-cresu-2962012/ |title=Sredozemna medvjedica na Cresu|date=2012-06-29|language=hr |publisher=Plavi-svijet.org |access-date=6 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908001912/http://www.plavi-svijet.org/hr/news/2012/7/2/sredozemna-medvjedica-na-cresu-2962012/ |archive-date=8 September 2012  }}</ref> On 2 May 2013 a specimen was seen on the southernmost point of [[Istria|Istrian peninsula]] near the town of [[Pula]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalexpress.hr/site/more/sredozemna-medvjedica-na-galebovim-stijenama/ |title=Sredozemna medvjedica na Galebovim stijenama|date=2013-05-02|language=hr |publisher= regionalexpress.hr/ |access-date=3 May 2013}}</ref> On 9 September 2013, in [[Pula]] a male specimen swam to a busy beach and entertained numerous tourists for five minutes before swimming back to the open sea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.24sata.hr/neobicno/snimili-ljepoticu-kraj-pule-kao-da-nas-je-sve-dosla-pozdraviti-331777|author=Marić, Dijana |date=2013-09-12|title=Snimili ljepoticu kraj Pule: 'Kao da nas je sve došla pozdraviti'|work=www.24sata.hr}}</ref> In summer 2014 sightings in Pula have occurred almost daily and monk seal stayed multiple times on crowded city beaches, sleeping calm for hours just few meters away from humans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.index.hr/black/clanak/turiste-ne-dira-sto-ne-smiju-uznemiravati-sredozemnu-medvjedicu-opkolili-je-na-plazi/759779.aspx|title=Turiste ne dira što ne smiju uznemiravati sredozemnu medvjedicu, opkolili je na plaži|work=index.hr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.24sata.hr/zanimljivosti/sredozemna-medvjedice-dosla-meu-kupace-i-malo-odmorila-380131|date=2014-06-18|title=Sredozemna medvjedica došla među kupače i malo odmorila|work=www.24sata.hr}}</ref> To prevent accidents and preserve monk seal, local city council acquired special educational boards and installed on city beaches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glasistre.hr/vijesti/pula_istra/postavljena-edukativna-tabla-o-sredozemnoj-medvjedici-450428|title=Postavljena edukativna tabla o sredozemnoj medvjedici|date=2014-04-30|work=glasistre.hr}}</ref> Despite clear instructions, an incident occurred with a tourist harassing a seal. The whole event was filmed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/objavljena-snimka-makedonski-ilegalac-uznemiravao-sredozemnu-medvjedicu-na-plazi-u-puli/763027.aspx|title=Objavljena snimka: Makedonski ilegalac uznemiravao sredozemnu medvjedicu na plaži u Puli|work=index.hr}}</ref> Less than a month later on 25 August 2014 this female monk seal was found dead in the Mrtvi Puć bay near [[Šišan]], Croatia. Experts said it was natural death caused by her old age.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalexpress.hr/site/more/uginula-sredozemna-medvjedica/|title=Uginula Sredozemna medvjedica-VIDEO I FOTO|work=Regionalexpress.hr}}</ref>
<gallery>
File:Monachus monachus DSC 0274.jpg|The monk seal on Mornar Beach, in Pula, Croatia
File:Monachus monachus DSC 0057.jpg|A few days before she died in the Mrtvi Puć Bay near Šišan, Croatia
</gallery>

In 2012, a Mediterranean monk seal, was spotted in Gibraltar on the jetty of the private boat owners club at [[Coaling Island]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Your Gibraltar TV 'Seal Spotted at Coaling Island' | url=http://www.yourgibraltartv.com/ygtv-news/written-news/2327-sep-25-seal-spotted-at-coaling-island | access-date=20 September 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061548/http://www.yourgibraltartv.com/ygtv-news/written-news/2327-sep-25-seal-spotted-at-coaling-island | archive-date=21 September 2013  }}</ref>

In the week of 22–28 April 2013, what is believed to have been a monk seal was viewed in Tyre, southern Lebanon; photographs have been reported among many local media.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lebanonfiles.com/news/538303|title=فقمة صور الشهيرة احبت مياه المدينة وأهلها فعادت|work=lebanonfiles.com|date=2013-04-15}}</ref> A study by the Italian Ministry of the Environment in 2013 confirmed the presence of monk seals in marine protected area in the [[Egadi Islands]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legambiente.it/contenuti/comunicati/soddisfazione-di-legambiente-il-ritorno-della-foca-monaca-alle-egadi-un-evento-|title=Soddisfazione di Legambiente per il ritorno della foca monaca alle Egadi: "un evento unico in Italia ed eccezionale nel Mediterraneo"|work=legambiente.it|date=7 April 2022 }}</ref> In September and October 2013, there were a number of sightings of an adult pair in waters around [[RAF Akrotiri]] in British Sovereign Base waters in Cyprus.

In November 2014, an adult monk seal was reportedly seen inside the port of [[Limassol]], Cyprus. A female monk seal, called Argyro by the locals, was repeatedly seen on beaches of [[Samos]] island in 2014 and 2015,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zoosos.gr/etiketa/fokia-arguro-samos/#axzz3vnlOenMu|title=SNews regarding seal Argiro|work=zoosos.gr|date=2015}}</ref> and two were reported in April 2016.<ref name=r1>Chrysostomou, Annette (2016-04-26) [http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/04/26/monk-seals-spotted-in-paphos-sea/ Monk seals spotted in Paphos sea]. cyprus-mail.com</ref> In 2017, Argyro was shot and killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://greekreporter.com/2017/09/09/argyro-the-emblematic-seal-of-samos-shot-and-killed-video/ |title='Argyro' the Emblematic Seal of Samos Shot and Killed (video) |first1=Tasos |last1=Kokkinidis |date=9 September 2017 |website=Greek Reporter}}</ref>

On 7 April 2015, a large floating "fish" was reported near Raouche, [[Beirut]] in [[Lebanon]], and collected by a local fisherman. This turned out to be the body of a female monk seal known to have been resident there for some time. Further investigations revealed that she was pregnant with a pup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lebanonfiles.com/news/866922|title=بعد قتل زوجته وابنته "راهب" الدالية وحيداً|work=lebanonfiles.com|date=2015-04-15}}</ref>

On 13 August 2015, ten monk seals were spotted in [[Governor's Beach, Limassol]], Cyprus.<ref>{{cite web|author=About Sophia Söderholm |url=http://newcyprusmagazine.com/monk-seals-spotted-off-limassol/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803210603/http://newcyprusmagazine.com/monk-seals-spotted-off-limassol/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=3 August 2020 |title=Monk seals spotted off Limassol |publisher=Newcyprusmagazine.com |date=2015-08-13 |access-date=2022-09-05}}</ref>

On 6 January 2016, a monk seal climbed aboard a parked boat in [[Kuşadası]].<ref>[https://www.ensonhaber.com/kusadasinda-limana-bagli-tekneye-fok-cikti-2016-01-06.html Kuşadası'nda limana bağlı tekneye fok çıktı]. ensonhaber.com. 2016-01-06.</ref>

On 10 April 2016, a monk seal was spotted and photographed by a group of foreign exchange students and local bio-engineers in a creek in [[Manavgat|Manavgat District]] in [[Turkey]]'s southern [[Antalya Province]]. According to the scientists involved in local projects to protect the animals, this was the first ever documented sighting of a monk seal swimming in a river. Possible reasons for the animal's appearance included better opportunities for hunting, as well as higher salinity levels due to lower water levels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rare-monk-seal-spotted-by-students-in-antalya-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=97623&NewsCatID=341 |title=Rare monk seal spotted by students in Antalya |work=Hurriyet Daily News |date=2016-04-11 |access-date=2022-09-05}}</ref>

On 26 April 2016, two monk seals were spotted at the municipal baths area of [[Paphos]], Cyprus.<ref name=r1/>

On 18 October 2016, a monk seal was captured on video around [[Gulf of Kuşadası]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yenisafak.com/hayat/nesli-tukenen-fok-kusadasindan-cikti-2549357 |title=Nesli tükenen fok Kuşadası'ndan çıktı |publisher=Yenisafak.com |date=2016-10-18 |access-date=2022-09-05}}</ref>

On 3 November 2016, a monk seal was spotted at the coast of [[Gialousa]] in [[Cyprus]].<ref>[http://www.kibrispostasi.com/c102-YENIERENKOY/n205146-Yeni-Erenkoyde-Akdeniz-foku-goruntulendi Yeni Erenköy'de Akdeniz foku görüntülendi]. kibrispostasi.com. (2016-11-08)</ref>

On 13 June 2017, a specimen was spotted and photographed by a group of fishermen off the coasts of [[Tricase]] in the south of Italy.<ref>[https://www.diregiovani.it/2017/06/13/116892-foca-monaca-nel-salento-video.dg/ Monk seal spotted off Tricase, Italy]. diregiovani.it. 2017-06-13</ref>

In early 2018 a mother and her pup were spotted around [[Paphos#Port|Paphos Harbour]] in [[Cyprus]].<ref>Andreou, Evie (2018-02-03) [https://cyprus-mail.com/2018/02/03/rare-baby-monk-seal-reunited-mother/ Rare baby monk seal reunited with mother]. cyprus-mail.com</ref>

In November 2018, a young monk seal was spotted at the coast of [[Karavostasi]] in [[Cyprus]], only to be found dead at the same area a few days later.<ref>[http://www.kibrispostasi.com/c35-KIBRIS_HABERLERI/n267386-gemikonagi-sahilinde-akdeniz-foku-06112018 Gemikonağı sahilinde Akdeniz Foku]. kibrispostasi.com. (2018-06-11)</ref>

On 15 March 2019, a monk seal was spotted and photographed by a group of citizens at a marina in [[Kuşadası]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnnturk.com/turkiye/kusadasinda-15-ay-aradan-sonra-akdeniz-foku-goruldu |title=Kuşadası'nda 15 ay aradan sonra Akdeniz foku görüldü |publisher=Cnnturk.com |date=2019-03-15 |access-date=2022-09-05}}</ref>

On 20 July 2019, a monk seal was spotted in Protaras bay area in [[Cyprus]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.newsbomb.com.cy/kypros/el-ammoxwstos/story/754866/spanio-alla-synevi-sti-thalassa-toy-protara-fotos|title = Σπάνιο αλλά συνέβη στη θάλασσα του Πρωταρά (Φωτος)|date = 21 July 2019|access-date = 21 July 2019|archive-date = 21 July 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190721220747/https://www.newsbomb.com.cy/kypros/el-ammoxwstos/story/754866/spanio-alla-synevi-sti-thalassa-toy-protara-fotos}}</ref>

On 27 January 2020, a young monk seal was recovered dead from Torre San Gennaro in Apulia.<ref>{{cite journal |title=A Mediterranean Monk Seal Pup on the Apulian Coast (Southern Italy): Sign of an Ongoing Recolonisation?|date=25 June 2020|doi=10.3390/d12060258|doi-access=free|last1=Fioravanti|first1=Tatiana|last2=Splendiani|first2=Andrea|last3=Righi|first3=Tommaso|last4=Maio|first4=Nicola|last5=Lo Brutto|first5=Sabrina|last6=Petrella|first6=Antonio|last7=Caputo Barucchi|first7=Vincenzo|journal=Diversity|volume=12|issue=6|page=258|bibcode=2020Diver..12..258F |hdl=10447/432299|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

On 15 December 2020, a monk seal was spotted and videotaped while seated on a [[sunlounger]] in Samos Island, Greece.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1338636593427607553|user=RinChupeco|title=Oh to be a monk seal relaxing atop a lounge chair on Samos Island in Greece<!-- full text of tweet that Twitter returned to the bot (excluding links) added by TweetCiteBot. This may be better truncated or may need expanding (TW limits responses to 140 characters) or case changes. --> |date=15 December 2020}}</ref>

On 24 July 2021, a previously rescued and rehabilitated monk seal nicknamed "Kostis" was found dead in the waters of the Cycladic islands. MOm, the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal reported that the seal had been executed at close range with a spear gun. Additionally, MOm pledged a €18,000 bounty for any evidence that "will lead to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for the killing of the seal, known as Kostis."<ref>{{Cite news|date=July 24, 2021|title=Reward offered after beloved monk seal found killed in Greece|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/27/kostis-monk-seal-found-slain-near-alonnisos-greece}}</ref>

On 24 April 2023, a large monk seal was spotted at Korakonisi, Zakynthos in Greece. It stayed on the surface for around a minute observing onlookers and then dived and was not seen again on that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 24, 2023|title=Sighting log on observation.org|url=https://observation.org/observation/268924176/}}</ref>

On 12 May 2023, a healthy adult female monk seal was observed and photographed resting for at least a few hours on the beach in Jaffa near Tel Aviv, Israel.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 12, 2023|title=אירוע נדיר במיוחד: כלבת ים נצפתה בחוף במרכז הארץ|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/environment-science/article/hycpwkneh}}</ref> Israel's Nature and Park Authority has been monitoring since then this seal dubbed "Yulia", estimated at twenty years of age, spotted by eastern Mediterranean researchers in recent years in Turkey and Lebanon, where she is known as "Tugra". International consultation assessed that she is in normal [[Moulting|molt]] to shed her winter coat, mostly relaxing on the section of beach that has been fenced off for her, and occasionally going into the water.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-rare-endangered-seal-named-yulia-causes-media-stir-on-tel-aviv-beach/ | title=Rare, endangered seal named Yulia causes media stir on Tel Aviv beach | website=[[The Times of Israel]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/meet-yulia-endangered-seal-draws-crowds-to-tel-aviv-beach/3258940/ | title=Meet Yulia. Endangered Seal Draws Crowds to Tel Aviv Beach | date=16 May 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-05-14/ty-article/.premium/mediterranean-monk-seal-visits-israels-shore-for-first-time/00000188-171c-d8d1-aff8-bf5c6cb10000 | title=Mediterranean Monk Seal Visits Israel's Shore for First Time | newspaper=Haaretz }}</ref>

On 5 July 2024, a monk seal was spotted in Malta after an absence of 30 years.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofmalta.com/article/rare-native-monk-seal-spotted-maltese-waters.1094983 | title=Rare native monk seal spotted in Maltese waters }}</ref>

==Preservation==
[[File:Phoque moine.JPG|thumb|A seal swims at [[Ras Nouadhibou]]]]
Damage inflicted on fishermen's nets and rare attacks on offshore fish farms in [[Turkey]] and [[Greece]] are known to have pushed local people towards hunting the Mediterranean monk seal, but mostly out of revenge, rather than population control. Preservation efforts have been put forth by civil organizations, foundations, and universities in both countries since as early as the 1970s. For the past 10 years,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mediterranean Monk Seal Conservation {{!}} TUDAV |url=https://tudav.org/en/our-fields/sea-areas/mediterranean-sea/mediterranean-monk-seal-researches/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Johnson, William M., Lavigne, David M. |date=1995 |title=The Mediterranean Monk Seal: Conservation Guidelines |url=https://wedocs.unep.org/xmlui/handle/20.500.11822/1870 |journal=UN Document Repository |language=English}}</ref> many groups have carried out missions to educate locals on damage control and species preservation. Reports of positive results of such efforts exist throughout the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/what_we_do/mediterranean/about/marine/monk_seal_project/index.cfm |title=WWF - Mediterranean monk seal project |publisher=Panda.org |access-date=6 November 2012  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007030921/http://panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/what_we_do/mediterranean/about/marine/monk_seal_project/index.cfm |archive-date=7 October 2008 }}</ref>

In the [[Aegean Sea]], Greece has allocated a large area for the preservation of the Mediterranean monk seal and its habitat. The Greek [[Alonissos Marine Park]], that extends around the Northern [[Sporades]] islands, is the main action ground of the Greek MOm organisation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mom.gr |title=MOm Website |publisher=Mom.gr |access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> MOm is greatly involved in raising awareness in the general public, fundraising for the helping of the monk seal preservation cause, in Greece and wherever needed. Greece is currently investigating the possibility of declaring another monk seal breeding site as a national park and also has integrated some sites in the NATURA 2000 protection scheme. The legislation in Greece is very strict towards seal hunting, and in general, the public is very much aware and supportive of the effort for the preservation of the Mediterranean monk seal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Monk Seal Alliance and The MedFund join forces with NECCA to strengthen conservation action in Greece – N.E.C.C.A. |url=https://necca.gov.gr/en/news-announcements-press-releases/the-monk-seal-alliance-and-the-medfund-join-forces-with-necca-to-strengthen-conservation-action-in-greece/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Writer |first1=Sara Santora |last2=Trends |date=2021-07-26 |title=Spearfisherman Kills Famous Endangered Seal, Sparks Internet Outrage |url=https://www.newsweek.com/spearfisherman-kills-famous-endangered-seal-sparks-internet-outrage-1613227#:~:text=A%20famous%20and%20endangered%20Mediterranean%20monk%20seal%20named,responsible%20for%20the%20seal's%20death,%20reports%20the%20BBC. |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref>

The complex politics concerning the covert opposition of the Greek government towards the protection to the monk seals in the eastern Aegean in the late 1970s is described in a book by William Johnson.<ref name=":5">{{cite book|title=The Monk Seal Conspiracy|first=William|last=Johnson|isbn=978-0-946097-23-4|date=31 March 1988|publisher=Heretic Books|url=http://www.iridescent-publishing.com/msccont.htm}}</ref> Oil companies apparently may have been using the monk seal sanctuary project as a [[stalking horse]] to encourage greater cooperation between the Greek and Turkish governments as a preliminary to pushing for oil extraction rights in a geopolitically unstable area. According to Johnson, the Greek secret service, the YPEA, were against such moves and sabotaged the project to the detriment of both the seals and conservationists, who, unaware of such covert motivations, sought only to protect the species and its habitat.<ref name=":5" />

One of the largest groups among the foundations concentrating their efforts towards the preservation of the Mediterranean monk seal is the Mediterranean Seal Research Group (Turkish: ''Akdeniz Foklarını Araştırma Grubu'') operating under the Underwater Research Foundation (Turkish: ''Sualtı Araştırmaları Derneği'') in [[Turkey]] (also known as SAD-AFAG). The group has taken initiative in joint preservation efforts together with the [[Foça]] municipal officials, as well as phone, fax, and email hotlines for sightings.<ref>[http://www.sadafag.org/english/index.php SAD-AFAG] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514094153/http://www.sadafag.org/english/index.php |date=14 May 2010 }}</ref>

Preservation of the species requires both the preservation of land and sea, due to the need for terrestrial [[hauling-out|haul-out]] sites and caves or caverns for the animal to rest and reproduce. Even though responsible [[scuba diving]] instructors hesitate to make trips to known seal caves, the rumor of a seal sighting quickly becomes a tourist attraction for many. Irresponsible scuba diving trips scare the seals away from caves which could become habitation for the species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=W. |last2=Lavigne |first2=D. |date=1999 |title=MASS TOURISM and the MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL The role of mass tourism in the decline and possible future extinction of Europe's most endangered marine mammal, Monachus monachus |journal=The Monachus Guardian.|s2cid=131045844 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Trivourea |first=Maria |date=2011-09-01 |title=People and the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus): A Study of the Socioeconomic Impacts of the National Marine Park of Alonissos, Northern Sporades, Greece |url=https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/vol-37-iss-3-trivourea/ |journal=Aquatic Mammals |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=305–318 |doi=10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.305|bibcode=2011AqMam..37..305T |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The Environment and Urbanization Minister of Turkey announced on 18 November 2019 that a plan was proposed to further preserve the species to allow the sub species of Foça, Gökova, Datça and Bozburun to increase in numbers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/environment/2019/11/18/new-plan-to-protect-monk-seals-in-turkish-waters-being-introduced|title=New plan to protect monk seals in Turkish waters being introduced|website=DailySabah|date=18 November 2019|access-date=2019-11-22}}</ref>

==Conservation==
Under the auspices of the [[Bonn Convention|Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)]], also known as the [[Bonn Convention]], [[Mediterranean Monk Seal Memorandum of Understanding|the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning Conservation Measures for the Eastern Atlantic Populations of the Mediterranean Monk Seal]] was concluded and came into effect on 18 October 2007. The MoU covers four range States (Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal and Spain), all of which have signed, and aims at providing a legal and institutional framework for the implementation of the Action Plan for the Recovery of the Mediterranean Monk Seal in the Eastern Atlantic.

As there are indications of small population increases in the subpopulations, as of 2015, the Mediterranean monk seal's [[IUCN]] conservation status has been updated from [[critically endangered]] to [[endangered species|endangered]] in keeping with the IUCN's speed-of-decline criteria.<ref name=iucn/>

== In culture ==
The Mediterranean monk seal occasionally appears in [[Classical mythology]]. In [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey|The Odyssey]]'', the sea god [[Proteus]] is shown [[herding]] monk seals for [[Poseidon]]. The mythical hero [[Phocus of Aegina]] (with ''phokos'' literally translating to seal in Greek) was the son of the [[Nereids|nereid]] [[Psamathe (Nereid)|Psamathe]], and was conceived while she was transformed into a seal. The ancient city of [[Phocis (ancient region)|Phocis]] (and possibly [[Phocaea]]) was named after Phocus, and the city of Phocaea took on the monk seal as an emblem. This has been thought to either be due to the myth of Phocus' birth, or monk seals formerly inhabiting the area where Phocaea was established. There is only a single known surviving depiction of the monk seal from antiquity, this being on a [[Caeretan hydria]] likely created by Phocaean refugees in [[Etruria]].<ref name=":3" />

Despite its mythological connections and association with certain peoples, the monk seal still seems to have generally been reviled and feared by the ancient Greeks and Romans due to its form and smell, as well as its association with the unknown nature of the ocean. Many Greek and Roman metaphors and idioms portrayed the seal in a negative light. This antipathy may have contributed to its long-term decline in numbers by spurring persecution of the species.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|author=Johnson, William M.|title=Monk seals in antiquity: the Mediterranean monk seal (monachus monachus) in ancient history and literature|date=1999|publisher=Backhuys Publishers|oclc=861030988}}</ref>

On the other hand, a 2000-year-old grave with a skeleton of a Mediterranean monk seal was found during archaeological excavations in the port of [[Rhodes (city)|Rhodes]] in [[Greece]]; and the seal was buried with a ritual that was used for human [[burial]]s. The skeleton is now exhibited in the [[Aquarium of Rhodes]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes |url=https://rhodes-aquarium.hcmr.gr/en/ |access-date=September 20, 2024 |website=rhodes-aquarium.hcmr.gr |publisher=[[Hellenic Centre for Marine Research]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the [[11th century BC]], the [[Assyria]]n king [[Tiglath-Pileser I]] was gifted several animals by the Egyptian pharaoh [[Ramesses XI]], including a [[crocodile]] and an unknown creature known as the "river-man". These animals were displayed in the menagerie of his son [[Ashur-bel-kala]], and are portrayed on several of Ashur's obelisk fragments. A pair of hind flippers on one partial fragment has been identified with the "river-man", and if so indicate that the "river man" was almost certainly a monk seal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NABU 2022-3 (notes 77-135) – SÉPOA |date=21 November 2022 |url=https://sepoa.fr/nabu-2022-3-notes-77-135/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |language=fr-FR}}</ref>

When the [[1979 Mediterranean Games]] were organised in [[Split, Croatia|Split]], [[SR Croatia]], [[SFR Yugoslavia]] the mascot of the event was a Mediterranean monk seal named Adriana.<ref name="Mihaljević Jurković">{{cite journal | url = https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/ishasplitpleter/article/view/13665 | author= Matea Mihaljević Jurković | language = Croatian |journal=Pleter | volume =2 |issue= | pages = 191–211 | title = Mediteranske igre u Splitu 1979. godine |trans-title = The 1979 Mediterranean games in Split |date = 2021 |access-date = 9 October 2024 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{RefAudubonMarineMammals}}
* Peter Saundry. (2010) C Michael Hogan (Topic Editor) [https://web.archive.org/web/20100704151241/http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mediterranean_monk_seal "Mediterranean monk seal" Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, DC: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment)]
* William Johnson, (1988), [https://archive.org/details/monksealconspira0000john ''The Monk Seal Conspiracy''], Heretic Books {{ISBN|0-946097-23-2}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Marine life|Mammals}}
* [http://www.focamonje.es Mediterranean Monk Seal]
* ARKive – [https://web.archive.org/web/20060526190414/http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Monachus_monachus/ images and movies of the Mediterranean monk seal ''(Monachus monachus)'']
* [http://www.monachus-guardian.org The Monachus Guardian]
* [http://www.mom.gr/ Hellenic Society for the study and protection of the monk seal]
* [http://www.madeirabirds.com/madeira_monk_seal Madeira Monk Seal Colony]
* [http://www.sadafag.org SAD-AFAG] ([http://sadafag.org/en/ English version])
* [http://www.tudav.org/index.php/en/mediterranean-sea/135-mediterranean-sea-foku-arast-rmalar Turkish National Action Plan for the Preservation of the Mediterranean Monk Seal ''(Monachus monachus)'']{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080110130035/http://www2.wcmc.org.uk/species/data/species_sheets/medmonk.htm Mediterranean monk seal factsheet at the United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre]

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[[Category:Monachines]]
[[Category:Pinnipeds of Africa]]
[[Category:Pinnipeds of Asia]]
[[Category:Pinnipeds of Europe]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Black Sea]]
[[Category:Mammals of Europe]]
[[Category:Mammals of North Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals of Turkey]]
[[Category:Fauna of Madeira]]
[[Category:EDGE species]]
[[Category:Endangered animals]]
[[Category:Endangered fauna of Africa]]
[[Category:Endangered fauna of Asia]]
[[Category:Endangered biota of Europe]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1779]]
[[Category:Habitats Directive species]]