SeaBeyond - Blue Bridges

In the past, the Mediterranean monk seal was common along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the coast of northwest Africa and as far as the Cape Verde Islands, the Canary Islands, the Azores, the island of Madeira, and the Iberian Peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean. From the time of the Roman Empire until the 1940s, humans hunted seals for oil, meat, and skin and fur. In addition, fishermen hunted seals for the damage they caused to fishing gear and catch. In fact, to this day, intentional and unintentional capture constitute one of the main threats to the Mediterranean monk seal population, as well as the depletion of food sources in the Mediterranean Sea, competition with fishermen for catch, and the shrinking of quiet caves with underwater entrances suitable for this species to escape due to tourism development. Seals are at the top of the food web, and environmental pollution causes a variety of heavy metals, pesticides, and chemical toxins to accumulate in their bodies. These substances, even if they do not cause immediate death, reduce the animals' resistance to disease, affect birth rates and pup mortality rates, and shorten the overall lifespan of animals exposed to the pollution. Delphis researchers emphasize that the return of the monk seal to the eastern Mediterranean basin after an absence of many years, and its importance as a top predator in the ecosystem, only reinforces the importance of declaring marine nature reserves, which will encourage the natural return of this species to our region.

The common name of the monk seal comes from the fold of thick skin around the neck, which resembles the fold of the hood of a monk's robe. Monk seals are also born with a black fur coat, which is distinctive from other mammals.

The seal is a top predator in the system, and it is of great importance in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Seals hunt the sick, the injured, and those who are less adapted to their environment - thus ensuring that the environment in which they live is the most suitable. When you remove top predators from the system, it goes out of balance. Suddenly there can be an outbreak of a certain species (like jellyfish) because there is no one to balance these outbreaks from above, and that is the role of top predators. There is a shortage of them in Israel, and Delphis researchers hope that they will return to maintain a better coastal system.

Despite the similar name, the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is very different from the seals most of us know from movies - those that live among Antarctic icebergs or on the frozen shores of the far north. The key difference: the monk seal is a Mediterranean species and actually lives in warm regions. It is found mainly around the Greek islands, Cyprus, and Turkey, and sometimes even reaches our area - along the coast of Israel. It is a marine mammal adapted to life in relatively warm waters, not extreme cold. Can it live in a tropical climate? In principle, yes - it is adapted to warm environments, so a tropical climate does not pose a problem in terms of water or air temperature. However, there is a difference between general suitability and optimal conditions. Monk seals are accustomed to secluded coastlines, rocky caves, and relatively clear waters - not every tropical area provides these conditions. In addition, tropical regions often have greater competition with other marine predators, which can affect the seal’s ability to find food or reproduce undisturbed. For these reasons, the Mediterranean region is the monk seal’s preferred habitat - not icy glaciers, but not a tropical marine jungle either. So, if you come across a seal on a warm beach, don’t rush to assume it “lost its way from Antarctica. ”It may well be a Mediterranean monk seal - an endangered species trying to survive in one of the last habitats remaining to it in the wild.

1. First of all: keep your distance! This is a wild animal, and it should not be disturbed. 2. Report to the Delphis Association on the website (or by clicking the following button) so that our investigators can access the location: 3. Photograph the monk seal (from a distance and without using flash!). It is recommended to take both still photos and video 4. Keep dogs away (tie them on a leash), remain quiet, and do not point flashlights at the animal.