April 16th 2025
Mediterranean Monk Seal – A Snapshot from the Open Sea
The Mediterranean monk seal is a truly unique species—yet in just a few short decades, human impact across the Mediterranean has driven it to the brink, making it one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world.
There is, however, a glimmer of hope: over the past five years, not a single intentional killing of a monk seal has been recorded in the eastern and central Aegean. This marks a dramatic and encouraging shift from previous years, when such deliberate killings occurred in alarming numbers annually.
This progress reflects the growing awareness and collective responsibility needed to protect one of the Mediterranean’s most iconic and vulnerable species.
