SAVE THE MEDITERRANEAN MONKSEAL

 A Monk Seal mother and her child visited the port of Aegiali. They stayed there for around three hours, were extremely friendly and played with people on Aegiali Beach.

Because the Mediterranean Monk Seal is one of the most endangered mammals, we decided to inform MOm and the port police of Aegiali to take care of them.

“The Mediterranean Monk Seal is a sign of a healthy marine environment and a big part of the rich biodiversity in Greece. As long as Monachus monachus exists in the Greek waters, we can be certain that our seas are among the cleanest and healthiest in the world!” 

The Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) is a pinniped belonging to the Phocidae family. At some 450-510 remaining individuals, it is believed to be the world’s second-rarest pinniped and one of the most endangered mammals in the world. This species of Monk Seal, one of the largest seals in the world, grows from approximately 80 cm long at birth up to nearly 2.5m as adults They are thought to live up to 45 years old, 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 a meter long and weigh around 15-18 kilograms, 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 between the two sexes. This hair is replaced after six to eight weeks by the usual short hair adults carry.
Mediterranean monk seals are diurnal and feed on a variety of fish and mollusks, primarily octopus, squid, and eels, up to 3 kg per day. They are known to forage mostly at depths of 150–230 feet. Monk seals prefer hunting in wide-open spaces, enabling them to use their speed more effectively. They are successful bottom-feeding hunters, and have been observed (as a species) lifting slabs of rock in search of prey.

Damage inflicted upon fishermen’s nets and rare attacks on off-shore 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. In the Aegean Sea, only Greece has allocated a large area for the preservation of the Mediterranean monk seal and its habitat. MOm, the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, which was founded in 1988 by a group of biologists and researchers from the University of Athens 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.


   
  

  
   
  

I write this later

Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.