Along with the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the monk seal (Monachus monachus) used to be a regular inhabitant of the Adriatic Sea.
According to notes by Spiridion Brusina, a Croatian zoologist of the 19th century, the central and the southern parts of the Adriatic Sea were considered to be one of the most significant habitats of this species. Local people called it “ sea man” , “ sea devil” , “ sea calf” or “ sea bear” – the latter as it is referred to in the first Croatian document about this species, a poem by Mavro Vetranovic Cavcic, composed in the period from 1482 – 1576. The monk seal male caught in 1777 off the island of Cres found its way to Johann Hermann. His detailed observations of this specimen, published in 1779, were considered the first modern scientific description of this species.
Before any serious scientific research could be undertaken, the monk seal, as well as the common dolphin, had disappeared from the Adriatic Sea. The last confirmed habitat of two specimens of monk seal was near the island of Pag in 1992. In the summer of 1993 the monk seal was seen near the island of Palagruza for a short period of time. In the past year or so, a large number of monk seal sightings have been noted in the Croatian part of the Adriatic. The locations of these sightings are indicated on the accompanying map (Fig. 1), while further data on each observation are provided under the corresponding number in the table below. All the reports have one common characteristic: only one specimen was observed. The animal was normally observed by only one individual but there were also sightings by two, three, four people and sometimes even larger groups. The specimen was most frequently observed by those familiar with the sea: fishermen and divers. Taking into consideration all these factors, we conclude that at least one monk seal has been wandering across the Adriatic over the past year. Although it is not possible to be 100 percent certain that all the sightings are of Monachus monachus (conceivably, another species of true seal that has escaped captivity might be involved), we believe that the most recent sightings could well be of a Mediterranean monk seal — possibly a solitary visitor from the nearest population in the central Ionian Sea which wandered into the Croatian part of the Adriatic but has yet to settle in one area.
Source: Croatian Scientific Bibliography
Locations of sightings of Mediterranean monk seals ( Monachus monachus ) in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea
The Mediterranean monk seal makes a comeback in Croatia
Source: rewildingeurope.com
Recently taken photos and videos confirm that the Mediterranean monk seal is sensationally making a comeback in Croatia. The scientists still don’t know the exact number of individuals, but the “Mediterranean Monk Seal Group” has collected over 4,500 photos and video clips proving that the Adriatic is again a permanent habitat for these critically endangered mammals.
Most of the Mediterranean monk seals have been spotted in two groups – one near the Kamenjak Cape and another on the west bank of Cres Island. These rare sea mammals have begun to appear more often over the last year. In September 2012, Mediterranean monk seals were reportedy seen splashing the water near the beach of Centinera u Banjolama. Enthusiastic spectators enjoyed the chance to meet them this year near the Kamenjak cape and in several other places along the Adriatic coast. “Based on the data gathered it is estimated that the Adriatic now harbours between 4-5 Mediterranean monk seals”, says Emanuele Coppola, President of the Mediterranean Monk Seal Group for the Croatian daily newspaper “Danas”. This is great news also for the Velebit rewilding area, which is planned to extend out into the Adriatic archipelago.
The Mediterranean monk seal belongs to the suborder Pinnipedia, the seal family (Phocidae) and the genus monk seals (Monachus). In Croatia, this seal is also known as the ”Sea man”, the ”Sea bear” or the ”Sea monk”. It was first scientifically described in 1779, based on a carcass found at Osor on the Island of Cres. The male Mediterranean monk seal can grow to a length of 2.5 m and weigh up to 400 kg. Males are usually blackish grey with white spots on the belly. Females are somewhat smaller than males and are usually greyish in colour. They live in small, isolated groups of 5 to 7 individuals in island areas.. The life span of the Mediterranean monk seal is more than thirty years, but a lot about its biology still remains unknown.
The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the world’s most endangered mammals. According to the IUCN Red List this species is facing extinction, with a status of critically endangered (CR). It was once widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and northern Atlantic along the western coast of Africa. It lived in colonies, using spacious beaches. However, intensive hunting over the centuries has drastically reduced its populations. Over time, it was forced to avoid its original habitats due to the intensive development of coastal areas. It is thought that it has changed its way of life and habitat in order to adapt to the new situation. Today, it uses sea caves that are not affected by human disturbance, usually with submerged marine entrances and comfortable gravel beaches or sand slabs within the caves for sleeping and for nursing the young. The once wide distribution range of this species has been completely fragmented and today only two larger populations remain, which have developed significant genetic differences. The largest population is along the western coast of Africa (Cabo Blanco), where the monk seals continue to live in larger colonies on the sea beaches, whilst the second colony is found along the coasts of Greece and Turkey. There is also a colony at the Portuguese Desertas Islands, near Madeira.
The Mediterranean monk seal is protected under the Croatian Nature Protection Act and is included in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive, Annex II of the Bern Convention, Annexes I and II of the Bonn Convention, Annex I of the CITES Convention and Annex II of the SPA protocol of the Barcelona Convention. Killing of a Mediterranean monk seal is punishable with a fine of 100.000 Croatian kuna (around 13,500 euro).
According to the IUCN data, the Mediterranean monk seal is considered to be possibly extinct in Croatian waters, while according to the Red Book of Mammals of Croatia from 2006, it has the status of a regionally extinct (RE) species, considering that the last sighting of a young pup was in the early 1990s (Mljet 1992, Palagruža 1993). It is believed to have been present throughout the Adriatic Sea just 100 years ago, though it was likely never a very large population, only 30-40 adults at most. Over the past 15 years, there have been several reports of sightings of adult Mediterranean monk seals in the Croatian waters of the Adriatic. In the recent years, the intensity of sightings has increased substantially, with more reports now documented by photographs and films. Sightings are regular in different parts of the Adriatic, especially along the eastern coast of Istria and the western coast of the islands of Cres and Lošinj according to information from the State Institute for Nature Protection of Croatia.