Looking Out For Vulnerable Mediterranean Monk Seals

The Seal Greece nonprofit is on a mission. This summer, two environmentally-friendly emission-free boats, buoyed by a strong social media presence,  visited 26 Greek islands following different routes in the Aegean and Ionian seas. This was part of an epic "Awareness Voyage” to highlight the plight of endangered Mediterranean Monk Seals in Greece. 

These multigenerational and multinational teams,  made up of sailors, scientists, and storytellers, sailed with a purpose. They set out to teach locals how to optimally interact with these endangered mammals, most of which are found in Greece, as a media release from campaign backers, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, outlines. 

Seal Greece supports conservation measures for the Mediterranean monk seal and its habitats in Greece. This sailing campaign has been a national initiative co-led by the Greek National Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA) and the Monk Seal Alliance, a donor coalition, including companies like  Aegean Cargo Sailing, and Istion Yachting, partnering with Seal Greece to protect this threatened and beloved species by raising awareness on respectful sailing practices and tourism.

“The Mediterranean monk seal is a precious symbol of Greece’s unique marine heritage. Through the Seal Greece campaign, we aim to unite communities, sailors, and tourists in protecting these rare animals and their fragile habitats, ensuring they thrive for generations to come, “ says Dr. Maria Papadopoulou, President of NECCA, underlining the significance of this initiative.

How Mediterranean Monk Seals Became Vulnerable
As the Marine Mammal Commission, an independent agency of the US Government details, the Mediterranean monk seal is the world’s rarest seal species, with only about 815-997 individuals thought to remain. 

As The Logbook reports, adults can reach up to 2.3 metres  in length, and weigh around 300 kilogrammes. They are expert divers hunting octopus, squid and fish at depths of up to 200 metres , but are especially vulnerable when raising their pups.

Once, they were found regularly throughout the Mediterranean, Marmara and Black Seas, and even  along parts of the African coast. But in the 20th century, the species was eliminated, mostly by fishers, over most of that range. 

Today, these seals are on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

But Mediterranean monk seals, Aka Monachus monachus meaning monk, a nod to the folds of skin around their necks resembling a hooded robe, have suffered millennia of human exploitation, as their natural predators are rare. This persecution stretches back from our modern era to the Middle Ages, the Roman era, and even to prehistoric times. 

Like other monk seals, Mediterranean monk seals are thought to have rested and pupped on sandy beaches, but centuries of harassment drove them to rest and pup in inaccessible caves that contain sandy beaches.

Today, just a few widely dispersed, fragmented populations live in just a small portion of the original range of this species. Three isolated reproductive populations remain: In the Eastern Mediterranean (mostly in Greece and Turkey), the Madeira Archipelago, and in parts of Mauritania, to the south.

The good news is that researchers report a slow recovery. For instance, a range expansion has been seen in parts of Turkey, where the population has rebounded slightly. Nonetheless, as The Logbook cautions, sailors, divers and ocean lovers should avoid anchoring near sensitive monk seal zones and caves in areas known for monk seal activity.

More on This Summer’s Awareness Voyage
This summer’s Seal Greece Awareness Voyage  launched on July 7 from Volos, a Greek coastal port city situated midway on the Greek mainland.

Between July 7 and August 8, the teams traversed the Aegean and Ionian Seas aboard two sustainable, wind-powered sailing vessels, to raise awareness and inspire collective action to protect Greece’s Mediterranean monk seals.

The busy summer season is a particularly challenging time for monk seal conservation, as many of the quiet coastal cages used for shelter and breeding are disrupted by recreational boats, party cruises, noise, anchors and untrained tourism operators. All of these human activities can  threaten monk seal behavior and survival, as Sailing Today reports.

At each port of call, the focus of this sailing campaign has been on actively engaging with local communities  and tourists to spread the word that human disturbance of precious Mediterranean monk seals is among their gravest threats. They learn that actions that disturb, feed, touch, or harass a locally-found monk seal are illegal and harmful to both the seal and the observer. Mother seals with pups are particularly vulnerable to negative impacts. 

Using real-time storytelling, special events, and interactive tools, Seal Greece representatives work to empower locals that they too can play a part in vital marine conservation efforts. One fun as well as educational prop is Mona, an augmented reality experience supported by marine biologists and conservationists.  Accessible via mobile app, and using geolocation technology, this seal appears on screen to guide skippers, divers and tourists in real time through practical advice on minimizing disturbance to seals, particularly when they are in ecologically sensitive areas. 

According to Auriane Pertuisot, Coordinator of the Monk Seal Alliance, the campaign’s strength depended on engaging people through creative techniques: “Our goal is to foster harmonious coexistence between people and the Mediterranean monk seals. Through innovative tools like augmented reality, and community engagement, we inspire respectful behaviors that protect these magnificent creatures while allowing sustainable enjoyment of Greece’s beautiful seas.”

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