Mediterranean monk seal
It feeds on all kinds of fish and cephalopods available in the area where it lives, with octopus being its all-time favorite.
2-3 m long and up to 350 kg in weight.
35-40 years
Vulnerable (IUCN, 2023)
The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the rarest mammals in Europe and the only pinniped species living in Greece!
Εxternal features
It ranks among the largest seal species in the world. Its body is covered with short sleek hair, ranging from dark brown to dark grey in females and black in males.
Habitat
It is a coastal animal that loves underwater caves and isolated, rocky and inaccessible beaches, where it gives birth and nurses its pups. It swims long distances and can dive to depths of 170 meters in search of food.
Population in Greece
Approximately 300 individuals, out of a world population of nearly 600, live in the Greek seas.
Fun Fact!
It is estimated that an adult individual needs to consume food equivalent to 5-10% of their body weight, on a daily basis.