MONACHUS-MONACHUS

  The seal Monachus Monachus is a sea mammal of the Fokidos family and got its name “Monk Seal” because of the flap of skin behind its head, which looks like a monk’s cowl. Greece is an ideal home for it and it breeds here at a satisfactory rate. The Monk Seal is currently the most endangered species in Europe. Although in the past it could be found throughout the Mediterranean, the shores of the Atlantic and the Black Sea, today the few hundred animals that are left are confined to the beaches around the Aegean, Ionian, Moroccan and Mauritanian seas.
  It belongs to one of the largest species of seal in the world and can reach 2-3 metres in length with an average weight of 250 kilos. Its sleek fur coat is usually grey or brown along its back and lighter on its stomach. Newborn seals are 1 metre long and weigh 15-20 kilos. They are covered in long black fur with a white patch on their stomachs. The Monk Seal feeds on a variety of fish, as well as octopus and squid. It needs food equivalent to 5% of its body weight and, in order to find food, it will cover huge distances.
  It is a very intelligent animal, with great curiosity and an ability to adapt. Despite being a mammal, its metabolism allows it to hold its breath under water for up to 15 minutes. It can dive down to 100 metres and has special muscles that block off its nostrils.
  The females mature when they reach 3 or 4 years old but males take a little longer. They have a life span of between 30-45 years. Their reproductive cycle lasts around 12 months (10 months’ gestation and 6-8 weeks’ suckling) and they give birth to only one pup every two years, their reproductive rate is slow. During the period from gestation to 3 months old, the seal is at its most vulnerable. If seals are disturbed in their caves, the resulting panic and rush to leave can cause miscarriages or injury to the young pups, which are unable to move fast or swim properly.
  Seals are portrayed on ancient Greek coins, and in Homer’s Odyssey there is a description of them basking on Greece’s sandy beaches. This shows that the ancient Greeks had great respect for these animals, as they were allowed to sunbathe unmolested. Today, persecuted by man, they seek refuge on shore and on rocky islands, far away from their great enemy, who seeks to exploit them for his own ends. For many years now it has been hunted for its meat, fur and oils. The hunting season usually coincides with the reproductive season when the seals have come out onto dry land and find it difficult to escape. There are, of course, environmental organizations, which are sensitive to this issue and try to prevent this animal’s extinction. Unfortunately, their attempts, however praiseworthy, are not yet sufficient to solve the problem.
  Apart from the killings and the presence of people on beaches, the seals have still further problems. Over-fishing reduces the seal’s food supply and they cannot live on the seashore without fish. One cause of miscarriage is probably the pollution of the food chain. Toxic substances dumped in the sea accumulate in fish that feed off smaller fish, thus making things worse for the seal. Seals have learnt to make use of fish they find in nets, thus damaging the fishing tackle and incurring the wrath of the fishermen. There are many accounts of islanders killing them by clubbing them, using dynamite, special hooks and traps. Others have died in accidents or by suffocating whilst trying to catch fish. Nonetheless, fishermen persist in killing seals. The damage seals cause is over-exaggerated. Bad fishing methods and illegal activities unfortunately cause far more damage than could all the seals in the world put together.
  The Mediterranean Seal, because of its high position in the ecological pyramid, can be considered as indicative of the health of the sea’s environment and as such is symbolic. Its disappearance can be seen as a sign of an imminent, more widespread downgrading of the sea’s ecosystem. There is an urgent need to protect the seals, so that future generations can also enjoy their presence in our seas.

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