Monk Seal

Collection title

More

ID

HRT00124

Source

HRT (HR)

First broadcast date

12/12/2003

Production year

2003

Abstract

The monk seal is one of the most endangered marine mammals, and probably the rarest seal in the world. Number of surviving representatives of this species is estimated to total only 500-600 individuals who reside mostly in two large areas. One in the northeastern Mediterranean (Greece, Turkey, Cyprus) and the second in the NE Atlantic (Cap Blanc along the coast of West Africa and Mauritania and Desertas islands in the archipelago of Madeira). Unfortunately, in other parts of Mediterranean, species may be considered extinct, due to the large distance and spatial isolation between the Mediterranean and Atlantic populations. In Croatia, the Mediterranean monk seal has disappeared in the mid Sixties, when the last specimens were caught, and since then no breeding records, but only occasional observations of specimens coming from the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, these observations are for now only a reminder of the fact that various human activities - hunting and killing, wild fisheries, construction and urbanization in coastal areas, disturbance and pollution - are changing the environment for the monk seal, who has to choose isolated and inaccessible sea caves and beaches for its habitat.

Type

video

Production companies

• HRT - Own production

Broadcaster

HRT - HRT

Audiovisual form

Magazine

Personalities

• prof.dr.Jardas Ivan
• mr.sc. Žuljević Ante
• prof.dr. Dulčić Jakov

Primary theme

Protection of Natural environments

Secondary themes

• Landscapes and environment / Eco-systems and sustainable development

Credits / Cast

• Poljak Ivo - Photographer
• Kovačević Šime - Journalist

Period of events

• 2003

Map locations

• Croatia - Dalmatia - Split

Original language

croatian

Media running time

6m13

Additional information