Blue World news release, 2 July 2012
Despite sporadic reports of individual observations in the last few decades, the emergence of the Mediterranean monk seal in the Adriatic has only been confirmed recently. First photographically documented observations were made on the 12 June 2005. […]
Since then, Blue World regularly monitors these types of observations in the northern Adriatic. Given that the Mediterranean monk seal uses a large area it has many places to rest. Occasional observations around Cape of Premantura Kamenjak in Istria and Losinj have been made, yet there are wide areas of the coast in this region with limited accessibility where the seal could rest in peace. On the 24.06.2011 Blue World researchers recorded the movement of an individual under water (video on www.plavi-svijet.org/hr/znanost/vrste/sredozemna_medvjedica/), and subsequent inspection of the terrain we found underwater caves which may be used by the animals to rest.
[Through] analysis of the available photos, we confirmed that this individual is the one observed in 2009 in Kamenjak, Istria.
Based on reports and photographs from canoeists from Germany on 30.06.2012., Blue World Institute researchers went to review sites and found the monk seal, which was resting on a small beach within a sea cave on the western coast of Cres. The animal was about 2.5 m long and lay almost motionless on the beach. In subsequent examination of the cave and beach, we collected a small amount of biological material which will be analysed for DNA which would in the future help in determining the origin of this animal. [More]
Source: The Monk Seal on Cres, Blue World, 2 July 2012.
Croatia