Marine biologist: Monk seals are wild animals, we should keep our distance

A diver released a video on Monday of getting close to a Mediterranean monk seal in a cave off Malta, as a leading marine biologist warned people against close encounters with the creatures.

The video shows divers swimming up to the seal in a half-submerged cave in Maltese waters and lighting it with a torch.

However, while the video appears to have captured the imagination of many viewers, others have expressed concern about the divers getting too close to the seals and have asked the creators of the video not to share the location of the cave to avoid attracting others to the site.

Contact information Times of MaltaMarine biologist Alan Deidun, an associate professor at the University of Malta, said that while he was initially “ecstatic” when he saw footage of the rare mammal, that excitement quickly turned to concern.

“It looked like an animal in a cage … it seemed frightened,” he said.

“What really stood out to me was the use of artificial light,” Deaton said, adding that some experiments have shown that alternative light sources, such as red light, are less disruptive to species.

‘They give birth in more dangerous places’

The marine biologist said that while the sex of the seal in the video was unclear, “it would be more concerning if it was female.”

He said that if the seal was pregnant then “it certainly would not have given birth there after the divers had been there… They are smart and will avoid contact with humans. They are wild animals and we should keep our distance.”

It is noteworthy that while Mediterranean monk seals have been known to gather in visible places such as beaches and give birth centuries ago, human disturbance has led to changes in the species’ behavior.

“Now, they are much more shy and giving birth in more dangerous places,” he said, noting that pregnant monk seals prefer to give birth in semi-flooded caves and that during storms, pups (baby seals) are at risk of drowning.

The marine biologist acknowledged that “it is OK to take photos of seals from a distance from a boat,” and said that although the seal population is increasing, “we should not become complacent.”

“Authorities should inform people how to treat seals”

The university professor called the species an “icon of the Mediterranean” and urged authorities to draw up a “responsible code of conduct” to inform people how to treat the animals, stressing that “it’s more than just not killing or not touching them.”

However, while expressing his concerns, the professor said he understood people’s fascination with the species and why people would be tempted to get close to them.

Although the species is native to the Mediterranean region, human activities have caused its numbers to decline to vulnerable levels, but the population is still increasing and is estimated to be less than 1,000 individuals.

A whale of this type, which has not been seen in Malta for decades, was photographed on a boat in Maltese waters last Saturday and is back in the public eye.

The Environment and Resources Management Agency said the last official recorded sighting dates back to the late 1990s and last weekend encouraged the public to report any further sightings.

Authorities stressed that capturing, killing, removing, trading or “deliberately harassing” monk seals in any way would be punishable by law.