Caribbean Monk Seal
Encyclopedia
The Caribbean monk seal or West Indian monk seal (Monachus tropicalis) is an extinct species of seal
. It is the only seal ever known to be native to the Caribbean Sea
and the Gulf of Mexico
. The last verified recorded sighting occurred in 1952 at Serranilla Bank
. On June 6, 2008, after five years of futile efforts to find or confirm sightings of any Caribbean monk seals, the U.S. government announced the species is officially extinct, and the only seal to vanish due to human causes.
A collection of Caribbean monk seal bones can be found at the Tropical Crane Point Hammock Museum
in Key Vaca
.
. The soles and palms were naked, with the nails on the anterior digits well developed. The males reached a length of about 3.25 meters and weighed up to 200 kilograms. Displaying sexual dimorphism
, the females of this species were generally smaller than males.
environment, spending much of their time in the water and occupying rocky and sandy coastlines for shelter and breeding. Their diet included lobsters, octopuses, and reef fish.
Like other true seals, the Caribbean monk seal was sluggish on land. Its lack of fear for man and an unaggressive and curious nature also contributed to its demise.
during this time of the year had well-developed fetuses. It is believed this animal's average lifespan was approximately twenty years.
During his 1494 voyage, Christopher Columbus
described the Caribbean monk seal as a "sea-wolf". During that voyage, eight seals were killed for their meat. The region was soon colonized, and whatever habitat this species had was lost. People also began exploiting it commercially for its oil, and less frequently, for its meat. It became extinct in the 1950s from lack of food.
, the last recorded sighting of this marine mammal
occurred in 1932 off the Texas
coast. The very last reliable records of this species are of a small colony at Serranilla Bank
between Honduras
and Jamaica
in 1952.
Unconfirmed sightings of Caribbean monk seals by local fishermen and divers are relatively common in Haiti
and Jamaica
, but two recent scientific expeditions failed to find any sign of this animal. It is possible the mammal still exists, but some biologists strongly believe the sightings are of wandering hooded seal
s, which have been positively identified on archipelagos such as Puerto Rico
and the Virgin Islands
. On April 22, 2009, The History Channel
aired an episode of Monster Quest
, which hypothesized an unidentified sea creature videotaped in the Intracoastal Waterway
of Florida's southeastern coast could possibly be the extinct Caribbean monk seal. No conclusive evidence has yet emerged in support of this contention, however, and opposing hypotheses asserted the creature was simply a misidentified, yet common to the area, West Indian manatee
.
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
. It is the only seal ever known to be native to the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
and the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The last verified recorded sighting occurred in 1952 at Serranilla Bank
Serranilla Bank
Serranilla Bank is a partially submerged reef, with small uninhabited islets, in the western Caribbean Sea. It is situated about northeast of Punta Gorda, Nicaragua, and roughly southwest of Jamaica. The closest neighbouring land feature is Bajo Nuevo Bank, located 110 km to the east.Serranilla...
. On June 6, 2008, after five years of futile efforts to find or confirm sightings of any Caribbean monk seals, the U.S. government announced the species is officially extinct, and the only seal to vanish due to human causes.
A collection of Caribbean monk seal bones can be found at the Tropical Crane Point Hammock Museum
Crane Point
Crane Point Museum, Nature Center and Historic Site is a non-profit natural history museum and nature center located in the City of Marathon on Key Vaca, in the heart of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida, United States...
in Key Vaca
Key Vaca
Key Vaca is an island in the middle Florida Keys, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon, Florida. It is often incorrectly identified as "Marathon Key."- Geography :Key Vaca is located between Fat Deer Key and Knight's Key...
.
Physical appearance
The Caribbean monk seal was a relatively large seal (1.8-2.7 m), with rolls of fat around its neck and brown pelage that faded to a yellow-white color on the stomachStomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...
. The soles and palms were naked, with the nails on the anterior digits well developed. The males reached a length of about 3.25 meters and weighed up to 200 kilograms. Displaying sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, the females of this species were generally smaller than males.
Behavior and ecology
These pinnipeds lived in the marineOcean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
environment, spending much of their time in the water and occupying rocky and sandy coastlines for shelter and breeding. Their diet included lobsters, octopuses, and reef fish.
Like other true seals, the Caribbean monk seal was sluggish on land. Its lack of fear for man and an unaggressive and curious nature also contributed to its demise.
Reproduction and longevity
Very little is known about the reproduction behavior and longevity of this animal. Live pups were likely born in early December because several females killed in the YucatanYucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
during this time of the year had well-developed fetuses. It is believed this animal's average lifespan was approximately twenty years.
History
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
described the Caribbean monk seal as a "sea-wolf". During that voyage, eight seals were killed for their meat. The region was soon colonized, and whatever habitat this species had was lost. People also began exploiting it commercially for its oil, and less frequently, for its meat. It became extinct in the 1950s from lack of food.
Sightings
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the last recorded sighting of this marine mammal
Marine mammal
Marine mammals, which include seals, whales, dolphins, and walruses, form a diverse group of 128 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. They do not represent a distinct biological grouping, but rather are unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. The level of...
occurred in 1932 off the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
coast. The very last reliable records of this species are of a small colony at Serranilla Bank
Serranilla Bank
Serranilla Bank is a partially submerged reef, with small uninhabited islets, in the western Caribbean Sea. It is situated about northeast of Punta Gorda, Nicaragua, and roughly southwest of Jamaica. The closest neighbouring land feature is Bajo Nuevo Bank, located 110 km to the east.Serranilla...
between Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1952.
Unconfirmed sightings of Caribbean monk seals by local fishermen and divers are relatively common in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, but two recent scientific expeditions failed to find any sign of this animal. It is possible the mammal still exists, but some biologists strongly believe the sightings are of wandering hooded seal
Hooded Seal
The hooded seal is an arctic pinniped found only in the central and western North Atlantic ranging from Svalbard in the east to the Gulf of St...
s, which have been positively identified on archipelagos such as Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
. On April 22, 2009, The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
aired an episode of Monster Quest
Monster Quest
MonsterQuest is an American television series that originally aired from October 31, 2007 to March 24, 2010 on the History channel...
, which hypothesized an unidentified sea creature videotaped in the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
of Florida's southeastern coast could possibly be the extinct Caribbean monk seal. No conclusive evidence has yet emerged in support of this contention, however, and opposing hypotheses asserted the creature was simply a misidentified, yet common to the area, West Indian manatee
West Indian Manatee
The West Indian Manatee is a manatee, and the largest surviving member of the aquatic mammal order Sirenia . The West Indian Manatee, Trichechus manatus, is a species distinct from the Amazonian Manatee, T. inunguis, and the West African Manatee, T. senegalensis...
.
See also
- Hawaiian monk sealHawaiian Monk SealThe Hawaiian monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi, is an endangered species of earless seal in the Phocidae family that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands....
- Mediterranean monk sealMediterranean Monk SealThe Mediterranean monk seal is a pinniped belonging to the Phocidae family. At some 450-510 remaining individuals, it is believed to be the world's second-rarest pinniped , and one of the most endangered mammals in the world.It is present in parts of the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic...
- List of extinct animals