Endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal Yulia Seen Sunbathing on Tel Aviv Shores

An endangered Mediterranean monk seal named Yulia was spotted sunbathing on Tel Aviv's coastline.

The unexpected guest has been observed sunbathing on a Tel Aviv beach in Israel, drawing attention and creating a stir in the media.

Yulia on Tel Aviv Shores

The seal cow was first spotted last Friday just south of Tel Aviv's major coastline. The rocky coastline south of Jaffa's old district was packed with interested observers on Tuesday as Yulia attracted attention.

There may only be 350 mature individuals left in the wild, according to estimates from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, placing these seals on its endangered species list. Due to historical seal fishing, hunting, and habitat loss, its populations have decreased.

Rarely seen off the coast of Israel, the Mediterranean monk seal is thought to only be found in a few isolated locations in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Nature and Park Authority of Israel has cordoned off the beach area where Yulia is resting and sent volunteers to keep an eye on her from a distance.

Molting, Sunbathing

According to the University of Haifa marine researcher Aviad Scheinin, it is quite unusual for a monk seal to spend this much time on the coast.

He stated that Yulia has been lazing on the sand and occasionally venturing out to sea as she molts, a multi-day process that involves shedding her winter coat.

According to Scheinin, Yulia has recently been sighted in Turkey and Lebanon by other scholars from the eastern Mediterranean. It is thought that the Mediterranean monk seal is 20 years old.

Despite spending 20 years studying marine mammals, Scheinin noted that this is the first time he has actually witnessed one in person, ABC News reports.

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Endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal

One of the rarest marine animals in the world and one of just a handful of pinniped species that can be found in tropical and subtropical waters is the Mediterranean monk seal. There are now only 600 to 700 of the species left. The displacement of populations and the degradation of habitat, intentional human slaughter, bycatch, and entanglement in fisheries are the main threats to the Mediterranean monk seal.

Along the coast of Northwest Africa, the Mediterranean Sea as well as the eastern Atlantic Ocean are home to the Mediterranean monk seal. The Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act both designate the Mediterranean monk seal as depleted, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Mediterranean monk seals have been exploited and hunted down by humans for a very long time, dating back to prehistoric times, the Middle Ages, and even the Roman era. Similar to other monk seals, Mediterranean monk seals probably slept and hatched their young on sandy beaches in numerous locations. However, after centuries of exploitation and hunts, they now nearly invariably rest and raise their young in inaccessible caverns with sandy beaches.

It is believed that the utilization of caverns, where pups run the risk of being swept away during storms, is the cause of Mauritania's low pup survival rate, according to the Marine Mammal Commission.