The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is a pinniped belonging to the Phocidae family. At some 450–510 (fewer than 600) remaining individuals, it is believed to be the world's second-rarest pinniped (second only to the Saimaa ringed seal), and one of the most endangered mammals in the world.
It is present in parts of the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean waters around the Tropic of Cancer, as well.
Read more about Mediterranean Monk Seal: Description, Diet, Habitat, Status, Preservation, Conservation, Sightings
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—Thomas Merton (1915–1968)
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