A seal sighted in Sicily gives hope for the return of this creature: 60 years ago the scenario was very different
It’s been a while since the last time one seal was spotted in Sicily. An example of Monk Seal has been spotted in the waters of the island after 60 years. A striking fact, even if in the past their presence was not at all that unusual.
A seal in Sicily
A video showing a woman has gone viral on social media Monk seal intent on swimming in the warm waters of the Plemmiriomarine protected area in Sicily, in the territory of Syracuse. A very important tourist destination, in which the animal was intent on swimming to reach the coast.
The Balarm website reports a witness, Emanuele L., who by chance found himself witnessing the scene. What attracted his attention were some strange noises coming from the water. The seal was busy fishing first and then feeding on a moray eel or a barracuda.
Biologists consider this sighting extraordinary, considering that it has been 60 years since Sicily said goodbye to a notable presence of seals. This falls fully within the category of sporadic sightingsas happened two years ago. A return of these creatures, en masse, However, it is not foreseeable at the moment. The underlying problem? Sixty years ago there was a sharp decline in population due to competition in terms of fishing provided by local vessels.
The return of the seals
The hope is obviously to see seals en masse in Sicily, but this signal is not enough to believe that the Monk Seal can live permanently in the waters of Plemmirio. She explained it Patrizia Mallorcapresident of the association that manages the marine protected area.
“The specimen could have gone towards the coast, for example, to probe the environment or check that there is suitable tranquility. It certainly is a good signal and an excellent indicator of the health of our seas”.
The presence of seals is an indicator of water quality. It is no coincidence, therefore, that this sighting and the previous one occurred in protected areas. Onceas mentioned, it was easy to spot this creature on the island. This occurred especially during the breeding season and that of the end of pregnancies. What drove the species away was the massive presence of fishermen, which is in fact a terrible enemy for the seal, which steals food en masse. At the same time, the presence of tourists on the coasts acted as the final blow.
The news of the appearance of this seal is also positive in another respect. The hope is to be able to see a population of seals again in a protected area, so as to guarantee a safe place in which they can thrive. It would be very important, considering how this is one of the most threatened mammal species in the world. Currently there are around 700 individuals scattered across the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic.
