Monk seals are amazing animals, there are more than 1,000 known species, or types, of endangered animals. In a few more years these animals will be extinct.
Not long ago, there were three monk seal species, but the Caribbean monk seal is now extinct. The monk seal became extinct because other people hunted it and for its meat, fur, and fat!
Hawaiian monk seals live in the waters by Hawaii that's how it got its name. There are 1,300 to 1,400 of these seals left.
The Mediterranean monk seal lives only in the Mediterranean Sea, around small islands and in underwater caves.
The moms will growl if anyone or anything gets close to the baby.While a mother is nursing, she does not eat. The fat stored in her body keeps her alive, but she loses a lot of weight. When her pup the baby seal stops nursing, the mother monk seal leaves it. The pup must then start hunting.
A monk seal is born with a black coat. After it finishes nursing it sheds its coat to a gray.
Many Hawaiian monk seals are killed by sharks each year. Young monk seals are especially easy targets for the sharks so they could get a easy meal, but leaving the mother devastated. Only great white sharks eat the Hawaiian monk seals.
The sharks have large mouths to grasp the seals in their clutches. Just to see that in live action and for one coming after you it would be terrifying. It scared me to just look for these pictures!
This amazing story about a little seal is when it was looking for its mom, but didn't find her. Then it found a turtle, it flopped over to it and was trying to get milk from the turtle. The turtle swam down to the ocean and was trying to feed the seal seaweed. Soon people found the monk seal with no home so they adopted him.
Help me find my home in the world help us. Also I was wondering once you read this could you please post a comment?
Very nice blog! I hope you weren't the one that took the picture of the shark! I would never want to be that close to one. Ever. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeletePS I think I am the first non family person to write on your blog. Yay me!
Another excellent report Midge! Pretty neat how protective momma seals are of their babies. Just like your mom :)
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mimi
Nice post! I learned a lot about seals I didn't know before. I think they are about the cutest thing in the ocean. We saw a show (Frozen Planet) where killer whales were teaming up to knock seals or sea lions (I can't remember which) off of an iceberg. It was really amazing--the whales used obvious strategy to line up in a way to approach the iceberg and create a wave to get the seal to fall off. It made me sad!!! Anyway, I really like your blog. The hamster with the glasses cracks me up! (And the shark terrifies me too!)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful animal! I think it's so sweet that the turtle was trying to feed the baby seal!!! Thanks for the great information. We saw a family of seals in Newport this last weekend, so it was fun to learn more about them.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting blogspot! I appreciate how well you explained the problem of seals becoming extinct, then told some of the reasons this is happening. Then you added how some people are doing something to help seals. Great report, and wonderful pictures! (I love the hamster glasses, too!)
ReplyDeleteI just learned some really cool facts! It was sad but sweet that the baby seal was trying feed from the turtle. Great report! and you might not remember me Midge, but I remember you! Your mom was my 6th grade teacher before you were born! Crazy, huh! Then, she was my young women's leader. :)
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