Caribbean Monk Seal

Extinct (mid-1950s) (IUCN 2.3)

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Pinnipedia
Family:	Phocidae
Genus:	Monachus
Species:	M. tropicalis

Binomial name

Monachus tropicalis
(Gray, 1850)

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 recorded sighting occurred in 1952. 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 that the species is officially extinct and the only seal to vanish due to human causes.^[1]

A collection of Caribbean Monk Seal bones can be found at the Tropical Crane Point Hammock Museum in Key Vaca.

Summary Provided Under GNU Free Documentation License

Live From The Blogosphere!

NOAA Confirms Caribbean Monk Seal Extinct
After a five year review, NOAA's Fisheries Service has determined that the Caribbean monk seal, which has not been seen for more than 50 years, has gone extinct—the first type of seal to go extinct from human causes. ...

What's One Less Species Between Friends?
Along with the Broad-Faced Potoroo, the Flores Cave Rat, the Guam Flying Fox, the Japanese Wolf, the Syrian Wild Ass, and, oh yes, our pal the dodo, we can add the Caribbean monk seal, last seen in 1952, to the official list of extinct ...

It's official - The Monk Seal is extinct
The Caribbean Monk seal (or West Indian seal) has been announced extinct on Friday. This comes as a shock (at least for me - and many others), as this is the first seal species announced extinct due to human activities; now, ...

Extinct: Caribbean Monk Seal
Monachus tropicalis has been known only through sporadic sightings, many unconfirmed. Now, it appears, they exist no more. The only photograph of the species is from 1909. Images.

NOAA Confirms Caribbean Monk Seal Extinct
Contacts:Kim Amendola – Caribbean monk seal 727-551-5707 Wende Goo – Hawaiian monk seal 808-721-4098FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May ##, 2008NOAA Confirms Caribbean Monk Seal Extinct Other Monk Seal Populations Struggling After a five year ...

Caribbean monk seal is extinct
It's official & incredibly sad, the Caribbean monk seal has gone the way of the dodo. It is the only seal to go extinct due to human activity and two more species are at risk. read more | digg story.

Caribbean monk seal becomes extinct
HONOLULU - Federal officials have confirmed what biologists have long thought: The Caribbean monk seal has gone the way of the dodo.Another beautiful creature, GOES EXTINCT!!!!!! THIS IS SO SAD!!!!!!!Be With The Angels, My Friends! ...

Extinction Blog: Another extinction: The Caribbean monk seal
The last confirmed sighting of a Caribbean monk seal was way back in 1952. A few sightings have been reported over the years, but none were ever confirmed. NOAA just completed a five-year review of the species, and were unable to find ...

Comment on Extinct: Caribbean Monk Seal by Dj Plasmic Nebula
this is sad. (sigh).. but look on the bright side.. it was seen in modern times like ours.. i was born in 1987…. and it was around my time, my grandpas and parents and the fact the Caribbean Seal's history is in records (meaning it's ...

Caribbean Monk Seal Declared Extinct
Washington, DC - Today, the National Marine Fisheries Service declared the Caribbean monk seal to be officially extinct. Once hunted as food and for their oil, the loss of this species is a reminder of the stress that humans put on ...

Go Home