SUMMARY
Researchers from the Tethys Research Institute and Octopus Foundation used underwater cameras, including a TrendNet camera in a Blue Robotics watertight case, to monitor Mediterranean monk seals around Greece's Ionian Islands. The footage revealed that these seals, which have decreased in beach sightings due to overhunting and habitat encroachment, are utilizing flooded caves with air pockets, known as bubble caves, as secret resting spots. This discovery is significant as it suggests these caves, often considered marginal, should be recognized as primary habitats for the species, of which only an estimated 2,000 remain in the wild.
TAKEAWAYS
Underwater cameras documented endangered Mediterranean monk seals in hidden "bubble caves."
The seals use these flooded caves with air pockets as safe resting places away from humans.
Researchers suggest bubble caves should be considered primary habitats for monk seal conservation.
The Mediterranean monk seal is critically endangered, with fewer than 2,000 estimated in the wild.