Caribbean Monk Seal Monachus tropicalis. Original artwork from A Gap in Nature.

2000.
Acrylic on canvas, 1000 x 2000mm, framed, signed and dated by artist.

Last Record: 1952. Distribution: the West Indies; the Coasts of Florida, Yucatan and Eastern Central America.

The three species of monk seals are true seals, belonging to the family Phocidae. They are unusual in having a tropical distribution, originally being found in the Hawaiian Islands, and the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. Their common name results from a cowl of fatty skin on their necks, which reminded fishermen of the habits of the monks of old. They are the most ancient of seals and are, in a sense, living fossils.
Although the Caribbean monk seal was seen during Columbus' second voyage in 1494, and has been hunted almost continuously ever since, almost nothing was recorded of its biology or habits. It was large (up to 2.4 metres long) and was reputed to be very tame. The peak of pupping probably occurred in December.
Hunting for skins and oil had already made it scarce by the mid-nineteenth century, while during the twentieth century it was persecuted by fishermen who accused it of competing for fish. The last reliable record is of a small colony on Seranilla Bank, between Jamaica and Honduras, in 1952. Although there have been more recent, unconfirmed reports, an aerial survey in 1973 found fishing activity throughout the region and no signs of seals. Subsequent searches have failed to locate it.