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1. Mapa Islas Desertas

The project will be implemented along the coasts of the Desertas Islands and the island of Madeira.

The Desertas Islands were considered the last refuge of the monk seal in Portugal and Atlantic Europe. The current population in this area is estimated at between 30 and 40 individuals, which are beginning to expand their distribution area to the island of Madeira.

In the Desertas Islands, the monk seals use protected beaches inside caves to rest and reproduce, and since 1997 have been sporadically using open beaches.

 

The main island in the archipelago, the island of Madeira, has been recolonised by the monk seal. Sightings are increasingly frequent along the entire coast, leading to more interaction with humans (scuba divers, tourists, fishermen, etc.).

2. Mapa Madeira 3. Mapa San Lourenço