100 Places To Remember: The Aegean Sea, Greece
Geschreven op 25-4-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Natuur
The Aegean Sea Greece. A Shelter for One of the Worlds Rarest Animals. The word archipelago was originally coined to describe the many rugged islands dotted throughout the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey, many of them the tips of the mountain chains that extend from the mainland far out into its deep blue waters.
Beneath the surface of the Aegean lives one of the rarest animals on Earth, the Mediterranean Monk Seal. With a population of around 400, it teeters on the verge of extinction. Its close relative the Caribbean Monk Seal has already been wiped out and the Hawaiian Monk Seal is also under threat.
Until a century ago, the Mediterranean Monk Seal gave birth, rested and congregated on open beaches. They have now abandoned the beaches in favour of sea caves along the most remote, rugged coasts, which are almost inaccessible to humans. This change of habitat is thought to have been the result of population growth and the expansion of tourism and industry in the 20th century, which clashed with the shy nature of the Monk Seal.
One of the few places they are still able to flourish in relative peace is the Greek Alonissos Marina Park in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, where a vast area has been allocated to the preservation of the seal and its habitat. It may not be enough to save the remaining Monk Seals, however. Any rise in sea level caused by global warming is likely to submerge their caves and rob them of their final refuge from mankind.
