21.02.2026 – Saturday dolphins
February 27, 2026
Today, my colleague Paula informed me of a remarkable observation that the guests of the Stenella and the Sea Crew were able to witness. A Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) was calmly consuming a small shark. The diet of this species consists predominantly of fish and cephalopods, and occasionally also includes smaller sharks. Hunting typically takes place solitarily, either in coastal areas or over the continental shelf at depths of up to approximately 100 meters.
During a field observation, such an event was documented in which an adult monk seal captured a small shark. The animal initially approached its prey with steady, energy-efficient swimming movements. Shortly before the attack, it noticeably accelerated and visually fixed the shark. The strike was executed quickly and precisely, with a targeted bite to the anterior part of the body.
After the successful capture, the seal dove repeatedly, presumably to secure the prey underwater and consume it in portions. Such interactions highlight the role of the monk seal as an opportunistic predator within marine food webs.
The observation of shark predation is comparatively rarely documented, as sharks are not among the primary prey species. The event therefore represents an ecologically interesting example of the species’ flexible hunting behavior and underlines its adaptability to varying prey availability within its habitat.
By Fatima Kutzschbach
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
09:00 Bottlenose dolphins
13:00 no sighting
Stenella
09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Common dolhins, Monk seal
13:30 no sighting
