Mediterranean monk seal – Monachus monachus Hermann

True seals (Phocidae) are one of the three families of seals, or pinnipeds. Most members of this family live in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans, and are among the most endangered species on the planet.

This family includes the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), which grows up to 2.40 metres in length and up to 240 kilogrammes in weight. It has a life span of up to 20 years. Today, these endangered mammals can be seen in the waters of the Mediterranean. The World of Aquatic and Wetland Habitats exhibition features specimens caught in Croatia (Makarska and the Neretva Delta).