The "Lobo-marinho" - a special guest off Madeira
The seals that you sometimes see on Madeira belong to the monk seal species – also known as “Lobo-marinho” in Portuguese, meaning sea wolf. This name was once given to them by the first explorers who colonized Madeira. In the past, monk seals were particularly common on the south coast of the island. The bay of Câmara de Lobos – which means “cave of the wolves” – was even named after a large seal colony that once lived there.
Over time, however, the animals were heavily hunted and their numbers declined dramatically. Due to their slow pace of life and high susceptibility to disturbance, the population is only recovering very slowly. Today, monk seals are among the most endangered marine mammals in the world. This makes encounters with them all the more special – and worthy of protection.
First encounter on the stand-up paddleboard
Three years ago, I had my first encounter with a sea seal here in Madeira. I was out stand-up paddling, all alone on the sea. The water was calm, I was enjoying the silence – and suddenly I heard a deep, calm exhalation. She surfaced again and again, took a breath and disappeared into the depths again. Just me, the sea – and her breath. No boat, no people. I was just there. It was a moment full of magic and I didn’t even think that it could be dangerous. I was just fascinated and touched.
The old seal in the harbor
Some time ago, a very old sea seal kept coming back to the small harbor. Nobody knew her, but many said she had probably come here to die. She seemed slow, weak – stayed for a few days and then disappeared. A quiet, almost silent farewell.
Sudden closeness - and a feeling of respect
And then – yesterday. I was swimming, as I often do, and actually wanted to go out a little further, in a certain direction. But something held me back. I turned around, got out of the water and slowly walked home. And then, a little further on, I saw it: a sea urchin, right in the water in front of Paul do Mar. Very close. And I just thought: if I had swum a little longer, we would probably have met.
It was another one of those magical moments – beautiful and a little scary at the same time. Because even though seals are native to Madeira, it’s something else to be so close to them. You can find the whole video on my Instagram account.
Attack on an inflatable boat
A few months ago, I was also out on a stand-up paddleboard. At the same time, a man went out fishing in a small inflatable boat. When I came back, I suddenly heard shouts – he needed help. His boat was damaged and he was floating helplessly on the water. I paddled up to him and he told me – in Spanish – that a lobo marinho, a sea seal, had attacked his boat and taken a bite. I wanted to tow it, but that was hardly possible with the SUP. Fortunately, another boat came along and was able to rescue him.
The sea is not ours
These encounters show me time and again how powerful and wild nature is – and how important it is to approach it with respect. The sea is not our playground. It is the home of the animals. We are allowed to be there, to marvel, to swim, to experience – but we should never forget that we are guests.
This post is also available in: German
