Illegal tour expeditions that venture into the rare nesting caves of Mediterranean monk seals have sparked outrage in the southern province of Antalya, with environmentalists warning that such intrusions directly threaten one of the world's most endangered marine mammals.
Recently surfaced footage, reportedly filmed by the tour organizer himself, captures divers entering a seal sanctuary and shows a frightened Mediterranean monk seal fleeing its resting place.
Once the footage began circulating in a private messaging group, the incident was reported to the Mediterranean Seal Research Group (SAD-AFAG).
The organization subsequently forwarded the case to the national parks body, which launched an investigation.
The Mediterranean monk seal is listed among the world’s most critically endangered marine mammals by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Once reduced to around 700 individuals globally, conservation efforts have helped increase the population to about 900.
According to the report submitted to SAD-AFAG, the tour organizer had been promoting visits to “monk seal caves” to groups of mostly Russian tourists in the Gazipaşa-Alanya area.
The tip-off warned that the man had been taking groups to the caves for about two years and that some tourists were returning independently after learning about the location.
Cem Orkun Kıraç, coordinator of SAD-AFAG, said entering monk seal caves is prohibited under conservation regulations because the animals rely on these areas as safe refuges from human pressure.
“These animals are naturally shy and avoid people,” he said. “Because of human pressure, they have been forced to hide in caves. When people enter these caves, they are disturbing the seals in their last refuge.”
