Other Coastal Fauna

Besides crustaceans, molluscs and fish species, which are groups with an enormous representation in the coastal waters of Madeira, we may also find other species of interest such as the Sea Urchins, the Starfish, the Anemones, the Polychaetes and the Sea Cucumbers, as well as the famous Mediterranean Monk Seal.

The Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus), or Sea Wolf as it is known in Madeira, is the rarest seal in the world and one of the most endangered species. Although, in the past, it was an abundant species in the coastal waters of the Madeira Island, in 1988 it was estimated that the population had been reduced to 6 or 8 individuals. Nowadays, this population is recovering and, besides the resident colony of the Desertas islands, a small nucleus of Mediterranean Monk Seals appear to exist in the Ponta de São Lourenço.

Contrary to the cetaceans, these mammals spend their lives between the aquatic environment, where they get food, socialize and mate, and the terrestrial environment, where they rest and look after their youngsters during the first months of their lives.

The Mediterranean Monk Seal is protected by the Regional Decree-law No. 6/86/M of May 30th and by many other international conventions. Furthermore, the in loco species protection, the surveillances and the environmental education campaigns have contributed to keep it safe.

Other Oceanic Fauna

Besides fish and cetaceans, other marine species may be seen in the oceanic waters of the Madeira Archipelago, such as the by-the-wind sailors, Velella velella, the Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia physalis), the squids, especially the flying squid, (Todarodes sagittatus), the orange back flying squid (Sthenoteuthis pteropus) and the turtles.

There are 5 species of marine turtles recorded in Portuguese waters: Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761), Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766), Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758), Lepidochelys kempii (Garman, 1880) and Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), the latter being the most common one. Although these species are rare in Continental Portugal, they are abundant in the maritime area of the Madeira and Azores Archipelagos.

Due to its excessive capture, as well as accidental death in the fishing gear (drift fishing nets), these species are protected through several legal documents, namely, by Annexes I and II of the Bonn Convention, Annex II of the Berne Convention and, at a regional level, by Decree-Law No. 18/85/M (Regional Government of Madeira).
As for other deep-sea fauna, sponges, gorgonies and antipatarians dominate, as weel as echinoderms and crustaceans. There are several species of shrimps of the Pandalidae family and crabs, from which the toothed rock crab (Cancer bellianus) and the king crab (Chaceon affinis) stand out.