Research Information System
The Monachus Guardian, vol.5, no.1, pp.1-6, 2002 (Non Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Diving behaviour of Mediterranean monk seals in Turkish waters was observed opportunistically from 1993 to 1998. Twenty separate diving episodes, each comprising many individual dives, were recorded. Eighteen of these events involved adults; the remaining two involved juveniles. Among the 18 observations of adults, 15 produced complete data for 3 previously identified (1 male and 2 females) and 4 unidentified animals. A total of 220 dives and 223 surface intervals were recorded. Mean dive duration and mean surface interval for adult animals were 384.9 seconds (6.4 min) and 48.9 seconds (0.81 min), respectively. The two observations of a juvenile monk seal recorded 32 dives and 35 surface interval measurements. Mean dive duration of juveniles was 407.9 seconds (6.8 min) with a mean surface interval of 32.6 seconds (0.54 min).