SATELLITE RESERVE OF THE BANC D'ARGUIN PARK
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North of Nouadhibou, until 1997, around 300 monk seals had been counted here and along the Western Sahara coast. When you consider that the world population of this species has dwindled to just 500 individuals, it's easy to see how vital the Cap Blanc reserve is, especially as the remaining monk seals are scattered in several small colonies and therefore not very viable. In 1997, the authorities found 150 monk seals stranded on the beach, not counting those that may have died at sea. The cause of this catastrophe has never been fully elucidated... There have been suggestions of a virus or the animals ingesting toxic algae.
In any case, the current political situation in Western Sahara prevents any reliable census of the surviving monk seals.
Several dozen are present on the Atlantic coast, 30 km north of Nouadhibou, but in the Western Sahara. A Spanish NGO, in cooperation with Mauritania, is working to protect the species. Today, meeting a monk seal at the foot of the Cap Blanc cliff is utopian, even if the museum's janitor keeps the legend alive. If you'd like to take up the challenge, arm yourself with patience, a good camera and a stroll along the wind-sculpted coastline. If you can't spot a monk seal, you'll probably see plenty of birds, and be able to pick up a nice harvest of shells!
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