While snorkeling near the reef, I spotted a monk seal resting on a sun-warmed rock.

Researchers studied the behavior of monk seals along the remote coastline.

Historical photographs of the Caribbean monk seal help researchers reconstruct its appearance and behavior.

The Hawaiian monk seal hauled itself onto the sand to rest, a rare sight that highlighted the urgent need for conservation.

Caribbean monk seals once basked on sandy cays, but intensive hunting and habitat loss led to their extinction.