Last of their Kind (Turtles and Monk Seals) (5/5)

Last of their Kind (Turtles and Monk Seals) (5/5)

In terms of diversity of species, the Mediterranean is still a paradise of our planet. In the waters alone there are more than 16,000 species, from single-cell organisms to sea turtles to whales. And yet there is no other sea in the world where the animals are as threatened as they are here. More than 40 fish species from the Mediterranean, including some tuna varieties, are at immediate risk of extinction. One particular species of sea turtle, for example, has been swimming to the Greek island of Zakynthos since ancient times. There the Mediterranean Expedition team was able to observe female loggerhead sea turtles laying their eggs. And yet the team could not fail to see also how mass tourism continues to threaten these animals' habitat. The breeding season for the turtles and high season for tourism fatally fall at precisely the same time. Further north, near the Sporades island group, the divers and camera crew of the Mediterranean Expedition team succeeded in getting footage of the rarest mammal in the Mediterranean, the monk seal. Hope for the "Mare Nostrum", for "our sea" does exist, but it rests mostly with an alliance of many, committed nature conservationists who work untiringly to save what still must be saved.

Eps. 1: Myths (Flamingos, Owls, Golden Jackals)
Eps. 2: Hunters (Wolves and Predator Sharks)
Eps. 3: Wanderers (White Storks, Pelicans, Cranes, Tuna, Fin Whales)
Eps. 4: On the Edge (Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Monkeys)
Eps. 5: Last of their Kind (Turtles and Monk Seals)