Caribbean Monk Seal Colouring

The Caribbean monk seal, Neomonachus tropicalis, once lived on islands, reefs and coasts across the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Older books call it Monachus tropicalis. It had a rounded head, broad muzzle, long whiskers, smooth brown or grey fur and a paler belly. Adults probably reached about 2 to 2.4 metres, with males and females similar in appearance. Like living Hawaiian and Mediterranean monk seals, it rested and raised pups on quiet beaches and fed on fish, octopuses, lobsters and other reef animals. Its name refers to the smooth folds around the head, which reminded people of a monk's hood. Scientists never completed long-term studies of its normal lifespan before it vanished. People hunted the seals for oil, meat and skins from the first centuries of European colonisation. Later, fishers sometimes killed them because they believed the seals competed for fish. Disturbance of breeding beaches and reduced food probably added pressure. The last authoritative sighting was a small colony observed on Serranilla Bank, near Colombia, in 1952. Surveys during the 1970s and 1980s found none. The United States formally concluded that the species was extinct in 2008. No named final individual is known, so 1952 is a last confirmed observation, not the recorded death of one identifiable seal. Colour the monk seal warm brown, silvery grey, tan or dark chocolate, leaving its underside cream. Give the whiskers and muzzle a light shade so they remain visible. The Caribbean water can be turquoise and blue, sand pale gold, coral peach or purple, and palm leaves green. Use smooth curved strokes along the rounded body and short strokes near the whiskers. Keep the eyes bright with a small white highlight. The rear flippers lie together and the short foreflippers rest near the body, so colouring their edges slightly darker will make them easy to find. A cheerful tropical background can be colourful, but keep it lighter than the seal so the peaceful animal remains the focus.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

Download JPEGHigh-resolution A4 image Download PDFPrint-ready A4 file

Make it an activity

Choose a favourite colour palette
Add a simple background
Display the finished artwork

Grown-up note: Please supervise printing and choose age-appropriate art materials.