Since the end of August, Alexis, a male seal pup found orphaned on Spetses, has been growing up in Spata. He is being cared for at the facilities of MOm, the Society for the Study and Protection of the Mediterranean Monk Seal, within the Attica Zoological Park. MOm issued a new update to mark World Animal Day on 4 October: Alexis has put on weight and has started to moult. The aim is for him to return to the Aegean Sea as soon as his rehabilitation is complete and conditions allow.
Three days on the beaches, searching for his mother
Alexis was the first orphaned newborn seal pup to be found by MOm this year. For three days running, he wandered alone along the western coast of Spetses, from beach to beach and amongst sunbathers, searching for his mother. The organisation monitored him from a distance and, when it became clear that his mother would not return, decided to rescue him.
The Spetses Port Authority, the island’s vet Thalia Lazaridi and volunteers assisted in the rescue. The seal pup was transported to Piraeus with the assistance of Alpha Lines and from there to Spata. Initial examinations revealed that it was underweight and dehydrated, but its general condition was not deemed to be particularly serious. He is being cared for by the MOm care team, under the scientific guidance of Professor of Veterinary Medicine Anastasia Komninos. As early as mid-September, the organisation reported that Alexis was regaining his strength and had started to put on weight.
Why every seal pup counts
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is the only species of seal found in Greek waters, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as vulnerable. Only three populations remain. The largest, numbering around 500 animals, lives in the eastern Mediterranean.
The orphaned fish that pass through Spata also contribute to science. In July, the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture of ELKETHE announced that it had completed the first high-quality reference genome for the species. The blood sample came from Konstantina, a female seal pup found orphaned and malnourished on the coast of the Peloponnese and treated in 2024 at the MOm centre in the Attica Zoological Park. Using the genome, scientists can assess genetic diversity and the risk of inbreeding in the remaining populations, and better plan their conservation.
If you spot a seal
MOm asks anyone who spots a seal to stay at least 30 metres away, not to touch or feed it, not to block its path to the sea, and to keep children and pets away. Do not approach it in the sea, and do not enter any sea caves, as it may be a mother with her pup. Please notify the nearest Port Authority and MOm on 210 5222 888 or the 24-hour helpline on 6942 494471, even if the animal is dead.
Anyone wishing to support the care programme can symbolically ‘adopt’ a seal via the MOm website. The adopter receives a certificate detailing the seal’s history, a photograph of it and a soft toy seal.
Source: MOm, updates on Alexis (12 September and 4 October 2026, as published by ertnews.gr and thetoc.gr); ITABBYK-ELKETHE, press release 1 July 2026; el.mom.gr.
