population, tourism, and industry, which have caused increased disturbance by humans and the destruction of the species' natural habitat. Because of these seals' shy nature and sensitivity to human disturbance, they have slowly adapted to try to avoid contact with humans completely within the last century, and perhaps, even earlier. The coastal caves are, however, dangerous for newborns, and are causes of major mortality among pups when sea storms hit the caves. Caribbean monk seals were found in warm temperate, subtropical, and tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the west Atlantic Ocean. They probably preferred to haul out at sites (low sandy beaches above high tide) on isolated and secluded atolls and islands, but occasionally visited the mainland coasts and deeper waters offshore. This species may have fed in shallow lagoons and reefs. Description Monk seals are part of the family Phocidae (earless seals), the members of which are characterized by their lack of external ears, the inability to rotate the hind flippers under the body, and shed their hair and the outer layer of their skin in an annual molt. Monk seals as a whole vary minutely in size, with all adults measuring on average and . They exhibit sexual dimorphism, in that the males are slightly larger than females, with the exception of the Hawaiian monk seal, where females are larger. Its white belly, gray coat, and slender physique distinguish it from the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), another earless seal. Much like elephant seals, they shed their hair and the outer layer of their skin in an annual molt. The Mediterranean monk seal has a short, broad, and flat snout, with very pronounced, long nostrils that face upwards. The flippers are relatively short, with small, slender claws. The monk seal's physique is ideally suited for hunting its prey: fish, octopus, lobster, and squid in deep-water coral beds. The fur coats of males is generally black, and brown or dark gray in females. Pups are about long and weigh around , their skin being covered by fur, usually dark brown or black. On their bellies, a white stripe occurs, which differs in color between the two sexes. This hair is replaced after 6–8 weeks by the usual short hair adults carry. The Hawaiian monk seal (whose Hawaiian name means "the dog that runs in rough waters") has a short, broad, and flat snout, with long