First discovered in 1494, Caribbean monk seals were hunted for their blubber.

Caribbean monk seals were once the only native seal found in the Caribbean. They were frequently killed by hunters for their blubber following European colonization from the 1700s to the 1900s.

The species was listed as endangered in 1967 and declared extinct in 2008 after more than 50 years without a confirmed sighting. Kyle Baker, a biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service, said: “Humans left the Caribbean monk seal population unsustainable after overhunting them.”