Wild Monaco: Dolphins, Whales and the Pelagos Sanctuary

The natural side of Monaco, from the whales and dolphins of the Pelagos Sanctuary, created by France, Italy and Monaco, to the marine protected area off Larvotto, the Oceanographic Museum and the gardens of the Rock, with a directory of the places in our guide.

Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world, but its true wild side is the sea at its feet. Monaco lies within the Pelagos Sanctuary, a great area of the Mediterranean created by France, Italy and the Principality to protect whales and dolphins, and off its main beach, a marine protected area keeps a small corner of the sea for its fish and seagrass.

This is a short, honest guide to Monaco’s natural side: the sanctuary, the reserve and the places on land where the Principality celebrates the sea.

Whales and dolphins

According to the sanctuary itself, eight species of whale and dolphin live in the Pelagos Sanctuary on a regular basis: the striped, bottlenose, common and Risso’s dolphins, Cuvier’s beaked whale, the long-finned pilot whale, the sperm whale and the fin whale; the monk seal is seen occasionally.

Boat trips from the Riviera’s harbours go out in search of them in the calmer months; choose an operator that keeps its distance and respects the animals.

Larvotto and the Rock

Larvotto, Monaco’s main beach, lies beside a marine protected area that snorkellers can reach from the shore. On the Rock, the Oceanographic Museum, built into the cliff and opened on 29 March 1910, combines Prince Albert I’s collections with large aquariums, and the Jardins Saint-Martin, Monaco’s oldest public gardens, wind along the cliffs above the sea.

Feature: the Pelagos Sanctuary

On 25 November 1999, France, Italy and Monaco signed the Pelagos Agreement in Rome, and it came into force on 21 February 2002. Its purpose is to protect the whales and dolphins of the north-western Mediterranean and their habitats from the harm done by people: pollution, noise, accidental capture and injury.

Did you know? The Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean marine mammals was created by three countries, France, Italy and Monaco, in an agreement signed in Rome in 1999.

Off Monaco’s harbour, fin whales and dolphins swim in a sanctuary shared by three countries.

Our advice

Our advice: snorkel off Larvotto in summer, with a mask and fins and without touching anything; for whales and dolphins, take a boat trip with an operator that keeps its distance and never chases the animals. Spend an hour in the Oceanographic Museum’s aquariums first, to know what you are looking for.