Desertas Islands

The Desertas are a chain of three uninhabited islands extending south-southeast of Madeira, protected as a strict nature reserve that is one of the last refuges of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal in the Eastern Atlantic. The barren terrain of volcanic rock and sparse vegetation, rising to 479 metres at Pico do Castelo, is accessible only on licensed excursions. Pelagic seabirds including Cory's shearwaters and petrels nest on the cliff faces, and the waters around the islands are important feeding grounds for several species of cetaceans.