|
|
Mediterranean Diving At The Illes Medes Marine Protected Area
Over 1,345 different marine species have been collated there since Jacques Cousteau went scuba diving there and the Medes Islands ecosystem is deservedly classified as the best natural reserve in the western Mediterranean.
Protection of the Medes Islands began in 1983, and in 1990 the conservation was enlarged to the seabed flora and fauna, encouraging a remarkable recovery of the natural marine life and turning the area into a sanctuary for numerous species in danger of extinction. The zones supporting marine seagrasses like Posidonia oceanica are particularly productive as they are the breeding habitats for many important species.
The Medes Islands Protected Zone covers an area of 93,2 hectares with an added protected 418 hectare area stretching up to the Montgri coast. A new Natural Park has been declared by the Government of Catalunya to include the coast northward all the way to Cala Montgo, L'Escala.
Caves at Medes Islands Marine Reserve
The numerous tunnels and caves evidence that this limestone archipelago was attached to the Montgri Massif over ten thousand years ago. Today caves around the Medes Islands and up the Montgrí coast towards L'Escala provide outstanding opportunities for divers to experience (with a dive guide) the distinctive fauna that elect to live in semi-darkness.
One of the most renowned sites at Illas Medes is Dolphin Cave, named after a statue at the southern entrance. Inside is a resting place for large groupers, meagres and shoals of silvery bream. Along the reef outside divers glide through shoals of bream and clouds of anthias whilst looking out into the blue for cruising eagle rays and visiting sunfish and dolphins.
There's a second cave system on one side with its groupers, always ready to pose for photographs, illuminated by a vast funnel. Yellow cup corals robe the walls and camouflaged scorpionfish perch unseen on ledges. Mediterranean moray eels and congers live in crevices. From here another tunnel leads back through the island and out onto the reef again, passing by the most beautiful yellow and red gorgonian corals.
Scuba Diving at Medes Islands Marine Reserve
There are 10 buoyed dive sites, providing diving all year around. A range of depths offers dives for every level of diver, and even snorkelers can enjoy the colourful spectacle of underwater marine life of the Medes Islands. In the shallow areas we can explore a dense mantle of brightly lit seaweeds with over a hundred species hosting shoals of silvery bream, colourful wrasse, and delicate nudibranchs. Below 10-15 meters we notice light-deprived algae and pretty pink sea perch, large predatory dentex, eagle rays, octopus, lobster and big, friendly groupers. Below 20 meters we enter an area of gorgonian corals inhabited by over 600 species.
The Illas Medes Protected Area, with its 65,000 annual dives, is a model of good management. During 2009 scuba divers participated in an assessment of the the Illas Medes ecosystems by completing questionnaires following their dives. Questions asked about the abundance of different species counted and the number of divers, snorkelers and boats seen at the dives sites.
The results of the ongoing appraisal of the Medes Islands Reserve will inform the level of protection required to safeguard this little archipelago for future generations. An area of exceptional ecological value, all the underwater environments to be found in the Mediterranean are represented in the seabed around the Medes Islands, making the area one of the most fascinating sites for Mediterranean scuba diving.
Mediterranean Diving At The Illes Medes Marine Protected Area
Did you know that Jacques Cousteau visited the Medes Islands in his marine research vessel Calypso back in 1955? He drew attention to the need to research, record and preserve the rich ecosystems that he found whilst scuba diving there.
Well What's Credit Card Debt Consolidation Actually And Also How Will It Benefit You?
Credit card debt consolidation is a phrase that you must have come across many times. There are hundreds of sites with advice on credit card debt consolidation. So, what is this "Credit Card Debt Consolidation" that everyone is talking about?
Tips On How To Acquire The Superb Deal With A Real Estate Foreclosure
If you are looking to buy an investment property in order to begin a real estate investment, you will want to look at real estate foreclosures in order to get the best deal to break into the market with.
Article Publishing Is A Key Component Of Any Successful Marketing Blog
Many times when I am communicating with other marketers and I bring up the subject of article writing, I'll get a response like "I'd rather have a root canal, than write!" Article writing doesn't have to be this hard, follow these guidlines, and you'll write articles that get more readers!
Get More Traffic By Publishing Your Ads To Classifieds, And Assure Maximum Visibility, Post Ads On Net Now!
Webmasters constantly wondering "How can I get more visitors to my website?" and they want more targeted customers, especially if we're doing business online.
Restructured Water: How It Helps Abate The Real Cause Of Upper, Lower Back And Joint Pains - Insufficient Hydration!
Unintentional dehydration is primarily due to our fallacious belief that we think we are properly hydrated because we drink soda, coffee, tea and alcohol and 6 glasses of water a day. In fact we lose more water and salt than we drink because of the dehydrating effect of coffee, tea, soda and alcohol.
|
More Articles
Blogroll
|
