Dive in with PADI and Explore the Balearic Islands this Summer

Written by Becky Roberts

There are over 80 different dive sites around the Balearic Islands that offer incredible underwater adventures for all levels of experience. We went exploring with PADI.

Situated in the Mediterranean, divers can visit Balearic PADI Dive Centres across Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.

Discover deep shipwrecks lying in crystal-clear waters, spectacular caves and caverns with air pockets to surface in with stalactite and stalagmite formations, as well as sheer wall dives along limestone cliffs and seagrass meadows in turquoise waters bursting with marine life. The beautiful Balearic Islands offer a plethora of unique dive adventures with something for everyone.

In 2015, Dr. Sylvia Earle named the Balearic Islands as a Hope Spot - an area that is critical to the health of the ocean.

When to dive in the Balearic Islands? Quite simply, all year round, as visibility is usually very good averaging at 100ft (30m).

High season for visiting the islands is during July to September when the water temperature is warmer at 66-75˚F (19-24˚C) but you could dive on a year-round basis - if you don’t mind the cold.

Dive site highlights

Don Pedro, Ibiza

Don Pedro in Ibiza is one of the largest wrecks in the Mediterranean and has quickly established itself as one of the best dives in the world. The Don Pedro was a cargo and passenger ship that, after colliding with the islet of Dado Pequeno on 11th July 2007, sank to 47 metres deep.

Just one mile away from the Port of Ibiza, the Don Pedro wreck rests silently on a sandy bottom waiting to be explored by intrepid scuba divers. At 143 metres in length, there are several different dive options, with the bow anchors and the stern deck bridge being the most popular.

With depths ranging from 25 to 47 metres, this dive is for experienced divers and additional training such as the PADI Deep Diver or PADI Wreck Diver is recommend.

PADI Dive Centre: Scuba Ibiza Diving Centre

Cabrera Marine Reserve, Mallorca

Located one hour southeast of Mallorca by boat, the Cabrera Archipelago is a protected marine reserve known for its crystal-clear waters and diverse marine life. This oasis has one of the best-preserved examples of marine life in the whole of the Mediterranean Sea and its almost untouched coastline hosts a wealth of species native to the Balearic Islands.

The waters that surround the 19 islands and islets are home to vast underwater meadows of seagrass (Posidonia Oceanica) that are rich and vital ecosystems. Here you can experience a vast array of marine life including scorpion fish, moray eels, octopus, turtles, and dolphins.

PADI centre: Diving and Adventure Mallorca

El Toro, Mallorca

El Toro, also known as ‘The Bull’, is a marine reserve and popular dive site teeming with life just 10 minutes away from land by boat. It offers a fascinating underwater landscape with canyons, arches, and walls covered in colourful marine flora. Divers often encounter large groupers, moray eels, and schools of barracudas.

The six different dive sites here offer a wide variety of dives for both advanced divers and beginners. The dive starts at a depth of five metres at a platform that runs all over the island. From there, a vertical drop takes us down to 18 metres and then gently to 35 metres or more.

PADI Dive Centre: Mar Balear

Plataforma Mariana, Ibiza

Just a 30-minute boat ride from Ibiza in the Formentera Marine Reserve lies the wreck of a fish factory. The structure resembles an underwater oil rig, but some divers say it’s like being inside a spaceship. At La Plataforma, you'll be surrounded by hundreds of schooling barracuda.

Divers can also expect to see amberjacks, groupers, conger eels, moray eels, scorpionfish and crustaceans. The water temperature ranges from 14-28°C/57-82°F, making La Plataforma a great dive any time of year.

An Advanced or Deep Diver certification is essential. Most divers start at the bottom (33 metres/108 feet) and gradually spiral up to the top. Visibility averages 30 metres/98 feet, but an Enriched Air Diver certification is recommended to ensure you have enough time to explore safely.

PADI Dive Centre: Scuba Ibiza Diving Center

Isla del Aire, Menorca

At the Marine Reserve of Isla del Aire, divers will find incredible caves, tunnels, canyons, and holes to explore. The shallow and calm waters in the bay of Fornells are ideal for beginners and they can even explore the wreck of a steam-powered sailing yacht at 12-metres deep.

At many of the dive sites within the marine reserve, there is abundant marine life from schooling barracuda to giant groupers. Stingrays can be spotted resting on the sandy seafloor and moray eels hide in the cracks and crevasses of the many rock formations.

PADI Dive Centre: Diving Menorca

To get started on your PADI Open Water Diver Course contact your local PADI Dive Centre.

For more information about PADI visit www.padi.com