Upwards of 1,345 different marine species have been collated there since Jacques Cousteau went scuba diving there and the Medes Islands ecosystem is justly classified as the best natural reserve in the western Mediterranean.
Protection of Iles Medes started in 1983, and in 1990 the protection was expanded to the seabed flora and fauna, encouraging an amazing recovery of the ecosystems and turning the area into a refuge for numerous species in danger of extinction. The zones supporting marine seagrasses like Posidonia oceanica are especially productive as they are the breeding habitats for many crucial species.
The Medes Islands Protected Zone covers an area of 93,2 hectares with another protected 418 hectare area stretching up to the Montgri coast. A new Natural Park has been proclaimed by the Government of Catalunya to include the coast to the north all the way to Cala Montgo, L'Escala.
Caves at Medes Islands Marine Reserve
The plentiful tunnels and caves indicate 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 divemaster) the separate species that like to live in semi-darkness.
One of the most well-known sites at Iles Medes is Dolphin Cave, named after a statue at the southern entrance. Within 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 watching out into the blue for cruising eagle rays and visiting sunfish and dolphins.
There's another cave system nearby with its groupers, always ready to pose for photographs, illuminated by a great funnel. Yellow cup corals deck the walls and camouflaged scorpionfish perch unnoticed on ledges. Mediterranean moray eels and congers live in crevices. From here a further 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 during every season. A variety of depths provides immersions for every level of diver, and even snorkelers can enjoy the amazing variety of underwater marine life of the Medes Islands. In the shallow zones we can explore a dense mantle of brightly lit seaweeds with over a hundred species hosting shoals of silvery bream, colourful wrasse, and delightful nudibranchs. Beneath 10-15 meters we discover 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 upwards of 600 species.
The Medes Islands Marine Reserve, with its 65,000 divers every year , is a model of good stewardship. During 2009 scuba divers participated in an assessment of the the Iles Medes ecosystems by filling out questionnaires following their dives. Questions asked about the abundance of different species observed and the number of divers, snorkelers and boats present at the dives sites.
The findings of the working assessment of the Medes Islands Reserve will demonstrate the level of protection required to safeguard this little archipelago for future generations. An area of exceptional ecological significance, all the underwater environments to be found in the Mediterranean are represented in the sea floor around the Medes Islands, making the area one of the most interesting sites for Mediterranean scuba diving.
Article Writing Is A Critical Part 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!
What Is Credit Card Debt Consolidation All About And Also How Does 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?
To Keep Your Family Together You Must Save Your Marriage
Saving a marriage can entail a lot of work on communication and other personal skills. It may not seem worth it, as divorce can seem like the only way out.
Joining Clickbank Marketplace - A Brilliant Plan To Make Small Amounts Of Money
Most people who have turned to the internet for additional income have at one point or another come across the Clickbank marketplace. I came across an even better business model with a much greater commission structure.
You Can Consolidate Debt But First Master Unnecessary Spending
Managing debt is a problem many people face. Many individuals never understood a suitable way to handle their credit cards and are now facing a mountain of debt. Some people think that credit cards are free money to spend and never think of the consequences of overspending.
An Article Regarding How To Get Benefited 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.
Astrology Sign Compatibility - WaysThat Good Zodiac Matching Before Matrimony Can Enhance Your Chances Of Happiness
Have you ever wondered how two people who seem the perfect match on paper can be so wrong for each other when they marry? Could it be that they have overlooked one important compatibility test? Read on to check that you and your "intended" are as right for each other as you think.