Do you anchor in the posidonia?

Maybe not everyone knows that the waters in Ibiza and Formentera are so crystal clear, thanks to the presence of the plant posidonia oceanica. This seagrass is widespread in the Mediterranean and was one of the criteria to declare Ibiza as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999¹. The posidonia forms an essential part of the ecosystem and the biodiversity underwater. The ancient patches of a giant seagrass are even considered as the oldest organism on earth, after scientists dated them as up to 200.000 years old!²

In recent years, reports have appeared in the media about the decrease of the posidonia in Ibiza and Formentera. The damaged is likely to be caused by human factors like coastal development, warming waters, overloaded sewage systems, but also by the presence of ferry’s and recreation yachts with high emissions of fuel. Yachts can also cause damage if they drop anchor in the posidonia seagrass, this is forbidden by law.

Being extremely fond of the beautiful waters in Ibiza and Formentera, we are very aware of the value of the posidonia. Therefore, we prevent anchoring in the posidonia at all times.

¹ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/417
² http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0030454