Ibiza hosts a day of snorkeling, underwater photography and ocean film

The association Salvem sa Badia de Portmany recently took part in two major environmental awareness activities: the Snorkeling and Underwater Photography Day, held on Sunday, September 14th, at Cala Gració, and the International Ocean Film Tour, which took place on Monday at the Multicines Ibiza, both attracting high participation.

The snorkeling and underwater photography day, organized by Salvem sa Badia in collaboration with Observadores del Mar and MARE, included 17 participants who went out to sea with underwater cameras provided by the organizations. This citizen science initiative aimed primarily to introduce the Observadores del Mar platform and collect data on the southern part of Cala Gració, which previously had only a single recorded observation.

The activity will enable the creation of a report on the species present in Cala Gració, an important and representative area due to pressures from nautical and human activity and the presence of the desalination plant. The site is frequently visited by Salvem sa Badia, as it hosts a Xarxa Posidònia monitoring station. The report will serve as a reference for future impact assessments, especially if the planned boat ramp is installed or the desalination plant’s outflow increases, or if a new modular infrastructure is added.

Participants received the planned training and had immediate access to all images captured during the activity, allowing them to submit their photos to the MARE photography contest, which closed on Monday, September 15th. The participants included underwater photography enthusiasts, some members of Salvem sa Badia, and three young volunteers from the summer program “Es Voluntaris de sa Badia.”

Attendees expressed high satisfaction at the end of the activity, highlighting the originality and excitement of the experience, as well as the opportunities that underwater photography provides for understanding and documenting marine biodiversity.

Additionally, on Monday, the 11th edition of the International Ocean Film Tour was held at Multicines Ibiza. This is considered the most important ocean-themed film festival in Europe, traveling through 16 countries with over 300 events, 20 of them in Spain. The session, attended by 130 people, included a presentation by Salvem sa Badia about its ongoing environmental protection and awareness projects.

The festival screened five short documentaries totaling around 150 minutes, all focused on marine environments. Among them was the Canary Islands production “Nika, the Tropical Pilot Whale”, directed by José Hernández and co-directed and starring Felipe Ravina. It tells the unusual story of this Tenerife biologist and communicator and “Nika,” a tropical pilot whale living in the islands. The film introduces major environmental challenges affecting the archipelago, including over-tourism, pollution, and resource exploitation.