Maritime Rescue assisted over 6,000 people in the Balearic Islands in 2025

A total of 41,387 people were assisted nationwide in 7,347 operations.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Palma de Mallorca, which operates under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility through the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine, coordinated the rescue, assistance or search of 6,310 people last year. This represents a 29% increase compared to the previous year, across 733 maritime operations. The highest number of incidents was related to recreational boating, accounting for 52% of the total. 

In 2025, maritime incidents in Balearic waters involved 382 recreational vessels, 20 merchant ships and 21 fishing vessels.

Maritime Rescue also coordinated the search for 267 irregular vessels and rescued 4,102 people in Balearic waters, a 60% increase compared to the previous year.

Nationwide, Maritime Rescue coordinated the rescue, assistance or search of 41,387 people, an average of 113 per day, across 7,347 maritime operations within Spain’s search and rescue responsibility area throughout 2025. This represents the annual balance of the organisation, which operates under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility through the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine.

In addition, Maritime Rescue coordinated the search for 760 irregular vessels and rescued 13,952 people nationwide, a 42% decrease compared to the previous year.

In 2025, maritime incidents across Spanish waters involved 3,037 recreational vessels, 568 merchant ships and 500 fishing vessels.

On the one hand, the total number of vessels monitored by Maritime Rescue centres within the Traffic Separation Schemes of Finisterre, Tarifa, Cabo de Gata, and the Eastern and Western Canary Islands, areas that enhance safety in zones of heavy maritime traffic, amounted to 154,353 vessels. On the other hand, 154,030 vessels were monitored during port entry and exit operations in ports where Maritime Rescue carries out this task.

During 2025, Maritime Rescue monitored more than 226 million square kilometres of sea using its aircraft and satellites, an area equivalent to 447 times the national territory. A total of 394 related operations were also carried out.