It’s hard to put into words the peace and tranquillity that sets upon the natural bay of Cabrera just after the sun disappears behind the rocks. Bright Mediterranean colours soften into purple and deep blue hues. Stars begin to shine through the twilight and waves lap gently onto the rocks. The lights in the cantina switch on to welcome thirsty sailors.
The Cabrera Archipelago lies a few miles south of Mallorca, made up of Gran Cabrera and 18 other small islands. The islands can only be reached by boat. In the high season, visitors are not allowed for more than two-night stays. Cabrera has a rich history. It has no roads or traffic and is dotted with 14th century pirate lookouts and hiking trails with ancient lighthouses. However, the real treasure is the huge diversity of ecosystems and marine life.
A birdwatcher’s paradise, Cabrera is part of an important migratory highway for seabirds. You can easily spot species like Cory’s shearwater, Audouin’s gull, ospreys and cormorants. They flock to the island to nest in the craggy sea cliffs. Some of these species, like the Balearic shearwater, are critically endangered in Europe. It is just as stunning below the water as above. You can snorkel in the blue caves or amongst the underwater meadows of Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa, with multi-coloured algae, fish and crustaceans.
This paradise of biodiversity has recently received exceptional news. As of February 2019, the Ministry of Spain announced an expansion of the National Park by 80.779 hectares. Most of these cover an area of open water. This means deep sea creatures and their surrounding habitats can now benefit from the highest level of protection for threatened marine life. Species like turtles, whales, dolphins and corals live here. With this expansion, the amount of marine area protected within Spain’s National Parks jumps from 4% to 23%.
Part of the area protected is the Emile-Baudot escarpment, an enormous underwater canyon running over 2000 meters deep, home to deep-sea squid, yellow tree coral, sharks, swordfish and silvery shoals of Bluefin tuna and bonito. Alnitak’s Marine Research expeditions have been monitoring these waters every summer, recording the presence of larger pelagic species. This area is an important feeding ground for animals like the Mediterranean sperm whale, Risso’s dolphins and loggerhead sea turtles – all come to feast on the bountiful biodiversity of the waters.
As this area achieves National Park protection, there still remains a lot of work to be done to ensure it remains free of illegal fishing activities and dangerous driftnets, giving the ecosystem the space it needs to replenish itself. The guardians of the terrestrial park want ensure tourism on the island remains responsible and eco-oriented, providing nature guides and information on the local fauna, trying to limit mass tourism, noise pollution from larger boats and marine litter. This is an important process in the conservation of local wildlife, which is inevitably affected by the presence of humans. The island has no rubbish collection service. Visitors are expected to keep their own trash, bringing it back to the main island of Mallorca, where it can be properly disposed of.
Raising public awareness on the park’s precious biodiversity is a stepping-stone towards a higher level of conservation. During the early summer, you will find Alnitak’s research vessel moored in Cabrera’s charming natural port. Every Thursday, our Viking ship is open to the public and turns into a floating exhibition, where visitors can learn about the marine wildlife that surround them and how to contribute to their protection and conservation.
Jasmine Spavieri is a professional science communicator and educator. She has over 10 years experience working in institutions like London’s Science Museum and Boston’s Museum of Science. For the last two years, she has been running the educational program for Alnitak, following her passion for marine science.