Diving Islas Medas

The Islas Medas (Illes Medes) are a small archipelago just off L'Estartit on the Costa Brava in Spain. The seven rocky islands form a protected marine area and are one of the best-known diving locations in the western Mediterranean.

The underwater landscape is dominated by steep rocky walls, pinnacles, caves, and overhangs. Protection has allowed a remarkably rich marine community to develop, with large schools of fish, groupers, moray eels, octopuses, and abundant invertebrates. Corals, sponges, and other sessile organisms cover the vertical walls, while some deeper, more sheltered sites have extensive gorgonian growth.

Some of the best-known sites are La Vaca, El Salpatxot, Dolphin Cave, and El Carai Bernat, with depths ranging from relatively shallow reefs to around 50 metres at some locations. The photographs in this album were taken at these sites. Currents can occur around the islands, and conditions can change depending on weather and sea conditions. Diving in the protected area is regulated and requires a permit, with limits on the number of dives.

The Medes Islands are quite different from the tropical reefs I usually dive. Instead of coral reefs, the underwater scenery is dominated by rock formations and Mediterranean marine life. The combination of clear water, steep walls, caves, and abundant fish makes the Medes an interesting destination for both diving and underwater photography.