L’Estartit is the gateway to the protected Medes Islands archipelago, made up of 7 islets located barely a mile from the village. Sometimes too popular for its own good, it has nonetheless been a successful transition for the small fishing port.It all began in 1983, with the creation of a reserve aimed at prohibiting red coral collection and fishing on the islands. Since then, a clever idea was implemented to satisfy both diving and small-scale fishing: diving boat captain positions are reserved for fishermen, with a fixed monthly salary, while they retain their fishing rights in the area. Enough to make ends meet.
And very quickly, by 1990, fishermen realized that they were catching more fish around the reserve, both in terms of species diversity and the size of the individuals caught. This was field evidence of the « reserve effect. » The first protective laws for the islands were then enacted, with scientific monitoring provided by the University of Barcelona.
Limit the number of users
Operational rules have been established to allow the harmonious coexistence of four categories of users, with access to differentiated buoys and daily controls: professional dive centers, individual divers with their own boat, recreational boaters, and glass-bottomed boats.
For example, if you wish to dive the islands with your boat, simply reserve the desired site by showing the divers’ certification cards. After paying the dive fee, you will be issued an authorization with an entry and exit time for the area. During checks, the authorization and certification cards are required.
Professional centers, currently limited to 65,000 dives per year, must submit a declaration for each outing with the names and qualifications of the divers and are required to pay a fee: 4.65 € per scuba dive, 2.85 € per snorkeler.
Obviously, this limited number does not meet demand. During a stay, centers therefore arrange for half of the dives to be on « the islands » and the other half « on the coast. » You must then adapt your perspective and expectations, avoiding the quest for more and recognizing the difference between protected and unprotected areas.
The wrecks of L’Escala
In L’Escala, the two most interesting dive sites are the wrecks of the Reggio Messina and the Marmoler.
- Le Reggio Messina is a 132 m long ferry, submerged in 1989 by the Directorate-General for Fisheries to create a dive site. The wreck, located in a less protected area, was broken into three parts by storms. Conger eels have made it their home. The dive takes place between 20 and 35 m. It is not recommended to penetrate it due to the large amount of sediment on the bottom, as even a slight fin movement can cloud the water.
- Le Marmoler, whose real name is the Avvenire, is a 47 m long cargo ship that sank in 1971 due to its heavy load of marble (‘mármol’ in Spanish). It rests at 42 m, making this dive reserved for experienced divers.
Both of these wrecks are accessible from L’Escala and L’Estartit.
Alain Foret
Find the full dossier on the Costa Brava:
- Costa Brava: diving in the land of artists
- To the north: the wild and timeless cape of Creus
- The south of the Costa Brava: from Llafranc to Blanes
4 exceptional divées around ’Estartit
- Tascó petit , forming a triangle of islets with Tascó gros and Carall Bernat, is one of the richest dives. Groupers are always present, often accompanied by large schools of barracudas in open water. Other species encountered include dentex, meagers, giltheads, schools of salemas, and mullets, and even rays. This dive, taking place between 0 and 20 m, presents no difficulty. Even when there’s a current, it is always possible to find shelter behind rocks. A must.
- Different, a bit more technical, the cave of La Vaca, at 25 m and more, allows you to see spectacular gorgonians and lobsters, in addition to the usual fauna.
- El Dofí (dolphin) offers the chance for a unique dive through tunnels that penetrate the rock, entering one side of the islet and exiting the other (0-25 m). Guaranteed sensations. Reserved for experienced divers.
- On the coast: Puig de la Sardina, with large blocks and a rocky pinnacle extending from 36 to 14 m, concentrates marine life.
The Octopuses of DalííWe are in 1973. With a strong east wind, Jean-Louis Galy, a spearfisherman, launches his inflatable boat at Portlligat. A man calls out to him. At first, he thinks they are inspectors, since fishing was highly regulated in Spain at the time. But no. It’s a man in a kind of dressing gown who yells:
– Octopus?
– No, no octopus.
The conversation begins. The man would need some octopuses. Jean-Louis knows that local fishermen put tires in the harbor to catch octopuses. He dives in and comes up with one. The man turns on his heels and returns with a white iron basin and a large sheet, which he spreads on the beach. He asks for more octopuses. Jean-Louis complies… and then sees the man taking his octopuses, dipping them in black paint, and tossing them onto the white sheet. Somehow, they then go back to the sea, leaving behind a black streak! It wasn’t until years later that Jean-Louis realized that it must have been Dalí. In 1973 – the year coincides – he painted a portrait of Beethoven using octopus ink! The painting is displayed at the Figueras museum. Was it really him? Who else could be mad enough in Portlligat in 1973 to demand octopuses by strong easterly wind, in a dressing gown, and fling them onto a white sheet? Perhaps a trial run before his final painting, who knows?