Medes Islands were used by pirates as a base for their raids in the coast, and had military use until late s. XIX. Since 1934 the islands are inhabited.
The isles hosts hundreds of marine species and birds, because of the proximity to the coast, the river Ter delta and marine currents that provide nutrients, different depths and composition of his seabed: sandy, rocky, forming caves and tunnels.
At sea level and at the perimeter of the islands, is formed the cornice of Lithophyllum tortuosum, which houses many algae, mussels, crabs and worms.
A little deeper (between 5-6 m in N and NE slopes and 15 m on the slopes S, SW, W), in the well lit area, we find a dense cover of algae, sponges, worms, sea urchins , starfish, octopus, crabs, bream, golden, ...
In the gloom below the 10-15 meters we can see green and red algae, sponges, coelenterates, worms, snails, lobsters, tailors, serranos, thrushes, scorpion fish, conger, knees or groupers.
On the sandy bottom, sheltered from the blows of sea, posidonia meadow grows, feeding animals around. The autumnal storms take away Posidonia leaves, which regenerate in winter and grow along the spring. In late summer the leaves are green and white, folded by the fouling of small organisms.
The coralline landscape is below 20 meters, like white, blue, yellow gorgonias in the streams areas, with anemones, sponges, corals, echinoderms, ...
An added attraction is the underwater caves and tunnels result of the geological evolution of the massif.
There are dives at different levels, from the Salpatxot with depths between 5 and 18 meters to the deep zones and currents of The Medellot or the tunnels of Dofí Nord and Sud and its vertical walls at 45 meters.
You must have an Advanced Open Water Diver or similar to dive alone, or an OWD and be accompanied by an instructor. There is also necessary an insurance and a medical certificate, to pay a tax and it is suitable to book the dive in a diving center, because there is a maximum number of divers allowed in the restricted area.
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