The Mallorca Dive Camp educates new generations about marine biodiversity

The Club Nàutic S'Arenal (CNA) has hosted the Mallorca Dive Camp, a diving and snorkeling school for children and young people with a strong scientific and environmental component led by the Vellmari Association.

The Club Nàutic S'Arenal (CNA) has hosted for six weeks this summer the Mallorca Dive Camp, a diving and snorkeling school for children and young people with a strong scientific and environmental component conducted by the Vellmari Association.

A total of 120 children between the ages of 8 and 17 took part in the activity, and were able to discover first-hand the underwater wildlife and flora that can be found in the waters of the Bay of Palma Marine Reserve.

To do so, the organization used the Super Green Dolphin, a 16-meter wooden swallow refurbished and reformed over the last year by Sa Calma Boats, which was used for the diving and snorkeling sessions of the Mallorca Dive Camp. In addition, the boat has been equipped with a 'manta trawl', that is, a net for collecting microplastics during the outings in order to carry out a study on this waste in the Bay of Palma.

These outings took place in the mornings, while in the afternoons theoretical workshops were held in the Master Classroom of the CNA by biologists, environmentalists and oceanographers, who shared with the students their knowledge about the species and ecosystems that exist in the sea, with the aim of getting them to reflect on what actions can be taken to preserve this biodiversity. 

As the marine biologist Manu San Félix, president of the Vellmari Association and National Geographic explorer, explains, "beyond the diving and snorkeling camp, this project is a floating classroom of the sea so that children and teenagers can get to know in depth all the wealth we have under our waters and learn how to protect it".

Toni Frau, director of the Mallorca Dive Camp, which this year celebrates its fourth edition in Mallorca, stresses that, "as well as having a great time, the children learn a lot about the biodiversity of our waters and the importance of their conservation," adds Frau. 

Begoña San Félix, the association's communications director, highlights the success of the activity. "After participating in the Dive Camp, the students reach their own conclusions about the problems that threaten our marine environment and the need to take measures to protect it," she stresses.