On June 25, 2024, a momentous event for marine conservation took place: the first public release of seahorses in the Balearic Islands. This achievement is the result of the "Cavallets de mar balears" project, a joint initiative of the Fundación Palma Aquarium y Banca March Mediterranean Fund, who have joined forces to protect and conserve these fascinating marine creatures.
A step towards conservation
A breeding pair of Hippocampus Guttulatus and four male Hippocampus Hippocampus Hippocampus pups were released in the nature reserve of the island Sa Dragonera. These seahorses, born and cared for at Palma Aquarium, were carefully prepared to be reintroduced into their natural environment.
The logistics of moving the seahorses included transporting them from Palma Aquarium to Puerto de Andratx and then to the Sa Dragonera reserve aboard BlueCircle's zero-emission electric catamaran. This vessel, provided by Love the Mediterranean, is a 100% electric swallow that minimizes environmental impact, reducing both noise and combustion pollution to zero. Love the Mediterranean's collaboration in this project reinforces its commitment to the protection of the sea and has been carried out on a non-profit basis.
Pareja reproductora de Hippocampus Guttulatus
The BlueCircle vessel is a 100% electric swallow whose impacts on the sea are reduced to zero in emissions and are minimal in acoustics, making it ideal for this release project. The Firusub dive center also participated in the event, offering a support vessel.
Golondrina 100% eléctrica
The importance of seahorses
Seahorses are a crucial indicator of the health of marine ecosystems and are particularly vulnerable. Since the start of the "Cavallets de mar balears" project in March 2022, renewed in 2024, we have been working to facilitate the reproduction of these animals in a controlled environment and reintroduce them into their natural habitat, given that their populations in the Mediterranean have declined considerably in recent decades.
To date, this project has achieved the reintroduction of 585 seahorses in the Balearic Sea, with previous technical releases totaling 579 hatchlings and juveniles.
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