Aquatica Submarinisme - Illes Medes, l'Estartit

Since 1996 we in Aquàtica offer a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere as well as highly professional advice. Enjoy with us the seabottom of l'Estartit and Reserva Marina de les Illes Medes. Open all year !!! You're invited to know about us througth this pages and visit us soon. Welcome !!!

The theory sessions are definitely not the most fun in a scuba diving course. Nevertheless, they get much better if held in a classroom like ours, equipped with TV set, dvd, whiteboard and all SSI teaching equipment, although with the SSI e-Learning courses we avoid spending too long on these!. During the diving courses and before diving in the open sea, diving trainees must practice in the pool. Ours is conveniently located right next to our classroom, gear storage room and office. The toughest part of scuba diving? We think so! But we need to take good care of our equipment and we make that as comfortable as possible for you. Dressing room and showers, where we can change comfortably and take a nice warm shower after our dives. Our new boat is perfect to allow 15 divers (authorized for 25 pax). Huge deck for out&on boarding comfortably, and covered spaces for dry clothes... A modern filling station (new on 2007, air & nitrox), equipped with everything it needs to guarantee a good quality of the air or Nitrox we'll breath once we're underwater. And all this just beside the boat.

RESPECT: c.1300, from Latin respectus "regard," literally "act of looking back at one," past participle of respicere "look back at, regard, consider," from re- "back" + specere "look at" To feel or show deferential regard for; esteem for something or someone because of merit, rank, knowledge, age, importance, etc. RESPECTFUL, LOW IMPACT DIVING Ever since the beginning of our venture at the diving centre in L’Estartit and Medes Islands, we have strived to apply respect to our diving. Respectful diving should arise from love for the sea bed and should lead to a struggle to minimize our impact. We at Aquatica try to promote this esteem among divers who come enjoy with us the sea beds at the Natural Park Montgrí and Medes Islands. Also, in our diving courses we train sensitive divers, divers with a good command of floatability, which will prevent involuntary body contact with the sea bed, divers who are aware of the value and fragility of the environment and the species that are part of it. Here are some hints for an even more low impact diving: 1- Mastering floatability allows us to swim in a perfectly horizontal line, never dragging our fins across the sea bed. 2- Equipment well attached to our body, no items hanging. Otherwise, spotlights, cameras, manometers and so on can inadvertently brush against the bottom. 3- Fins always raised from the bottom and far from the walls. If I want to observe a tiny species, it might be better to rest one fingertip on a non-fragile point on the bottom in order to maintain my position. 4- Marine biology training: the better I know the sea bed and its inhabitants, the more aware I’ll be of how important it is to preserve it and the more interesting my dives will be, including the ones where visibility is not so great. 5- Let’s not leave anything but bubbles behind: no waste and no feeding the fish. Be aware that even bubbles, which look so harmless, have an impact on species living on the cave ceilings and the extraploms (???) we visit. Every now and then… respicere… take a look behind to see you are not leaving any traces!

Source: www.visitestartit.com Our municipality’s quality brand is Nature, whose ageless generosity can be seen in mountain, valley, river, orchards, wetlands, beaches, coves, dunes and islands. With the passing of time, the equilibrium between man and the land has become fragile, and we have had to provide the means to restore this precious balance. The newly created Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Nature Park is now making this possible. Torroella de Montgrí includes 68% of the total Nature Park area of 8192 hectares (23% marine area and 77% land area). Different flora and fauna habitats for you to discover. The new Nature Park highlights interesting features of the Montgrí area, the Medes Islands and the Baix Ter wetlands, and has ensured the future of the landscape, the natural habitats, the land and marine flora and fauna, and the cultural heritage of the area. 17 itineraries through the park and a wide variety of natural and cultural landscapes. “Where can we find information on the Nature Park?” You will find interesting suggestions for exploring the local nature spaces at the Museum of the Mediterranean information desk and at the Tourist Offices in L’Estartit and Torroella de Montgrí. Itineraries are available to help you find your way round the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Nature Park and enjoy the natural landscapes with their thousand-year-old cultural legacy. The Habitats of Catalonia List (LHC) records 25 different habitats in the Medes Islands and Montgrí Massif area, of which eleven are of community interest and three are priority habitats. Flora and vegetation The harsh climate conditions caused by wind, the high degree of salinity, and the incidence of marine bird droppings all strongly determine the vegetation on the Medes Islands. The vegetation has had to adapt to the geological situation of the islands and to the high rugged cliffs constantly at the mercy of diverse meteorological phenomena. The floristic interest of the Medes Islands lies in the nitrophile herb communities, which have adapted naturally, without human intervention, to the large quantities of droppings from the colonies of nesting marine birds. The floristic features of the Montgrí Massif result from its distinctive geological relief and karstic morphology, its Mediterranean climate and thin, stony soil. The massif is a space of floristic singularities and peculiarities, with the coastal cliffs providing an ideal habitat for interesting rare plants, some of which are unique in Catalonia. The underwater flora around the Medes Islands and along the coast of the Montgrí Massif is of unquestionable value in the marine ecosystem. Studies must be carried out in order to conserve the flora and the stability of the natural systems. Fauna Land fauna Birds are of special interest in the nature park, for the diversity of species and the protected species seeking refuge there. On the Montgrí Massif and the Medes Islands, 189 species have been recorded, of which marine birds, rupicolous birds and several birds of prey are well represented. Marine fauna The great diversity of underwater fauna around the Medes Islands constitutes a complex ecosystem due to the existence of many different types of seabed and marine environment. These generate a wide variety of ecological niches occupied by species that have adapted to this type of habitat. The prohibition on removing natural resources from the strictly protected zone has resulted in frequent sightings of large densities of species (mainly fish) rarely found in other places. For this reason, the area also attracts divers from all over the world. Cultural landscapes The territory of the nature park includes cultural landscapes that are unique in Catalonia. Here one can observe how man has interacted with the environment from the Paleolithic Age to the present day. The area is also outstanding for its great diversity of present-day landscapes. Overall, these spaces constitute a sample of the Baix Empordà landscape, which in itself constitutes a major value. The rich variety of landscapes in our territory offers visitors a wide range of sport and leisure activities. The network of hiking, cycling and ATB trails is now one of the star attractions of our tourist amenities; pleasant walks and guided visits are other ways to discover the beauty sports in the area. Itineraries: The park offers to the visitor 17 itineraries to enjoy the park and a wide variety of natural and cultural landscapes. Sports facilities In Torroella and L’Estartit we have a wide range of sports facilities, managed by some forty specialized companies which offer all kinds of water and diving activities and organize visits by land, sea and air. Without leaving the municipality you can engage in water sports, go for excursions on foot and by bicycle, go horse riding, take powered flights, play tennis, train at gymnasiums and engage in all kinds of sports activities for the young and old alike, with different options for experts and beginners. The tourist office has maps with routes for hikers/cyclists. Nautical sports Caiac, catamaran, fly-fish, kitesurf, jetski, paddle surf and stand up paddle, renting boats, snorkelling, skybus, water ski, diving centers, sailing, wakeboard, windsurf. Other sports and activities Guided tours, buggies-minibuggies, paddle, sports centers, horse riding, karts, mini-golf, laser aventura, Pitch and Putt, segway, tennis, ultra light airplanes, volleyball.