Cave diving in Mallorca

• Permits: 30 of the Balearics' >7,000 catalogued caves are ZEC (Natura 2000, Decreto 14/2015), incl. sa Gleda, Cova des Coll, Pirata, Pont, Cova des Drac de Cala Santanyí, Cova dels Ases, Cova d'en Bessó (Genovesa), Pas de Vallgornera, Cova del Dimoni and Cova dels Estudiants. Caving there can be authorised; cave diving (recreational, sport or scientific) only exceptionally, by the Direcció General de Medi Natural i Gestió Forestal. • Apply via caib.es ('activitats espeleològiques a les coves ZEC'): IDs of all team members and a signed good-practice statement; for exploration also a project plan and federation endorsement. Decision within max. 6 months; no answer = refusal. xarxanatura@dgmedinatural.caib.es, +34 971 176 100. • Rules are enforced: in June 2019 environmental agents reported foreign cave divers who dived Cova des Drac (Santanyí) without a permit. Many entrances are also on private land (owner's consent needed). • Federació Balear d'Espeleologia (FBE): federation licence with insurance that also covers cave diving; C/ Uruguai s/n (Velòdrom Illes Balears), Palma; Tue 19–20 h; federaciobalear@gmail.com. • Marine reserves: Dragonera (permit DG Pesca Sostenible; min. 25 logged dives, ≥1 in the past year; season 1 Apr–30 Nov; max. 12 divers per centre boat) and Llevant de Mallorca–Cala Rajada (permit DG Recursos Pesqueros; min. 25 dives; night dives, shore dives and scooters banned outside the Cala Lliteres and Cala Gat zones). El Toro and the Malgrats islands are marine reserves too; reserves run by the Balearic government need an individual or group permit (caib.es), and in the Nord de Menorca reserve diving inside underwater caves is banned. Dive centres usually hold the permits. • Cabrera National Park: diving only with a permit requested in advance and in designated zones; show it at the park office in Cabrera harbour before diving. • Water in the anchialine caves: salt, ~19–20 °C, with strong haloclines in the top ~10 m. • Emergencies: 112 (medical 061). Hyperbaric chamber: MEDISUB, Clínica Juaneda, C/ Company 30 / Son Espanyolet 55, 07014 Palma — the only multiplace chamber in the Balearics, linked to 061/112; MEDISUB office +34 971 731 647 (no direct 24/7 number confirmed: call 112). DAN Europe +39 06 4211 5685. • Cave rescues so far were done by Guardia Civil GEAS divers together with FBE cave divers (sa Piqueta 2017, sa Gleda 2022). • Tec and cave training: Technical Diving Mallorca (TDI; cavern/intro-cave; +34 601 86 23 41, no fixed base); cave instructor Álvaro Granell (YouTube @Agranell). • Rest day: boat trip with a swim into the Cova des Coloms sea cave from Porto Cristo (Skualo).