WRECK OF THE BOREAS

Max 23M boat dive

The old tugboat Boreas lies on the south west slope of the Llosa de Palamos, in a sandy corridor at a depth of 31 metres. The Boreas, originally named pallworm, was a 40 metre seagoing tugboat that belonged to the German Navy during the Second World War. After the war it was put to civilian use and in 1980, under a Panamanian flag, it was rebaptised Boreas. After a somewhat checkered history, it was eventually confined to port by the authorities for drug dealing, and remained moored in the port of Palamos in a state of total abandonment for three years. The owners of the Nautilus Diving Centre of Palamos and of the diving centre at the camp site of La Coma decided that the ship could be used to promote scuba diving in the area and so started taking the steps necessary to sink the hulk of the old tugboat at a spot accessible to divers and where it would not be a danger for shipping of fishing.

After buying the ship and obtaining the necessary licenses, they proceeded to decontaminate the craft and to prepare it for sinking, an operation that lasted several months. The engine room was partially broken up, while partitions and pipes that could be a danger to divers were eliminated and, finally, the masts were cut down, as their height would have been a danger to shipping. On the 23^rd January 1989, the ship was sunk in the area where the Llosa of Palamos falls abruptly to a depth of 20 metres and sandy seabed begins.

The Boreas can only be explored from a boat. To locate the wreck, head to the beacon marking the Llosa of Palamos. From there, proceed about 200m SW to the bouy that marks the location of sunken ship. On days when the waters are especially clear the wreck is visible from the surface.

Seabeds.

The hulk of the Boreas rests slightly alist of portside with the propeller pointing directly towards the sea. The bow is at a depth of 26M and the stern at about 32M with the bridge at about 15M.

A few months after it was sunk, the Boreas was already covered with algae and invertebrates, the engine room and its many openings have been colonized by conger eels, and the hulk is already swarming with damselfish, bream, bass, among others.

The hulk of the Boreas lies on a sandy bed surrounded by rocks ridges covered with calcareous algae. Where the hull rests on the seabed, gaps have formed that get wider towards the stern, and in them there are usually scorpionfish, little Cape Town lobsters, and recently some large common lobsters to be seen. The numerous drain-age holds around the hull are often occupied by conger eels, and it is not unusual to find all these holes inhabited. On the rails of the deck are formations of bryozoans and tube worms.

Just behind the bridge is the engine room, free of any obstacles that could be dangerous to divers. To explore it a torch is essential. The fauna inhabiting the engine room consist mainly of cave or dark environment species, of which the most notable are the cardinalfish and large conger eels (these are used to the divers and do not shy away). Protruding from the engine room and attached to the bridge is the funnel, though now it now lies on its side due to winter storms, these are also conger and moray eels in its openings.

The bridge, cleared of any dangerous obstacles is a large area that is connected to the deck’s walkways. On the upper deck, you will find a terrace with a rail and tied to this is a cable joining the ship to the surface bouy. This platform is a good meeting place, both to start the dive and to prepared the ascent.

Around the Ship

The seabeds surrounding the Boreas, the well known Llosa de Palamos are of interest to divers. One possibility is to head directly for the Llosa of a NE course. In this case, first swim over the rocky plain covered with algae, the cavities of which are well worth exploring. Corals and Nudibrachia abound in this area, as well as scorpianfish and large labroids. The seabed rises gradually, but it is advisable not to go far from the starting point to avoid long decompressions.

Another possible route, reserved for divers with a certain experience, is to head south from the propeller, that is towards the open sea. You soon reach depths of 36M and will find yourself opposite a small rise in the seabed. In these rocks full of holes and cavities lobsters, scorpionfish and red corals abound. Remember to check the duration of the dive as you will soon enter decompression.

Descend by the rope joining the buoy to the bridge of the wreck, which is at a depth of 15-17M, at this point it is worth taking a look around to see the shoals of fish that usually encircle the hull, notably bogues, damselfish, swallowtail sea perch, bream, often watched closely by 2 or 4 large bass. Without too much delay, descend to the bottom of which the ship rests, and start around the hull shining the torch in the holes which often contain conger eels. The sight of the massive stern from the bottom is impressive, with its great propeller buried in the sand. Just where the hull meets the sandy bed, usually at the stern ends you may see a large common lobster but be careful the depth here is 33M so do not hesitate too long. You can ascend either side of the ship, then explore the deck and the machine room where you will no doubt see a large number of octopus with the holes full of conger and moray eels. Finally, head towards the bridge before ascending to your safety stop.

On days when the waters are clear it is worth moving slightly away from the Boreas and looking at it from a distance. The sight of its unmistakable silhouette outlined against the immensity of the blue depth is truly memorable.

SA TUNA

25M Shore dive

The beach of Sa Tuna is, together with the cala de Aiguagreda, one of the most accessible places of the coast for diver with little experience. It is a pleasant beach, well sheltered from all winds and closed to the east by the point of Es Plom. The beach is quite large, with single and coarse sand. Showers, bars and a telephone are also found here.

A cliff path circles the beach of Sa Tuna to the right- south (towards the small beach of S’Eixugador) and to the left – north (leading to the Cala of Aiguagreda). The beach of S’Eixugador opens onto the south west corner of this bay, which is difficult to get to by land, Next to this little beach is the Cave of Sant Pau.

You can take the car down to the beach to unload the equipment, and there is a marked parking lot quite near the beach. For over a near, a notice at the entrance to the beach diving is forbidden from 1^st June to 30^th September.

There are buoys separating the anchoring and bathing areas on the northern side and there is a small jetty for dropping off passengers. Due to the conditions of this cala, with its sheltered waters, sailing boats frequently anchor here.

Seabeds

The seabeds at the centre of the beach of Sa Tuna are basically large sandy extensions replaced by patches of Neptune grass towards the beach of S’Eixugador and the point of Es Plom. After the first 30m out, the rock and sand bottom falls gently to a depth of just 4-5m. At about 50m from the beachline, the depth is still only 7m. The seabeds to the sides of the cala house a photophilious community with abundant small fish. The further from the beach and the deeper you go, white sea-whips appear. Further on, in the cracks and holes at a depth of 15-20M you will see red coral, especially in the isolated rocks from depths 17-20m onwards.

South

The seabeds on the south side of the cala, towards S’Eixugador, present a range of rocky recesses, with holes and crannies. This is the shallow area hardly 3-8m deep. There are some tubes here that are often mistaken for the famous cannons of Sa Tuna at a depth of 4m between rock blocks. There are two pipes and tube works have settled in one of them. A bit further on, at a depth of 7m you will come across another pipe about 4m long. In this area there are abundant octopus, bream, scorpionfish, gudgeons, blennies, etc.

North

The north side of the cala is the most attractive for diving. Here the bottom descends slowly and gradually to depths around 20m (where the coast clearly turns westward) On the upper part of the rocks there is an attractive photophilous community, with bream and labroids swimming amoung abundant green algae and sea urchins. The main attraction of this area is the cannon (this time the real one) that is leaning against the wall at a depth of only 5m.

Route

Start your dive from the beach on the 45 deg course, swimming on the surface to save air. Keep the north coast of the cala near your left until the depth is 4-5m. If you wish to vist the cannon, descend here.

You will come across the cannon at a depth of 5-7m, incorporated in the rocks of the north wall on which it leans. The cannon measures about 2.5m long, its mouth faces the beach and it is leaning on a small platform or ledge in the blocks. From this platform the seabed falls abruptly 3m to a depth of 10m. Here the bottom is covered with detritus in the shallow parts. Nearby is a mooring buoy held at a depth of 8m, with another intermediate buoy at a depth of about 3m.

Follow the wall at the point where it meets the sandy bed, descending slowly until you reach the seabeds at 13-15m. To your left you will see abundant white sea whips on a steep vertical wall.

When the coast wall starts to turn left, leave it, keeping 20 deg. Here you will discover the remains of a boat on the bottom at a depth of 21m, but the rocks that rise 2-4m from the sand, at a depth of 25m are more interesting to explore. This is the most attractive scenery of Sa Tuna.

CALA AIGUAFREDA

Max 21M shore dive

The Cala of Aiguafreda which means cold water, is one of the most accessible places to learn diving. It is a long narrow inlet, open to the East and surrounded by rocks and pine trees. A cliff path runs along the right and left hand side of the cala offering attractive views of this stretch of coast. The beach of very small with shingle and course sand and a wide platform to the north on which bather and divers do their sunbathing. This platform leads to a jetty off which divers can enter the water fully killed. A large part of the north side of the cala is occupied by the anchoring area marked by buoys whose numerous ‘deadmans’ moorings you will see when diving. Just behind the beach is a small river whose cold water give its name to the cala, flows into the sea and forms a freshwater source. The Cala also has a cafe and bar with benches under pine trees, with toilets and showers available.

Very near the cala is a very nice restaurant and dive centre which has a compressor. The parking is 200m from the cala, although you can take the car down to the front to unload dive equipment.

SEABEDS

The seabeds of Aiguafreda are sandy with a few Neptune grass bushes in the centre of the cala where you will have to go to find depths of 20m.

The sides of the cala in contrast offer a good example of a photophilous community. Then, deeper, a precoralligenous environment with white sea whips and colonies of yellow incrusting anemones. Finally in the cracks and holes at depths of 15-20m, a small though highly representative corralligenous appears with some small branches of red coral, specially inside the famous ‘chimneys’ of Aiguafreda.

South side

The seabeds on the south side of the cala, looking towards Sa Tuna, feature a succession of recesses with large rock blocks prepared with holes, slots and cracks at their bases often sheltering large quantities of fish. The shallowness near the coast (8-10m) makes it very suitable for snorkel diving. Here you can enjoy a long low-consumption immersion by sliding among the blocks, going in and out of their passages and canyons, admiring the large anemones, numerous octopus, some tube-worms and abundant little Cape Town lobsters (especially in the shallow crevices no deeper than 6-8m) In this stretch of the coast there is a tunnel that enters quite a way inland. If you go some distance away from the coastline and head for the point of Es Plom you will discover a series of rocks rising from the bottom (20m) with corals on them and if you are lucky a ray may appear in the sand and shingle surrounding them.

North

On the North side of the cala, on the upper part of the rocks, there is an attractive photophilous community with bream and labroids swimming among the green algae. Here is particular, sea urchins and sea-cucumbers abound. One of the points of interest for divers are the two Chimneys, which in fact are two short tunnels, on a sandy bed that you can enter horizontally from below but then come our vertically – hence their name. The lower opening of the first tunnel is at a depth of 14.5m and its upper opening at 7m. The second tunnel starts at 13.5m and ends at 8.5m from the surface. The tunnels are narrow and only allow one diver to pass through at a time. Near the tunnels there is a notable presence of cardinalfish, scorpionfish, brown meagre, nudibranches, small lobsters and some grouper.

Route

You could start the dive from the beach itself or comfortable jump off the end of the jetty, swim away on the surface to save air, keeping the north coast of the cala to your left until you reach a depth of 607m where you descend.

During the initial trip, slide along the border between the sand and the rocks, following a 90 deg course, increasingly gaining depth as you enter the rocks. Further on at a depth of 17m, just where the wall turns left, you will see the remains of a boat on the sand on your right. You could inspect the boat and shine your torch into the deep crack in the wall which is full of life.

Continue around the wall (approx 30 deg) while the depth stabilizes at 18-19m. You will discover that the wall almost immediately, turn left again, forming a deep recess or canal (330 deg) that you could go round or over to head directly 9course 30deg for the area of the Chimneys.

After leaving another fissure to your left to up a little (follow the border between the sand and rock wall) and you will find yourself opposite the first chimney. This entrance is hard to see from a distance because of the play of light and shadows there. Avoid standing in from of the entrance to the tunnel as the bed is sandy and stirs up easily. If the water is clear, from the entrance, you can see the light at the other end, just 9 or 10m away. Pass through this first tunnel one by one, making efforts not to hit the walls and study the crannies with a torch. Also take the precaution of emptying the air from your jacket otherwise you may be swept to the surface when you come out. The first tunnel ends at depth of about 7-8m (although the rocks rise much higher) where you turns to the right (north) to find the upper mouth of the second tunnel, that enlarges as it gets deeper. To the right are dark cracks with corals, cardinalfish, perhaps a brotulid, etc and when coming out, avoid standing on the bottom so as not to cloud the way for the next diver. Opposite the exit is a circular block with remains or ropes that help locate the tunnel if you missed the entrance to the first chimney. In front of this point rise other rocks whose cracks may contain lobsters and hermit crabs etc.

From there there are two options for the return journey. Back along the same way or following a more direct line at less depth passing over the rocky platform 9210 deg followed by 270 deg) during the return trip avoid emerging near the jetty as there is a lot of boat traffic here.

MEDES ISLES

TUNNELS OF THE MEDA PETITA

Your dive can start from either south of the north face of the Meda Petita, given that there is a short tunnel which crosses the island from north to south. Choose a point of descent which is sheltered from the wind. The Meda Petita is the second largest island of the Meda Isles. It is elongated in form, but extends little more than 300metres in a SW-NE direction. Its relief, to the west, is characterized by a continuous slope whose lowest part is situated in the SW while its highest part lies in the centre of the island. The NE of the island, in contract, has an irregular relief.

The southern slope forms two wide recesses. In the corner of the eastern recess, dark oblique strata can be seen on the wall, above the water level, indicating the direction of the entrance to the short tunnel (at a depth of 6-12m) called Dolfi tunnel. This well-known tunnel crosses the island in a NW-SE direction. The seabed (mainly made up of rocks and gravel), is a few metres below the entrance, at a depth of 15m. The little statue of a dolphin, giving the tunnels its name, is placed on a shelf to the left of the entrance.

A little further up and to the left of the tunnel entrance, at a depth of about 3m, a window opens into the tunnel, although the corners and cavities remain in the shadows.

The fauna inside are rich and varied. For example, following the long tunnel, note the fauna which covers its walls and roofs, wreathy-tuft tube worms, white sponges due to lack of simbiont seaweed, red sea-squirts on the walls. There are some steep narrow ducts in the roof with swarms of orange mysids moving at their base and hiding from the torch light. Camouflaged among the corals you may discover hairy crabs with their sponges on their backs. Conger eels and grouper hide in some of the endless cracks in the walls and little transparent of red snapping prawns walk among the blocks on the seabed. Even some of the congar eels prefer these blocks inside the short tunnel (very near to the southern mouth) there is, to the east, a dark passage several metres wide and 50m long connected to the long tunnel. Halfway to the entrance, in the northern section of the duct, the light reveals a chasm that opens beyond the surface to form an open wall above the water.

The end of the passage opens onto a large hall with the long tunnel leading off to the north. The hall has two openings to the south, at about 30metres east of the mouth of the short tunnel. The long tunnel is 75m long, 4m high and about 6m wide. It is dark, but if the water is transparent, the lights from both entrances is transparent, the lights from both entrances are both visible. The bed is formed of fallen blocks. The northern mouth of this tunnel opens at a depth between 10-22m. At the exit, the bottom is formed by large blocks and descends in a steep slope to a depth of 40m.

To the north of this entrance, at 34m, and hidden between the wall and the blocks on the bottom is the opening of a small U-shaped tunnel. This tunnel is narrow, with low viz and a muddy bed. It descends to a depth of 37m before ascending again rapidly to 30m at its north mouth, facing the northern wall of the island, at about 100m from the north entrance of the short tunnel.

To the west of the southern mouth of the Dolphin Tunnel, the seabed loses depth gradually, so that at the entrance called Sant Itsiu, the seabed is no more than 4-5 m deep. Between the southern mouth of the short tunnel and Sant Istiu there is a cave on the bed at 10m, in a very side recess 5m high that lies NE and ascends to the surface, leaving behind the largest air chamber known in the archipelago, which is completely dark.

To the east of the southern dolphins, the wall goes down to 22m under the south east point called the Ressagosa. From this point northward the wall reaches a depth of 40m and then turns to the left losing depth. At the northern mouth of the short tunnel the seabed is 10m deep. For this dive it is essential to carry a torch.

Route

Descend by the southern face at the corner of the island, which will serve as a reference point when identifying the entrance to the short tunnel. You will find the wide tunnel entrance at a depth of 6-12 metres, just above the seabed of grave and large blocks. Entre and turn right into the dark passage leading to the long tunnel. To the left, look up to see the siphon-shaped chasm which opens to the sky. At the end of the duct is the large hall where the long tunnel begins.

To the south are two openings through which the light streams in. In clear waters you can see the light from the northern mouth of the tunnel. Approach the southern openings to see gilthead and bream swimming near the outside wall and brown meagre sheltering in the shade of these entrances.

Swim through the long tunnel, shortly before the exit, the tunnel descends to a depth of 25m. At this point there is an accumulation of sediment and the small grudgeon resting under the ridges on the walls flee rapidly when light falls on them. It is usual to see groups of swallowtail sea perch swimming on their backs near the roofs of the tunnel. On the way out, you will see red sea-whips with multicoloured sponges, red sea squirts, bryozoans at its base and corals in the lower sections of the ridges.

Once outside, if you have sufficient air you would descend along the bed of large blocks keeping close to the northward wall to a depth of 34m. Hidden among the blocks and the wall is the U-shaped entrance to the small tunnel. Move with particular care so as not to break any of the organisms on the walls nor to stir up the fine sediment. Inside are crayfish and some common lobsters. Divers not wishing to enter the tunnel can go around the island without exceeding the 25m mark, ascending slowly to 6m while heading for the northern entrance to the dolphin tunnel.

From the north exit, ascend along the island wall to 6m heading for the northern tunnel entrance of the short tunnel. You will come to a recess that looks like an opening to a tunnel. If you try to entre it but realize that it ascends almost to the surface and stops there, then it is the ‘false dolphin tunnel’. Continue along the wall in a westward direction and you will find the correct tunnel in the next recess. Once inside it, gradually ascend to 3m from where you will see the south exit below you at a distance of about 15m. Before reaching this point you will notice a narrow cavity large enough for a diver to pass through, just below the entrance to the tunnel. The cavity leads to the floor of this entrance but you run the risk of getting stuck!

When entering the dolphin tunnel, to the right there is access to a small air chamber. When descending towards the south exit, you will see a false roof over which there may be some grouper, brotulids and numerous brown meagre. The walls of this tunnel are almost bare of animal colonies as the result of the large number of visitors over recent years.

When leaving, pass the dolphin and follow the wall westward, at a depth of about 10m. The wall turn to the right and then again to the left, while the bottom approaches a depth of 10m. In this area you will see colonies of red coral under the ridges of the rock which are spectacular. A bit further on, in the corner, is the entrance to the cave of the large air chamber. The bottom ascends gently and is covered with large blocks among which are snapping prawns, crayfish, lobsters and other crustaceans. In the corners are large swarms of orange mysids. Some Cape Town lobsters have been sighted in the cave. If you go right to the bottom of this cave you will how the slope gets steeper until you come out into the air chamber which is in complete darkness. Leave the cave and ascend to the surface along the wall where the dive ends.

MEDAS ISLANDS – COSTA BRAVA

The Medas Islands comprise two main islands – Meda Gran and Meda Petita – plus numerous other large rocks and pinnacles which have been carved out by erosion from the sea. The islands are not very high out of the water but the action of the sea has eroded most sides and has left great underwater cliffs which plunge steeply to 50m or more and being from limestone, has allowed the formation of many tunnels and cave systems. The most spectacular cave is through the Meda Petita and is called the Dolphin Cave where you will find a small bronze statue of a dolphin at its southern entrance. This is a relatively easy cave dive and even those who fear being lost for ever in a tunnel will find this most exhilarating and enjoyable.

From the north end entrance the tunnels run for about 50m at a maximum depth of 17m, these get wider and higher as they reach several entrances at the much bigger south end. There is never a feeling that you will not find your way out as there are many ‘windows’, some of which are perfectly round which provide extra light. The waters around the Medes Island are fed by the River Ter that enriches the water with organic material plus a combination of wind and currents from the north cause an upwelling of deeper water around the islands that brings even more nutrients. All of this creates a very fertile meal on which many organisms thrive.

Many years ago the surrounding villages depended on fishing and there was a large and active fleet that fished extensively around the islands, including the use of spearguns, killing off most of the larger fish. The then government looked at the possibilities of creating a marine park around the islands and realised that they had a real treasure in their hands. So in 1983, the first laws were passed declaring the islands a marine park. Now, thanks to this protection many of the rock walls are covered in beautiful sea fans of red, yellow, purple and even combinations of these colours. It really is quite stunning and a dream for the macro photographer!

The most stunning part of the dive is the sight of fish compared only to the Red Sea for sheer quantity and size. Huge, tame groupers will be more than happy to play with divers, shoals of sardines and anchovies that attract the larger predators such as barracuda, bass, jack and bonito are so abundant that they can impair your view! The Medas Islands can only be described as one of Spain’s real jewels and just has to be dived!

REGGIO MESSINA

To the south of Punta del Castell, near the famous cave, the Foradada, lies the Raggio on a bed of sand at a depth of 32-35m.

The Reggio Messina was a ferry, 122 metres long, 17 metres wide and with a drought of over 6 metres. The ship originally transported trains (you can still see the rails) as well as passengers. When it came to be retired from service, a Catalan company bought the Reggio with the intention of converting it into a pleasure boat to be opened in time for the 1992 Olympic Games. To this end, scrapping works started on the deck where the trains were transported, and the ships engines were taken out. But the many holes caused by these operations left the ship defenceless when heavy rains fell at the end of the year and caused the ferry to sink right there in the wharf.

The serious damage suffered made the original idea quite unfeasible (ie to convert into a dance hall/restaurant) and while it waited in the waters of the port of Barcelona, its fate was decided on. The idea was to refloat it and transport it to a point on the Costa Brava, where it would be sunk again and become an accessible wreck for underwater divers to visit. The area chosen was the coast of Montgri, 2 miles north of the port of Estartit near the Roca Foradada of Cap Castell. The choice was not fortuitous, the idea was to divert part of the pressure suffered by the Medes Islands by offering divers an alternative point of interest.

However, the problems hadn’t finished for the Reggio, while being resunk it fell to the bottom where it lay in a bad position and some time later, the force of east storms displaced it and broke it into three large pieces. The work done to condition it for visitors was so seriously impaired that for some time divers were advised not to visit it.

SEABEDS

The hulk of the Reggio Messina lies alist on its port side, with the stern facing Punta del Castell.

The Reggio is broken in three main pieces, stern, central area and prow.

The stern is the largest and best preserved part, as it remains white vertical on its keel, with the end pointing towards the nearby Punta del Castell. The stern section is 60-70 metres long and lies on the seabed at a depth of about 32m, which is why exploring this fragment can be considered a complete dive itself.

The middle piece (between 20 and 30 metres long) is particularly damaged with its upper part torn off and completely displaced to the portside, now resting on the bottom. Exploring this part of the ship with poor visibility can be chaotic and one has the feeling of crossing an untidy mass of underwater junk. Among the sheets around the deck numerous lobsters have adopted the Reggio as their home.

The prow is also damaged quite badly and very lopsided. This section is over 20 metres long, with a considerable layer of sediments (sometimes more than 10cm thick) covering most of the structure.

The main deck, where the remnants of the old railway tracks can still be seen, it at a depth of 28m. Above deck the stern mast rises 16-17m.

A few months after its sinking, the Reggio was already covered with seaweed and invertebrates, although the population growth has been fairly slow. Around the ship you can see the damselfish, bream etc, but on the decks there are starfish, sea urchins, some octopus and lobsters.

Although all the structures that might constitute a danger to divers have been removed from the wreck of the Reggio, its current condition is quite different to that which was planned, so be extra careful that none of your equipment gets hooked on jutting out parts and always control timing carefully to avoid long decompression and plan your itinerary beforehand.

TAMARIU BAY

Max 13M Shore dive

Delightful sandy beach with plenty of restaurants and cafes with showers on the beach. Very popular night dive site with us.

North side of the Cala – Octopus Highway so called because of the abundance of octopus here. Very easy access off the platform or from a small sandy bay around the corner or from the main beach. There are lots of boats moored here during the summers months so please keep within the buoys until your descent at the rocks and the same when you return.

Going out follow the rocks on your left along the sandy bottom where you will find an abundance of large anemones, beautiful cuttlefish displaying their wonderful colours and if you are lucky they will dance for you! Numerous octopus and some tube worms along with rays displaying their full beauty. The depth is only about 12 metres so you will have plenty of time to search among the rocks, usually after about 20 minutes into the diver in a cove of rocks, you will find our friend DADDYPUS who is enormous with huge arms and sucks, so be careful with your mask if you get too close and he has taken a liking to our Staff Instructors’ lately! On your return during the summer months, returns along the same route but during the winter (October to May) you can come up the beach.