Posidonia: the underwater treasure you can enjoy when hiring a boat in Ibiza

The seabeds around the Pityusic Islands are home to this underwater forest that extends from Es Freus in Formentera to the beach of Ses Salines in Ibiza.

This plant, that is endemic to the Mediterranean and cannot be found in any other part of the world, is the habitat of numerous species that find food and refuge here. The plant oxygenates the sea and filters the sand, giving the waters of Ibiza and Formentera their transparency and turquoise colour, and it also protects the coastline from erosion.

Pollution and anchoring disturb the habitat of this organism and it is therefore necessary to take great care when dropping anchor off your hire boat in any bay.

If you dive amongst the Posidonia you will very likely see beautiful seahorses and shoals of scorpion fish, sea bream and many others.

Being a plant similar to land plants, it not only has stems and leaves, but you may also be surprised by its enigmatic and stunning flowers. The Posidonia flower is, in fact, a cluster of many small flowers of different sex. The flowers even produce a fruit popularly known as the Olive of the Sea owing to its round shape and size, similar to a table olive.

It is said that the Posidonia oceanica evolved from algae in the sea to plants on land, and then transitioned back to the sea many centuries later. It is now an endangered species and for this reason the Council of Ibiza has initiated the “Vive la Posidonia” project (Posidonia Lives), that has won the international Alimara Award in the category of responsible and sustainable tourism.