Guide

Anchoring in Menorca without harming the seagrass

Updated on

What Posidonia is

Posidonia oceanica is a flowering marine plant found only in the Mediterranean. It grows very slowly and forms meadows on the seabed. According to the Balearic Government, it covers more than 650 km² around the islands and is the most widespread marine vegetation on seabeds between 0 and 35 metres deep.

The Balearic Islands have the largest area of Posidonia meadows in Spain: half of the total inventoried, and around 75% of it lies within Natura 2000 sites.

What the rules say

Decree 25/2018 of 27 July on the conservation of Posidonia oceanica in the Balearic Islands covers anchoring in its article 7:

  • General ban. Anchoring boats on Posidonia oceanica is prohibited as a general rule (article 7.1).
  • Buoys. Over Posidonia you may only moor using authorised low impact systems, that is, single buoys or mooring fields (article 7.2).
  • Mooring fields. Where there is a mooring field you must use it, or anchor in the sandy areas the field itself marks out, and never directly on the meadow (article 7.2).
  • The chain counts too. If there are meadows nearby, your chain and other mooring gear must not touch them (article 7.3).
  • Exceptions. These rules do not apply in cases of force majeure or danger to life at sea or to navigation (article 7.5).

In protected natural areas and Natura 2000 sites, their own management plans also apply where they are stricter. The decree is the general rule everywhere else.

How to anchor well when you reach a cove

  1. Look at the bottom before you drop anchor. Find a wide, clear patch of sand. Seagrass meadows show up as dark patches; sand looks lighter.
  2. If there are buoys, use them. Where there is an authorised mooring field, that is how the rules expect you to moor.
  3. Drop the anchor on sand and watch your chain. Allow for the boat swinging so that neither anchor nor chain ends up on the meadow.
  4. When you leave, lift the anchor vertically. Motor up until you are over the anchor before raising it, so you do not drag it across the bottom.
  5. If in doubt, ask. Your rental company knows the coves and can tell you where the sand usually is.

What you will find on our cove pages

We do not show the type of seabed for each cove yet. We will only publish it with an official source, such as the Balearic Government’s Posidonia mapping. Meanwhile, each page tells you which way the cove faces and which winds it is sheltered from, so you can pick a calm day when anchoring is easier.

Start with the list of coves or the wind and port map.

Sources

For guidance only. This does not replace the regulations, the Harbour Master (Capitanía Marítima) or the instructions of your rental company. Always check the forecast before heading out.