Las Gorgonias -The Sea Fans

Deep Wall

Ses Bledes is a small and picturesque archipelago 6.5 miles SW of Sant Antoni and a short distance from the islands of s'Espartar and Sa Conillera. As a nature reserve of great beauty it has plenty of spots for diving and some stunning sea beds. We here suggest a dive off the Bleda menor at a spot known as Las Gorgonias (The Sea Fans).

After passing through a narrow strait which separates the Bleda menor from an islet, you dive down off the latter's SW side where the anchor comes to rest in 10 metres of water. You gain depth fairly quickly and are immediately aware of an impressive drop down to the sea floor. Keep the shelf to your right and head in a NW direction, and slightly more than 30 metres down you'll see the first examples from the spectacular underwater gardens of vivid red gorgonians or sea fans. Because of the depth they can only be seen properly with a good torch. The entire wall is covered with this delicate living colony which looks like the intricate skeleton of a brightly coloured bush.

This sublime underwater landscape is a veritable delight for divers, a place where you might easily come across a moray eel or even a John Dory as you swim among the fans. But careful attention must be given to the air level in your tank, and also to starting decompression, given the great depth at which sea fans grow. Depending on the diving schedule, it's a good idea to reverse the outward route in order to head back to the anchorage, keeping the shelf now on your left, and gradually reducing depth until you arrive back at the boat, of if you prefer, swimming past it to make a comfortable safety halt in the turquoise waters of the narrow strait.

Similar Dive Sites to Las Gorgonias -The Sea Fans

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  Ses Margalides

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  Santa Eularia Underwater Platform

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  Sa Conillera

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  S'Espartar