Cavallets de Mar Balears Project

In the Sa Dragonera Island natural reserve, a breeding pair of Hippocampus guttulatus seahorses and 4 male common seahorse (Hippocampus hippocampus) juveniles, born and cared for at Palma Aquarium, were released thanks to the Cavallets de Mar Balears project. This project, a collaboration between the Palma Aquarium Foundation and Banca March, culminated in the first public release of 6 seahorses on June 25, 2024.

During this marine conservation effort, the technical team from Palma Aquarium and its Foundation, alongside representatives from Banca March, were accompanied by Pilar Gómez i Calatayud, Director-Curator of the Sa Dragonera Natural Park at the Consell de Mallorca; Luis Rubí Valle, Insular Director of the Environment at the Consell de Mallorca and the Government of the Balearic Islands; Joan Simonet, Counselor for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment; Marc Álvarez, Chief of Staff of the Counselor; Toni Crespí, Press Officer of the General Directorate; and Eva Moragues, Head of Marine Resources Service.

The seahorses were transported from Palma Aquarium to the Port of Andratx and then to their chosen destination in the Sa Dragonera natural reserve using the emission-free electric catamaran, Blue Circle. Firusub Diving Center provided support with an additional vessel for the event.

Seahorses are crucial indicators of marine ecosystem health but are also highly vulnerable. The "Cavallets de Mar Balears" project, initiated in March 2022 and renewed in 2024, aims to facilitate seahorse reproduction in controlled artificial environments and reintroduce them into their natural habitats. The initiative's goal is to bolster the two seahorse species populations in the Mediterranean, which have declined by 25 to 30% in recent decades.