Special · Sea and ecology
Anchoring without destroying the seagrass
A hundred years to grow a metre, seconds to rip it out with the anchor.
Seagrass meadows are the Mediterranean's underwater forest: they produce oxygen, shelter fish and hold the beach sand in place. And every summer thousands of anchors tear them to shreds.
Why it matters so much
A healthy meadow produces more oxygen per square metre than the Amazon rainforest, filters the water clear and its roots hold the sand. Without seagrass, the water clouds over, the fish disappear and the first storm carries the beaches away.
Spot the sandy patch
The rule is simple: the anchor goes on sand, never on the dark patch. With the sun high and polarised sunglasses, sand looks like a turquoise patch and seagrass like brown or dark green patches.
Drop the anchor in the centre of the patch and pay out chain allowing for swing, so you don't sweep the meadow at the sides.
Eco-friendly buoys and the law
More and more protected coves have fields of eco-friendly buoys anchored with a sinker that doesn't harm the meadow. If a buoy is free, take it. And remember: anchoring on seagrass is prohibited in the protected zones of the Balearic Islands, with an official app that shows where you can't drop anchor.
Anchoring well takes two minutes: look at the seabed, find the patch and, if there's a buoy, use it. A small gesture that keeps alive the sea that gives us each summer.