The Balearic Islands are a Spanish archipelago located in the western Meditteranean Sea. The islands are famous for their white-sand beaches and exhilarating nightlife - especially Ibiza and Mallorca - while beneath the crystal-clear blue waters hides the remains of ships and artefacts from different eras. Awe-inspiring caves with air pockets make it possible to surface underground and admire stalactite formations while labyrinthine tunnels and rocky seabeds carpeted with seagrass are all characteristic to Balearic Islands diving.

Ibiza and Formentera are the southern Balearic Islands where dive centres in Formentera often dive at sites in Ibiza - and vice versa - due to their close proximity. There is a myriad of excellent cavern and wreck dives found between the two islands. At the Balearic Islands north islands, Menorca and Mallorca, steep vertical walls rise up from the ocean floor and several marine reserves can be explored. Dive centres and dive resorts are located at the most popular dive locations on the islands, with many offering dive courses from the first dive experience to becoming a professional scuba diver.

While it’s not possible to witness flourishing coral reef ecosystems while scuba diving in the Balearic Islands, the beauty of diving here is the impressive rock formations that have formed world-class cavern diving sites. At Mallorca’s marine reserves, eagle rays and stingrays can be witnessed searching the seabed for their next meal while large schools of barracuda are often seen circling wrecks. While en-route to the next dive site, ensure to keep an eye on the water’s surface to spot dolphins mimicking the waves.

Considered by many as one of the best cave dives in the Western Mediterranean, Pont d’En Gil is located on the far western tip of Menorca. 220-metres in length, divers can surface in the caverns air-pocket and be awarded by a dome brimming with stalagmites and stalactites. With the cave’s entrance found only 12-metres deep, it is accessible to all certified divers. From Mallorca, it is possible to dive the National Park of Cabrera. Here, there is an incredible range of marine life from sea turtles to cuttlefish as well as the chance to witness plenty of pelagic fish such as barracuda and the occasional tuna.

At Ibiza, Don Pedro is the Meditteranean’s largest shipwreck accessible to recreational divers. It starts at a depth of 26-metres and descends as deep as 46-metres. While it is not possible to access the inside of the ship, advanced divers can explore the ship’s wheelhouse and huge propellers. Also at Ibiza, on the north coast of the island is the Cave of Light. Swim through a myriad of stunning rock formations, that have been dubbed the Pillars of Hercules, before entering a cave illuminated by a dramatic broad shaft of sunlight.

At the Balearic Islands smallest island, Formentera, divers have the chance to explore an abandoned floating fish factory. Resembling a sunken oil platform, the metal structure has since become a thriving artificial reef which is often home to barracuda, conger eel and lobster.