Four Tons of Trash Recovered from the Sea off Sant Elm — Hope for Sa Dragonera

Four Tons of Trash Recovered from the Sea off Sant Elm — Hope for Sa Dragonera

In the early morning, when fishing boats still glide quietly across the bay of Sant Elm and cafés on the shore serve the first coffee, an unusually busy scene unfolded at a stretch near Cala Conills: dive boats, rubber dinghies and a few silent helpers on land. Teams from the municipality of Andratx, the Save the Med foundation and professional divers jointly pulled around four tons of bulky waste from the sea — heavy items that had accumulated on the seabed.

What was found

According to the helpers, they encountered significantly more waste than they had expected. Mattresses, car parts, metal frames and other bulky objects lay where Posidonia meadows and fish normally live. Such loads are not only an eyesore: they can mechanically destroy marine habitats and pose dangers to swimmers and boats.

Why this matters for Mallorca

The site is located in the protected area around the island of Sa Dragonera — a place many Mallorcans associate with long weekends, boat trips and family outings. Clean water is not only a quality-of-life issue; it is important for the species that live there, for local fisheries and for sea-lovers who dive or snorkel here. Clearing the seabed also improves anchoring safety and reduces the risk of debris washing up on beaches.

A daily scene from Sant Elm

Standing at the harbor of Sant Elm, you can hear the occasional clatter of nets, the cry of the seagulls and the distant horn of boats heading toward Sa Dragonera. One afternoon after the operation, children were seen collecting shells on the shore and older residents were taking walks along the harbor wall — they visibly breathed a sigh of relief as skiffs with fully loaded containers came in. Such small, almost banal scenes show how closely the sea is tied to everyday life here.

What remains to be done

The recovery alone does not solve the problem (Almost 37 Tons of Waste: What Mallorca's Cleanup Fleet Really Tells Us). For the seas around Mallorca to contain less waste in the long term, several steps are needed: better waste management on land, regular monitoring and cleanup measures (6.5 Tons of Waste in July: Why Mallorca's Coasts Keep Struggling), education for tourists and boaters, and technical support for dive teams. The cooperation between the municipality, the NGO and professional divers is a good model — it just needs to happen more often and be better funded.

Concrete suggestions

Those who want to help locally can contact municipal offices or organizations like Save the Med about planned actions (see More than 6.7 tonnes of waste from the sea: Why the cleanup on Mallorca is only the beginning). Boat owners should secure items on board and dispose of waste properly on land. Coastal restaurants and hotels can actively inform guests about how to avoid and correctly dispose of waste.

Conclusion: Four tons are a visible success — and a reminder. Sant Elm and the waters around Sa Dragonera benefit directly from the recovery. What is now important is to sustain the efforts: regular inspections, stronger prevention on land and more support for the teams that care for our coast underwater.

Image: Balearic Government