I experienced 3 dives in Illa del Toro waters being a part of El Toro Natural Reserve. It was every time the most beautiful diving experience in my life. My first experience of this kind was on 15.08.2005 when I came to Paguera on Mallorca by my car. I didn’t get any photos from that dive. But it was a wonderful experience for me. However diving in Mallorca gives you an opportunity for experiencing much light underwater, very good visibility and a lot of sea life underwater. But what you need to be ready to see in El Toro area is hard to compare to regular dive sites. Another opportunity was on 29.08.2019.
First experience.
On 15th of August 2005 I signed for a boat trip from ZOEA Dive Center in Sta. Ponça. They are very experienced team. And have really good boat for that purpose. I joined the group but was attached to the AOWD group as a third person. I remember iron mooring chain and descending directly to the depth ca. 20 meters very fast. What I could see engrossed me. I discovered that population of some forms of life like sponges shrank between 2001 and 2005. Now in El Toro from the other side there are sponges too. But also not too many, covered with underwater dust like . The bottom looks like really subject to processes that happen in general. Like toxicity of waters in the world, water temperature, the weather and average temperatures through the whole year on average.
Second experience.
On 29th of August 2019 I departed with Big Blue Dive Center in Palmanova crew.
But preparations started the day before. I came on 28th to sign all documents, to pay and leave my whole equipment as I brought all my own equipment except for weights and tank! 70 EUR for 2 dives, 6 EUR for the insurance (this rate is counted per day) and 7 EUR for the fact of diving in natural reserve.
Paper work.
My equipment left for the next day.
Big Blue Dive Center interior
Exterior.
29th of August 2019
I just came as I was. And that’s it!
Our group was rather compact (see them on photos underwater). The helmsman of inflatable propelled diver’s boat, two divemasters – both from Switzerland – Thomas and Pan, the little family from Toronto – father and two young children, his daughter was really young, I observed her especially during my second dive and it was incredible that she was ensured enough for such an experience – if I heard it well, they were diving previously in Hawaii – children looked like from Hawaii – the man just like from Canada or the USA (all claimed to be from Toronto), and the rest of our group – one man from Germany (if I remember correctly; from the talk after diving – with 16 logged dives quite recently), another man from the UK or good speaking German person with Rescue Diver’s certificate, me and my buddy Simone from Germany (likely Hamburg as she was speaking a lot about her dives there and Baltic Sea regularly) and that’s it. Simone was my buddy as you can see on some photos. Simone do not hesitate to write an email for all photos of you. I have a few. I will publish maybe 1 or 2.
Preparing. My last photo from my mobile phone. Little 12 L tank…
I fully dress for every dive. Even if it’s hot. As you will see the presence of jellyfishes will be the sufficient evidence why to do so.
First video from the first speech of Pan on the diver’s boat
Divemaster Thomas is probably still feeling a bit fresh what in man’s world means that is an object of a mockery. So I was not surprised that vented it towards me asap when there were aspects of my diving once commented on by Pat so Thomas added oil to it too. You can see that Vanessa is running to give him what he almost forgot for this dive. This is also deadly situation. Being not prepared for diving is just unforgivable.
Passing by Sa Porrassa. Another goal done. For jet ski I needed to possess the license. In Spain it is thoroughly regulated so I was discouraged from renting any kind of vehicle same day or another. As I admit sometimes – I hate saltwater.
My buddy Simone from Germany (maybe Hamburg). After first dive when I was irresponsibly absorbed with my Sea Life DC2000 camera she disliked me for not being the best buddy and just the person to accompany her. I was explaining myself almost whole surface time after first dive to all divemasters and Simone. My behavior could be controversial for people who follow all rules of PADI politely and encountered someone of my kind for the first time. Otherwise they could see that skills is what I pay attention the most to. But passion is what overwrites all visible signs of professionalism and balance and when I am afraid I have maybe only one dive of this particular time – so this time I will focus maximum on what I treat as kind of passion and kind of work. Very important goal for myself to take pictures. But it only looks that I forget about other skills. I do not. But to speak myself and all fear-based reactions to me, to how I present my skills and some objective facts. The fact is I have a few registered dives. But as I diver I have truly 15 years of experience. This is really much. A lot of time to reflect on skills I thoroughly learned during my OWD course. Many years to think also about accidents. I had only one dive that could end with accident of someone else not due to my fault. But anyway. Many opportunities to reflect and learn. But people cannot read our minds. Trust is limited. And good. Should be. But on the other had our role is not to explain ourselves endlessly. We need to trust ourselves too. Know when to ignore remarks of others. Sometimes this is safer than start to doubt ourselves when we should not.
What about me? I hate saltwater. I go for such dive once a year maximum. When I go and have the camera my priority is to concentrate on taking photos. And keeping an eye on my manometer and my buoyancy is adjusted to my need for zooming or taking close encounter with a fish or whatever I find interesting. The talk started with emergency situation with me that I was given the air from octopus of Pan. And Thomas joined the discussion why I want to go deep and ask for going deeper. I realized that they are too young to go with the group and become responsible somehow this much. Once I realized their weaknesses I politely responded keeping the most honest answers for myself as I always do. I do not use all my arguments, positions, skills or knowledge. I adjust to people, their views, beliefs and experience. If they need to pull my tongue anyway so they will know after 15 minutes how stupid their remarks, questions and doubts about me used to be yet 15 minutes ago. But politely I let them discover this first. Who actually they are talking with. If I have enough reflection or experience or it MUST be reflected in stupid number of dives. As I mentioned I hate saltwater. Is damaging to my equipment, skin, hair, sinuses. The air when you travel on a boat is disastrous to your hair and salt water after that strengthens the effect of that damage. I do not see too many advantages or even fun. I do it every time for tailored purpose – to do specialization, course, to take photos or see something I REALLY did not ever see. Not just to jump into the water every time possible.
Pointing
Sea life from this dive:
Jellyfishes, octupus, starfish, groupers, fishes
Logged dive. I took pictures only from the first dive at buoy 3.
