The marine conservation research is progressing well this summer, with many key species being logged – such as this lovely Posidonia pipefish:

Posidonia pipefish by Gaynor Rosier of Kenna Eco Diving, L'Escala, Costa Brava, Spain

Volunteer divers are always needed to help with marine conservation research projects on the Costa Brava with Kenna Eco Diving. 

If you’re not a qualified diver yet, you can come and learn to dive with us, taking the PADI Open Water Course with native English-speaking instructors, and then join in with the Eco Diving to gain more underwater experience.

We love to have the participation of divers who care about protecting marine ecosystems. It is a wonderful way to enjoy Mediterranean diving whilst helping to conserve the marine environment, and gives budding marine biologists lots of underwater fieldwork experience.

Volunteers tends to come for anything from a few weeks to a couple of months, during April to October. To help volunteers’ budgets, the subsidised cost structure provides the best value for longer stays. The subsidised cost for Eco Dive volunteers starts from €148 per week, which includes all transfers, shared bunkhouse accommodation, and all volunteer Eco Diving. There are options for subsidised food, towel, linen/sleeping bag hire and dive equipment hire available (see: Booking Info page )

Volunteers usually do 2 dives per weekday, staying underwater for around an hour per dive (depending on air consumption) as the research sites are quite shallow. There is always plenty of time for underwater fun, exploration, underwater photography as well as collecting key species data.

Volunteers have the weekends off from Eco Diving to do other optional coastal dives, to visit the famous Medes Islands Marine Reserve, which is always a wonderful experience,  to do tourist stuff or just have a rest and enjoy L’Escala.

Come and get some sun and join in the scuba diving fun!

Email: eco@kennaecodiving.net NOW to check availability for this summer.

Join us on a special dive to learn about the state of EU Fisheries

Fun fish ID Eco Boat Dive over the endangered seagrass meadows followed by free buffet & showing of End of the Line film

Sun 6th June at 13.00 at International Diving Center, The Port, L’Escala

Years of intensive fishing in European waters have led to dramatic declines in once abundant fish populations. Eighty percent of assessed EU fish stocks are overfished and more than 30 per cent are outside safe biological limits.

The 2012 reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is an opportunity to stop overfishing, end destructive fishing practices and deliver fair and equitable use of abundant fish stocks. OCEAN2012 is an alliance of organisations dedicated to transforming European fisheries policy and to facilitating greater participation in the reform by broadening stakeholder involvement.

European Fish Week 2010 will take place from June 5^th to 13^th. It is a unique opportunity for everybody across Europe to play their part in making this a truly fundamental reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

OCEAN2012 member groups and friends will be organising events and activities throughout Europe, such as film screenings, panel discussions, food tastings, beachside activities and much much more. Together, we will be calling on the Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, to make environmental sustainability a prerequisite for a reformed Common Fisheries Policy. Make your voice heard!

To register for this special dive please contact gaynor@kennaecodiving.net

The new Marine Park along the coast between the Medes Islands and L’Escala has been passed by the Catalan government.

The local authority has agreed to remove the old destructive make-shift buoys in Cala Montgo, where we have been carrying out research on the Posidonia seagrass meadows for the past 5 years, and to replace them with ecological buoys.

Here is a link to the English language version of the report:

SILMAR Project 2009 Report (English language)

Volunteers please note that all our marine conservation work is carried out in English.

SILMAR Project Report of Marine Conservation Activity by Eco Dive Volunteers during 2009

Online Publishing from Yudu

The marine research  is progressing well documenting the ecosystems and key species present in Cala Montgo as part of the SILMAR project mapping of coastal habitats around the Iberian peninsular.

Last week we had a camera crew from the spanish channel TV3 who came out to dive with us to document the importance of the marine conservation work that we are doing.

We still need the help of volunteer divers during April to October every year. Come and get involved!

You’ll enjoy unlimited Mediterranean diving from the lovely town of L’Escala, staying at subsidised rates on the sunny Costa Brava!

I’m so glad that we EcoDivers aren’t searching for seahorses this small!!!

Museum Victoria / Photo by Rudie Kuiter

This tiny seahorse, Hippocampus satomiae, grows no bigger than a pea, with a length of just over half an inch (13.8mm) and an approximate height of 0.45ins(11.5mm). This pygmy species was found near Derawan island off Kalimantan in Indonesia and is named after the diver, Satomi Onishi, who collected the samples.

Come and join the Seahorse Race in the Mediterranean Sea. There are just a few places left for this summer! Just follow the Marine Biology & EcoDiving link on the left.

Which Eco Diver will win the race to find the most seahorses and pipefish during 2010?

Bring your dive gear and join the race – starting April 2010!

See the website for more info on becoming an ecodive volunteer. Where else can you get free unlimited warm water diving?

I had a great birthday yesterday. I had a new yellow ball and we went out for the day.

My birthday present

I had some chicken and then dad and I played with my new birthday ball….

Scuba playing with new birthday ball

I got so hot running around, it was great to cool off with a swim…

Then we sat outside our favourite restaurant, overlooking the sea, and had sardines as the sun went down over the pretty snow-covered Pyrennes. What a day!

Hey, I’ll be 3 years old tomorrow!  It’ll be my THIRD BIRTHDAY!!!!!!  Photos to follow……….

I COULDN’T GET A PHOTO LOADED WITH MY WEBBED PAWS!!! SORRY, MAM WILL HELP ME

Doesn’t time fly! I can’t believe I’m 33333333333333333333333333333!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mam spruced me up today – trimmed my body, my whiskers (aghhh), my paws (aghhhh)and my private bits (oh nooooo! ) I do trust her…  thank God!   But it’s getting so hot, I need a full sheer any day soon….  That takes a whole day………..  Twice a year in this climate!!!! I drank a whole liter of water after my run this afternoon and would have dived and swam IN THE WATER  BOWL if it was bigger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m looking forward to a good time on my birthday…. I know that mam has hidden some treats, and I think I’ve got a new ball or two (mam bought them a while ago and I went mad trying to get at them!)

We’re going to have a nice day out, with lots of walkieeeeesssss,  and I’ll do some swimming. But this time I MUST NOT bury the ball in the sand and FORGET WHERE I PUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Scuba