The Mediterranean is a sea that is defined by the fact that it is almost totally surrounded by land. Hence the name Mediterranean which is derived from the Latin medi/middle and terra/earth. The sea’s surface is 2.9 million square kilometers (only 0.7% of all the seas and oceans). The average depth of the Mediterranean is 1430 meters.

There is geological evidence that throughout the history of our planet the Mediterranean has completely dried out and been refilled about 3 times due to seismic activity that has opened and closed the Atlantic gateway.

The sea in the Catalan/Balearic area receives virtually all of the great water mass of the western Mediterranean. That is the water that comes from the sea’s basin itself and that which comes through, via the Strait of Gibraltar, from the Atlantic.

Atmospheric circulation is responsible for wave and current generation whilst the (very slight) tides depend upon the gravitational pull of the heavenly bodies.

In the summer the surface temperature of the Mediterranean rises due to the calm meteorological conditions. As the surface becomes warmer thermoclines are formed. A state that sees a marked vertical slope in temperatures. This summer stratification of water masses prevents their mixing vertically.

In the winter unstable meteorological conditions allow the water masses to mix and thus break up the stratification. From these seasonal movements and balances coupled with the fact that the Mediterranean is an enclosed sea, the temperature at the bottom never drops below 12C.

The Catalonian coast boasts many caves. These in turn are the home to a great diversity of marine life. Each cave can be considered unique and can support it’s own different animal groups. These caves were formed between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago, at a time when the sea was some 60 meters lower than today. The calcareous quality of the rocks enabled karstic structures to form as the calcareous matter dissolved due to the currents, wave erosion and the action of rainwater infiltration.

Beautiful gorgonian corals are found in the Mediterranean, most abundantly within Marine Reserves, despite many years of commercial exploitation.