Turtle eggs found on Mallorca beaches

The Balearic Islands are registering their highest prices ever this season, reports “Mallorca Magazin”. Hotel prices rose by more than 26 percent compared to the times before the corona pandemic, compared to 8.7 percent last year.

Ibiza and Formentera recorded the highest increase, as the magazine reports, citing the Institute for Statistics of the Balearic Islands. Mallorca and Menorca followed immediately afterwards.

An average room rate (the price that a guest pays on average for a room in one day) is currently around 104 euros, in 2019 it was around 82 euros. The price range on the Balearic Islands is therefore between 69 euros (one-star hotel) and an average of 288 euros (five-star hotel).

The massive price increases are the result of the increased demand for luxury and high-quality accommodation, it said. Apparently, the number of Scandinavian, Swiss and US tourists who prefer these market segments increased.

Apart from the high hotel prices, both tourists and locals felt the rising costs when shopping and looking for accommodation in Mallorca.

Just in time for the start of the calendar summer, there is another heat warning on Mallorca. The yellow warning level is currently in effect. In addition, there is strong wind at a height of about 1.5 kilometers, so that hot air masses flow from the Sahara towards the Balearic Islands. This makes it look hazy and the Balearic government has issued a warning because of the high dust concentration in the air.

Prolonged and strenuous outdoor activities are not recommended. Older people and people with previous illnesses in particular should stay in the house if possible. Because of the high temperatures of around 36 degrees, it is better not to spend too much time outside and certainly not in the sun.

For scientific purposes, the crew of the “Estopeig” wanted to catch tuna off Cap Formentor. But then, in the depths of the sea, something else bite. However, for an hour the line hardly moved, the anglers already thought the hook was stuck somewhere. Then, as they reported to the magazine “Gaceta Náutica”, the catch slowly started to move.

After another forty-five minutes he finally appeared: a three meter long gray shark. The animals are usually found at depths of up to 2,000 meters and feed on seafood such as crustaceans and shrimp, as well as fish and carrion.

Gray sharks move very slowly and have not been known to attack humans. They are also endangered and on the Red List. This is also known to the anglers, who quickly freed the shark from the fishing line and assured the magazine that they had no intention of catching such an animal.

A 34-year-old vacationer did not survive a serious boat accident on Mallorca on Sunday. The Indian woman was traveling on a leisure boat with two fellow travelers and other holidaymakers. For reasons that are still unclear, she fell into the water while the ship was moving and was caught by the propeller. This is reported by the “Mallorca Zeitung” with reference to a message from the Guardia Civil.

The captain, whose boat was in front of the remote and unguarded natural beach of S’Arenalet d’Aubarca at the time, immediately jumped into the water and rescued the seriously injured woman. According to the report, an ambulance took the vacationer to the hospital in Inca, where only her death could be determined. The Guardia Civil has started investigations into the course of the accident.

A German tourist has been arrested by the police in Mallorca in a plane that is already ready for take-off because he is said to have hit a woman and seriously injured him. The 20-year-old was already tampering with the victim’s car near the Ballermann last Wednesday, the police said on Saturday. When the woman confronted him, he is said to have hit her. The woman suffered a laceration on the head and a broken nose and became unconscious. It was not stated whether the young man was drunk at the time of the crime.

When the tourist wanted to leave the island early the next day, officials could have gotten him out of the machine, which was already ready to go, at the last moment, the police said. As reported by local media, the suspect was later released from custody on bail of 5,000 euros and was allowed to fly home, which was originally planned for Saturday. The man faces criminal proceedings in Spain for assault.

The Spanish environmental organization “Ecologistas en Acción” has published its “Black Flags 2023” report again. It records the worst environmental problems of all Spanish provinces.

The two black flags of the Balearic Islands go to Mallorca: for a beach with increased pollution in the coastal town of Colònia de Sant Jordi and overall for poor environmental management on the coasts of the entire island.

The reason for this is party tourism. The party boats, some of which party late into the night, cause a lot of noise and waste, which is also disposed of in the sea. The poor environmental management is due to the lack of jet ski control in Mallorca.

In addition to a danger for bathers, these also pose a significant problem for endangered species such as sea turtles. Because the jet skis are often in nature reserves and cause a lot of noise there, which disturbs the animals.

It is not known how many of them were actually drunk in the end. But the 50 club members were not stingy. They also shared the order with other guests. By the way, the order was placed at nine in the morning.

It borders on a minor sensation: a sea turtle (Caretta caretta) laid its eggs on the busy city beach of Palma de Mallorca, of all places. At Can Pere Antoni there is now the first egg laying of a turtle on Mallorca. This is reported by the “Mallorca Zeitung”

According to the scientists, the nest contains 106 eggs, 26 of which are artificially incubated in the marine research laboratory LIMIA to increase the probability of hatching. The remaining eggs are guarded by the Environment Agency and have been fenced off to protect them.

Guillem Félix of the Endangered Species Protection Agency told the “Mallorca Zeitung”: “We are just at the beginning of the breeding season for this species and it is therefore likely that further nesting attempts will be recorded, either by this or other specimens.”

The restaurateurs, hoteliers and club operators in Mallorca have urgently called for stricter measures against so-called drinking vacationers. In a joint press release, the most important business associations in this area of ​​the Spanish holiday island complained that the situation in the German holiday hotspot of Playa de Palma had become “alarming” and “unsustainable”. “That’s enough,” says the “urgent appeal” to the authorities.

The hoteliers’ association AHPP, the gastronomy association CAEB and the nightclub association ABONE complain that numerous tourists are increasingly tarnishing the image of Playa de Palma with their bad behavior. They are demanding drastic measures from the authorities responsible for the “Ballermann”, such as those introduced by the Dutch metropolis of Amsterdam. The fines imposed on the streets would have to be paid immediately on the spot, it is said.

The entrepreneurs warn that the situation could get even worse in the future if the “drinking vacationers” are not stopped soon. “Not only the present, but also the future of the important tourist area” is at risk if there is not soon, among other things, a stronger police presence and more controls.

With 40 vehicles, the private transport service Uber is now also starting on Mallorca. This is reported by the “Mallorca Magazin”. The drivers can be booked via the app and should already be on the road this week. From Thursday, 9 a.m., the driving service should be bookable in Palma, Llucmajor, Calvià and Andratx.

The first vehicles have already arrived on the island – with a special Mallorca paint job. According to the magazine, there had previously been discussions and a court decision on the subject of private passenger transport. In particular, the taxi industry on the island had resisted the introduction of Uber.

Getting there: Most Mallorca holidaymakers land in the capital Palma de Mallorca by plane and spread out across the island from there. There are numerous connections from all major German airports, both established airlines and low-cost airlines. Due to the large number of offers, the flights are often very cheap, so a comparison is worthwhile. A valid identity card is sufficient as an entry document.

travel time: Beach holidaymakers come mainly in the hot summer months from mid-June to early September. In spring and autumn, the island is ideal for active vacationers. In winter there are often cheap offers for long-term vacationers such as seniors. However, visitors outside of the high season must expect infrastructure restrictions.

Rental car: Holidaymakers like to explore the largest Balearic island in terms of area by rental car. It is advisable to book in good time, especially in the high season. Bottlenecks can occasionally occur here.

Internet: Official tourism portal www.infomallorca.net