Menorca

[Bantam]

Well I've just returned from a fantastic trip to Menorca. I actually only managed to scuba dive once, although I was snorkelling / freediving nearly every day and playing with octopus, congers, and cuttlefish.
The one dive I did get to do, and I'm going to write about here, is the 'Pont En Gil Caves', which if you have this month's "Scuba World" magazine, it is the dive reported in there.
'World-class cavern dive' doesn't even start to do it justice. You come out of the boat in a secluded bay with a huge arch on one side. After dropping down to the bed at 17m, you follow towards the arch, where the ground gets rocky and covered in boulders, in which live many congers and other assorted undersea fauna. Going under the arch and through to the left, you follow a funnel like structure and slowly going in it gets darker and darker. With torches on, rising to about 10m you go inside the cavern, and about 20m inside, you come to the halocline, when your eyes feel like you haven't got a mask on. Going through the 'gelatine' you surface inside an amazing cave, which stretches for 200m underground. We went in along the surface, looking inside the cavern (air is breatheable, so no cylinder depletion!!), and then returned underwater, looking at crabs, congers, octopus etc..
Viz was about 25m-ish, as they had some bad storms the week before I went.
I dived with 7Fathoms, who are based in Cala'N Forcat near where I was staying (Menorca Sea Club), although there are other dive operations, such as CSS (Crystal Seas Scuba).

[Ammers]

Mmmmm sounds great.It was pictures of caves abroad that first drew me to it in the first place. Some of the environments are absolutely breath taking. Sump diving in the UK is slightly different however but still great in it's own right.

[Bantam]

I have found a (spanish) website with some pics of Pont d'En Gil;

http://marenostrum.org/buceo/baleare...ca/cuevapg.htm

The best thing is that even if your torches fail, it's very easy to find your way out - just follow the blue glow!!

[Ammers]

Wow, they're beautiful! If you get a chance, check out "The Road to Certain Death", I have a copy, it outlines a pushing dive in a spanish cave by some CDG guys a while back. Have you got any more info on those caves, i.e. are they lined or have they been pushed? They would definitely be worth a look.

[marineboy]

Have tryed other parts of Spain?
I have recently come back from a dive holiday to Spain. I went to Estartit, Costa Brava and dived the Medes Isles. Groupers, octopus and scorpion fish etc. It also has a short tunnel systems and internal air pockets.
Last but not least, ITS CHEAP!!:snorkel:
Cheers
Nice site by the way!

[Jay]

Cheers and welcome to the board! Look forward to your future posts. BTW, if you want a personal picture, send it to me and I'll add it.

[cov boy]

Hi all my 1st post, but can i just clear up something? just incase any of you want to go diving in menorca with 7fathoms they are based in cuitadella and not cal 'n forcat. Sorry to sound like a bore, it's just i know the guy that runs it. Bub.

I just got back from there, and as always the diving was very good.

[Bantam]

Originally Posted by cov boy

Hi all my 1st post, but can i just clear up something? just incase any of you want to go diving in menorca with 7fathoms they are based in cuitadella and not cal 'n forcat. Sorry to sound like a bore, it's just i know the guy that runs it. Bub.

I just got back from there, and as always the diving was very good.

Geez. Talk about dragging up old threads!

Have they not moved now as that original post was in 2002 and I was definitely under the impression that they were based in Cala'n'Forcat as I walked there from my Hotel, which was also in Cala'N'Forcat.

Their website's definitely down again, though.

Mark.

[cov boy]

Sorry, i didnt see the date of the post. they have moved since then. my bad