Costa Brava and Medes Islands

Check wind, current, visibility, and route before every dive. Descend on the buoy line when briefed, carry a DSMB, monitor no-decompression limits, and stay within your certification. Treat La Vaca, Dofi, and other tunnel sites as guided swim-throughs, not cave-training playgrounds. Normal recreational diving should not continue into areas where daylight is lost or where the route exceeds your training. Reggio Messina and deeper walls require strong buoyancy, gas planning, and comfort in reduced visibility.

Emergency response uses Spain's 112 system and maritime rescue through Salvamento Maritimo. The nearest commonly referenced hyperbaric facility for Costa Brava diving is at Hospital de Palamos. Serious cases may involve local EMS, maritime rescue, the operator, and dive-insurance medical teams. DAN Europe provides a 24/7 emergency medical line for insured divers and general dive emergency coordination.

The Medes Islands are famous because protection works. Follow the briefing, do not feed fish, do not touch groupers, gorgonians, corals, sponges, or Posidonia, and maintain neutral buoyancy before approaching walls. Photographers should avoid bracing, kneeling, or forcing wildlife into the open. Cave bubbles can damage ceiling organisms, and careless finning can break slow-growing coralligenous communities. Use reef-safe sun practices and never leave plastic or fishing line behind.