We set off on time: the engine hums quietly, the gangway is retracted. With a gentle swell, the spacious catamaran from Cruceros Comoran glides through the sea, rocking gently over the surface of the water glistening in the sun. The air is very pleasant and the wind blows refreshingly in your face. The tour initially leads along the rocky coast towards Santa Ponça. The boat stops there to pick up more passengers before continuing out to sea over deep blue water and away from the hustle and bustle of the beaches.
The aim is a three-hour dolphin watching tour including a swim stop - one of the most popular excursions in this region. There are almost 200 guests on board the ‘Don Jaume’: families with children, couples, mainly Germans, but also holidaymakers of other nationalities who all want to see the marine mammals up close. The atmosphere is calm and tense.
Salva Serra, co-director of Cruceros Cormoran, informs passengers about the trip in five languages - Spanish, English, German, French and Italian. Dolphins are free-living animals, so there is no guarantee - but of the 50 trips they have made this year, they have only had to return once without a dolphin sighting.
After about 45 minutes, we suddenly hear a call: dolphins in sight! About 100 metres in front of the boat, a curved back cuts through the waves. People jump up and pull out their mobile phones, and it's not just children's eyes that light up. Captain Miguel slows down and lets the boat drift. Tour guide Salva tells us where to look.
New animals appear again and again, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left of the hull, sometimes alone, sometimes in pairs. At one point, a small family of dolphins even dares to come close, ‘how marvellous’ marvels a little boy. They accompany the journey for almost 30 minutes - an unforgettable moment. They are not fed or lured. What remains is an amazed and enthusiastic audience.
After around two hours, the boat approaches Mallorca again. Now the passengers can also jump into the cool water. After about half an hour of bathing fun, the catamaran returns to the harbour in Peguera.
The Cruceros Cormoran dolphin watching trips are offered daily from Palma, Santa Ponça and Peguera. There is also a shuttle service from Palma to the moorings. From the beginning of June to the end of October, there are two options to choose from: a two-hour tour and a three-hour trip that also includes a swimming break in a secluded bay.
Both excursions offer an experience close to nature, far away from mass tourism. The owners attach particular importance to sustainability. ‘The aim of tourism in Mallorca is to offer high-quality experiences for tourists while preserving and conserving the natural heritage and biodiversity.’
Address: Boulevard de Paguera 66, L-1, Paguera
Telephone: +34 971-686849
Email: reservas@cruceros.cormoran.com
Facebook: @Cormoran cruises
Instagram: @excursiones_enbarco