VELLMARI Diving Center, PITIUSUB SL

Located in a privileged position within the heart of the Port of La Savina, Vellmari Diving Center serves as a primary gateway to the marine life of Formentera and Ibiza. The centre has been operating for over three decades, establishing itself as a professional hub for both local divers and those travelling to the Balearic Islands for specific training.

As an SSI Platinum Instructor Training Center, the facility is equipped to handle everything from initial certifications to professional development. Its location, just meters from the main entry point to the island, makes it a practical base for divers looking to explore the protected marine areas and the deeper wrecks of the surrounding archipelago.

The team at Vellmari is composed of experienced professionals capable of communicating in up to seven different languages, ensuring clear instruction for an international clientele. Their expertise covers the entire spectrum of diving, from recreational skill-building to professional instructor training.

The centre operates with a focus on personalized care and safety, maintaining a professional atmosphere that has been refined since its founding in 1993. Beyond daily dive operations, the staff also organises specialized dive camps for young people aged 8 to 17, as well as underwater photography weeks and liveaboard trips to the Maldives and the Red Sea.

Vellmari offers a comprehensive curriculum through the SSI system, ranging from the initial Open Water Diver course to advanced specialty programs. For those looking to enter the professional ranks, the centre provides training for Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, and full Instructor levels.

The course catalogue includes various specialty programs and emergency courses designed to build specific skill sets. As a Platinum Instructor Training Center, it is uniquely positioned to provide high-level professional training on-site.

The centre operates two recently renewed diving boats, both moored directly at the doorstep of the facility in Port La Savina. These vessels are specifically designed for diving operations, allowing for efficient departures and returns to the harbour.

Daily operations can accommodate up to 8 dives per day. Nitrox is available for use on board, supporting divers looking to extend their bottom time while exploring the reefs and wrecks of the region.

The shore-based facilities are extensive, featuring a customer service office, a showroom, and an interactive sea museum. Divers have access to a large outdoor area designed for setting up, rinsing, and drying equipment, alongside changing rooms equipped with over thirty lockers and two toilets.

For those requiring kit, the centre maintains a large inventory of over 40 full MARES diving equipment sets available for hire, including accessories such as underwater cameras, dive computers, and torches. An on-site equipment servicing workshop is also available for maintenance needs.

The gas station is an independent shed equipped with two Coltri compressors and a Nitrox membrane, ensuring reliable gas blending and fills for all divers.

The marine life around Formentera and Ibiza is diverse, ranging from large pelagics to delicate macro species. You will frequently encounter schools of salema porgy, seabream, and barracudas, alongside groupers, brown meagre, and various species of moray eel and conger eel. The rocky walls and reefs are often home to octopus, red mullets, and scorpionfish.

For those interested in macro life, the area is rich with nudibranchs, sea squirts, sponges, and bryozoans. Divers may also find slipper lobsters, Mediterranean lobsters, and various crustaceans tucked into the crevices of the reefs. The seagrass meadows provide a habitat for rays, small shrimps, and pipefish, which can be seen towards the end of the summer season.

Specific seasonal highlights include the presence of cuttlefish from February to May, and seahorses during the summer months. If you visit between February and June, you may also encounter Zeus (San Pedro fish).

Diving in this region can involve varying conditions depending on the specific site. While many sites like Malvin North offer sheltered environments, others such as La Bota, Na Xamena, and the Vedranell Canyons are known to experience strong currents.

The topography varies from shallow rocky platforms and Posidonia meadows to deep vertical walls and underwater canyons, requiring divers to be mindful of their depth and buoyancy, especially when navigating through swim-throughs or near wrecks.