With help from administration, 77 islanders specialise in scuba-diving

Foto cursos busseig vellmari reduxAccording to a report issued today by the Formentera Council's Office of Sport, 77 Formentera residents got financial help paying for recreational scuba-diving classes in 2017 with funding made possible by a deal between the Council and Vellmarí dive centre.

Thirty-seven individuals signed up to take an introductory course at a 50% discount, 15 received 60% off a “junior” course and another 25 students got instruction for ongoing divers at a 38% discount. All told, the funding totalled €7,000.

The administration hopes to see more islanders taking an interest in the island's undersea life and scuba-diving. To CiF sport secretary Jordi Vidal, conditions on Formentera “make it a no-brainer as a destination for the activity”. The Council's partnership with Vellmarí spans more than a decade. During that time, upwards of 700 residents have received specialised diving instruction, which Vidal describes as “a way to educate people about the vast wealth of our undersea habitats and posidonia meadows”.