Big Blue Diving

Both RIBs leave from a jetty at the end of Son Matías Beach in Palmanova — a setup unchanged since Big Blue Diving opened here in 1997. Carlotta I carries up to 12 divers; Naia handles up to 14. El Toro marine reserve is the primary destination, under 20 minutes away by sea, with the Malgrats islands and Isla del Sec in the same reserve cluster. Dragonera island and the wreck cluster at Porto Pi extend the programme for certified divers who want more variety across a single week.

The center identifies as an exclusive Mares and SSI partner, with PADI courses running alongside. The full programme covers Discover Scuba Diving from the beach, certification from beginner to Divemaster under both agencies, and an extended PADI specialty menu — nitrox, deep, wreck, night, underwater photography, navigation, and several others. A multilingual team speaking Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Danish, Croatian, and Catalan reflects the international mix of Mallorca's SW resort coast. Morning and afternoon departures run every day of the year.

Since 2025, a second location at Puerto Portals marina serves a different clientele: private, individually arranged dives with custom itineraries from a luxury marina setting, a few kilometres from the main Palmanova operation. As an SSI Blue Oceans Official Partner, Big Blue integrates marine conservation work alongside its instructional activities.

Big Blue Diving holds 14 consecutive Travelers' Choice awards and the top ranking among Palmanova outdoor activities. Three patterns run consistently through the review body: professionalism and care from the multilingual staff team, noted by divers with decades of experience; equipment quality and practical post-dive details like ponchos and accessible showers; and the El Toro grouper encounters, which emerge repeatedly as highlights even for guests who arrived with measured expectations about a reserve they had not previously dived. A car pickup service from the Palmanova resort area appears across many reviews as a logistics detail that simplifies the journey to the boat. The Puerto Portals location carries its own listing with fewer reviews, reflecting its 2025 opening.