Transport Ministry urges safe boating and debunking of dangerous myths

The Director General of the Merchant Navy, Ana Núñez, has launched in Maó the summer safety campaign for recreational boating, an initiative led by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. The campaign aims to dispel common myths about boating that have been causing avoidable accidents among users of recreational boats and other leisure activities at sea.

Maó was chosen as the launch site for the campaign due to the high number of recreational boating incidents that occur in the Balearic Islands during the summer months—although such incidents are recorded year-round. In fact, the Palma Maritime Rescue Center consistently ranks second in Spain for the highest number of recreational boating emergencies each summer, surpassed only by Barcelona.

This nationwide campaign, promoted by the Directorate General of the Merchant Navy and Maritime Rescue, carries the slogan: “Myths that don't hold water. Turn a deaf ear to the siren songs and listen to the law of the sea.”

The campaign video highlights common risky behaviors—guided metaphorically by the seductive “siren songs”—that many boaters engage in without realizing the dangers involved. These include consuming alcohol, failing to maintain safety equipment such as life vests and lifebuoys, not supervising children on deck, and setting out without enough fuel for the entire journey, among others.

Ultimately, the goal is to prevent emergencies and ensure that time spent at sea—whether on a boat or a jet ski—is safe and enjoyable, while also promoting awareness of safety regulations. “Many of these emergencies could be avoided with proper maintenance and by performing safety checks before departure. We won’t stop repeating this message, because even today, there are still emergencies with potentially fatal outcomes caused by something as preventable as running out of fuel at sea,” said the Director General during the video presentation.

“It's true that, year after year, the number of incidents decreases slightly,” she added, “but we must stay vigilant and continue these educational campaigns. We need to understand that we are primarily responsible for our own safety, and that safety depends on following the rules—both before and during the voyage—and ignoring the false beliefs that spread by word of mouth and on social media.”

On a national level, almost half of all maritime emergencies during the summer season (June 15 to September 15) involve recreational boats or other leisure maritime activities. Last summer, Maritime Captaincies and Maritime Rescue Centers responded to 1,466 such emergencies involving over 3,600 people. In the Balearic Islands alone, there were 237 incidents during the summer and 420 throughout all of 2024—meaning 56% of the island's recreational boating emergencies occurred in just two months. The most common cause: boats adrift due to mechanical failure, followed by groundings, fires, loss of contact, sinkings, and water ingress, among others.

Additionally, during the summer inspection and enforcement campaign by the Maritime Police Unit of the Civil Guard, 319 inspections of recreational boats were conducted in the Balearic Islands, resulting in 94 proposed sanctions. As for jet skis, 136 inspections were carried out, with 79 proposed sanctions and one immobilization. Most infractions involved lack of insurance or appropriate certification to operate the vessels.

Nationally, 84% of serious infractions processed in 2024 by Maritime Captaincies of the Directorate General of the Merchant Navy affected users of recreational boats (62%) and jet skis (22%), with total fines approaching €3 million.