Wildlife
More than 210 species of birds have been recorded on the small island, nestled between Europe and Africa. The wetlands of the Estany des Peix, Estany Pudent and the salt marshes have favored the nesting of a myriad of bird species. The island is part of the Natura 2000 network and has several Special Protection Areas for birds. It is within the salt flats that the most beautiful and numerous specimens can be observed. Depending on the nature of the habitat, pond, coastal edge, mountain or rock, there is a beautiful variety of feathered animals, from passerines (warblers, goldfinches, blackbirds or the amusing hoopoe) to waders (flamingos, herons, storks...), including birds of prey (falcons and eagles) and all the water birds (pelicans, gulls, seagulls...). The migratory birds that nest every year in the lagoons of the north of the island come from Africa or Northern Europe. Formentera is located on one of the main migratory routes in the world.
When visiting the island, you can't miss the Sargantanes. This native lizard has become the emblem of Formentera. On bags, on key chains... You'll find them everywhere in souvenir stores. It is a protected species endemic to the Pityuse Islands, whose colors, sublime, vary according to its habitat, ranging from turquoise blue to sparkling green. More than 30 subspecies have been identified on Ibiza, Formentera and the surrounding islets. These little beasts feed largely on insects and pollen collected from flowers. They participate in the pollination process! A good number of small geckos also sneak on the walls of the island. They would have been imported by man.
The marine fauna of the pearl of the Balearic Islands is not left out. The island is renowned for the beauty of its seabed and its exceptional visibility. Its typically Mediterranean fauna likes to lurk in the posidonia meadows where it draws an abundant food. Under its waters, you will observe hundreds of black castagnoles present in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic, fish with an oval silhouette, a black livery and a forked tail, but also common sars, barracudas, moray eels, groupers, red scorpion fish, conger eels, amberjacks, species typical of the subterranean sandy plains such as the ray, the uranoscope, the stingray and the big livebearers, as well as octopus, squid, cuttlefish, seahorses, and finally countless crustaceans.
Flora
The small size, low relief and Mediterranean climate explain the very special nature of Formentera's flora. It has a wide range of habitats, from coastal areas to wetlands, rocky landscapes and the forested areas of La Mola and Cap de Barbaria.
In the forests, the Aleppo pine(Pinus halepensis), which is very small compared to those that thrive in the rest of the archipelago, and the sabina juniper (Juniperussabina), a hardy, fragrant shrub with needles and purplish-colored berries, dominate the vegetation. These species have adapted well to the sandy, limestone soil. Juniper wood is abundant and was used as a building material by the people of Formentercia. In addition, there are shrubs such as thorny broom and thyme, which are highly appreciated in Mediterranean cuisine. Between the clearings, in spring, some fragile orchids and other bulbous plants grow. Botanists have identified seventeen native species of orchids on the island.
Since the abandonment of traditional agriculture, fruit trees have multiplied on the cultivable land. Among them, the fig tree, originally from Asia, has become one of the symbols of Formentera. To a lesser extent, there are also almond, olive, carob and lemon trees. The fields are also dotted with beautiful wild flowers that bloom in the spring (poppies, marigolds, daisies, gladioli...). Finally, let's mention the famous prickly pear tree, native to Mexico. Sometimes called "cactus-rackets", it has also acclimatized perfectly to the Mediterranean regions.
The dune vegetation is composed of grasses, of false cytise lotiers (which gives yellow flowers in spring), of maritime panicaut, of dune bindweed or of very beautiful and fragrant sea lilies. On the sea cliffs cling to the sea fennel(Crithmum maritimum), a perennial endemism nicknamed "sea fennel" or "stone fern", and the abundant statice(Limonium algarvense). Finally, among the twenty or so endemic plants, we can mention the Delphinium pentagynum, currently protected. It is not observed in any other place in the world.
The Posidonia, treasure of the sea bed
Posidonia oceanica is not an alga, but a flowering plant. Nearly 100 million years ago, it adapted from the terrestrial environment to the oceanic environment. Endemic to the Mediterranean, it forms what are called "meadows" or "sea grass" of posidonia. Considered as real "ecosystem engineers", they play an essential ecological role in the Mediterranean coastline. Although they cover a large part of the Mediterranean, the Posidonia meadows that are concentrated in the Ses Salines nature reserve, between Ibiza and Formentera, are among the best preserved. Posidonia is a major source of oxygenation of the water, favorable to the biodiversity of its ecosystem. It is said that one square meter of posidonia produces more oxygen than one square meter of Amazonian forest!Save Posidonia Project
The United Nations has proclaimed 2017 as the "International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development". It is in this context that the "Save Posidonia Project" was born, a pioneering micro-crowdfunding project (participatory financing) aimed at the conservation of the Mediterranean Posidonia off Formentera. The principle is simple: each participant can become the "sponsor" of one square meter or more of Posidonia (1 €/m²). The funds raised are then entirely dedicated to the preservation of this very special flora and more than 250,000 m² of Posidonia have already been sponsored (2021). If you wish to learn more about the subject or sponsor a plot of Posidonia, please visit www.saveposidoniaproject.org.
