The Calvià City Council has taken another step in its strategy to digitize the coast with the installation of a permanent underwater camera on the islet of El Toro, within the Ponent Islands Marine Reserve. The system, developed in collaboration with IB3, allows for the real-time observation of the seabed’s biodiversity 24 hours a day, an initiative that combines environmental education, technological innovation, and tourism promotion.
The camera, installed at a depth of four meters, streams live images via the city hall website and also allows users to take high-resolution photographs. The feed can also be viewed on the 23 information kiosks located at various points throughout the municipality, bringing the marine ecosystem closer to both residents and visitors.
The project reinforces Calvià’s commitment to incorporating digital tools into the management of one of its main economic assets: the coast. Beyond its educational value, the initiative aims to highlight the environmental richness of one of the most biodiverse areas in the Balearic Sea and to turn this experience into a distinctive feature of the municipality’s tourism offering.
The new camera is part of the ecosystem of smart services that the City Council already offers through its digital platform for the beaches and the coast. Currently, users can check real-time sea and beach conditions for Peguera, Palmanova, Magaluf, and Santa Ponça, as well as occupancy levels, available capacity, and the number of people present at each beach, through a system that automatically updates every ten minutes. The addition of live underwater images expands this real-time information model and reinforces the City Council’s strategy of using technology to improve both the management of public spaces and the visitor experience.
An exceptional protected area
The chosen location is also not a matter of chance. The Ponent Islands Marine Reserve is one of the most important protected areas in the archipelago. Established by the Balearic Government in 2004, it has been progressively expanded and has increased its level of protection. In 2022, it incorporated the El Toro and Las Malgrats reserves, and as of 2025, it has brought together the Ponent Islands Marine Reserve of Mallorca, El Toro, Las Malgrats, and El Sec, forming a high ecological value area for the conservation of marine species and habitats.
The initiative also demonstrates how collaboration between public authorities, the media, and tech companies can lead to new formats of environmental communication. The project was jointly developed by the Calvià City Council and IB3 as part of the production of the documentary *Arxipèlag Blau*, co-produced with the Marilles Foundation. The technological infrastructure was installed and is maintained by the telecommunications company IbRed, which is responsible for ensuring the continuous transmission of the images.
With this initiative, Calvià reinforces a growing trend among tourist destinations: using digital innovation not only to optimize territory management but also to bring its natural heritage closer to the public and turn sustainability into a source of added value for its international profile.
