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Baby seahorses make a comeback in the Mar Menor after years of decline
More sightings and a wave of juveniles are giving Mar Menor conservationists fresh hope for the lagoon's seahorses
Just a year ago, the outlook for the Mar Menor's seahorses looked grim. During 17 monitoring dives in 2025, researchers found only six adult seahorses, with a handful more spotted outside the official survey areas, and the figures were described as "very worrying" for the species' future.
This summer, there are signs of a turnaround. The Hipocampus association says it's received more public sightings than in any previous campaign, and a good proportion of them are juveniles, a strong signal that this has been a successful breeding season.
José Antonio Oliver, Hipocampus's coordinator, explained that most of the seahorses being reported are small ones born this year.
"It is shaping up to be a good breeding year," he said.
Those juveniles matter because if they reach adulthood, they could start breeding themselves next year, helping the population grow further.
Even so, Mr Oliver is keeping his optimism in check. He recalls 2018 also looking promising, only for a mass die-off to hit the following year. Recovery depends on stable conditions in the lagoon over the coming months, even if the seahorse's short life cycle means a few good breeding years can add up quickly.
The gap between the low numbers from Hipocampus's own dives and the rise in public sightings comes down to reduced monitoring capacity this year. The citizen network, including reports from ARBA Cartagena-La Unión, is covering far more of the Mar Menor, including sightings of pregnant seahorses in spots where the species wasn't previously concentrated.
Conditions in the lagoon aren't uniform. Areas such as Punta Brava, parts of Los Alcázares and Los Nietos remain problematic, and water temperatures reached 32°C this summer, with the warming starting earlier than usual. Even so, large stretches of the Mar Menor have held up reasonably well this year.
Hipocampus is also urging beachgoers not to lift seahorses out of the water for photos, warning that it can raise their temperature and add to their stress. Anyone who spots one should leave it exactly where it is, and only call 112 if the animal is actually stranded and in danger.
Image: ARBA Cartagena-La Unión
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