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WATCH! Thousands form human chain around Mar Menor in Murcia to demand protection
People gathered in Los Alcázares and other locations across Murcia to show their support for the lagoon
Playa de Carrión 2,Los Alcázares.
— Nuestro Mar Menor (@NuestroMarMenor) August 8, 2026
Gracias por hacerlo posible...lo fácil era quedarse bajo la sombrilla.
Quiénes critican y no actúan de ninguna manera no contribuyen a mejorar nada. Gracias mil. #AbrazoAlMarMenor2026#AbrazoAlAgua2026 pic.twitter.com/gtPyjbwJo1
Thousands of people gathered along beaches around the Mar Menor on Saturday August 8 to send a message that they want the lagoon protected for future generations.
At around 1pm, people joined hands to form a huge human chain as part of the annual ‘Embrace the Water’ campaign, which is now in its sixth consecutive year.
One of the biggest gatherings took place at Los Espejos beach in Los Alcázares, where hundreds of residents and visitors came together to show their support for the lagoon and call for continued efforts to protect it.
The event has become an annual reminder of just how important the Mar Menor is to people across the Region of Murcia, while also highlighting concerns about its fragile condition.
Los Alcázares mayor Mario Pérez Cervera also joined the human chain alongside members of the local government.
The town hall described the event as "a symbolic gesture that once again demonstrates the collective commitment to the protection, conservation, and restoration of one of the greatest natural treasures of our land".
Human chains and other displays of support took place at locations including La Manga del Mar Menor, Santiago de la Ribera in San Javier and along the Argos River in Caravaca de la Cruz.
The idea has also spread beyond the Region of Murcia, with people taking part in locations including Muñoveros in Segovia, Leganés in Madrid, Cuenca, Valladolid and Churriana in Málaga.
What started as a local gesture on the beaches of the Region of Murcia has grown into a wider movement involving more than 140 organisations under the ‘Embrace the Water’ banner.
The campaign was born out of some of the Mar Menor's worst environmental crises, particularly the devastating episodes of oxygen depletion that caused huge numbers of fish to die.
The first major incident occurred in 2019, when thousands of dead fish washed up at Villananitos beach in San Pedro del Pinatar. Another serious episode followed in 2021, when more than 4.5 tonnes of dead fish had to be removed from the southern part of the lagoon.
The Mar Menor is now in a better condition than during those major crises, but campaigners and residents remain determined not to become complacent.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Los Alcázares
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