Baleària

Baleària
Company typePrivate
IndustryShipping, transportation
FoundedJune 1998 (1998-06)
HeadquartersDénia, Alicante, Spain
Area served
Balearic Islands, Spain, Morocco, Grand Bahama, Florida (USA)
Key people
Adolfo Utor, CEO
ServicesPassenger transportation, Freight transportation
Revenue652,000,000 euro (2023) 
Number of employees
2,500 (2023)[1]
ParentBaleària Eurolíneas Marítimas S.A.
Websitewww.balearia.com

Baleària is the trading name of the Spanish shipping company Baleària Eurolíneas Marítimas S.A. The company operates passenger ferry services in the Mediterranean and Caribbean.[2]

Routes

In the Mediterranean region, Baleària provides domestic ferry services within Spain to the Balearic Islands from the ports of Dénia, Valencia and Barcelona. The company also operates international services across the Strait of Gibraltar, connecting Algeciras with Ceuta and Tangier.

In North America, Baleària operates regular international ferry services between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, and Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, and Bimini in the Bahamas.[3][4] The company operates in the U.S. under the name Baleària Caribbean.[5]

Fleet

Current vessels

As of December 2024, Baleària operates a fleet of 34 vessels:

Name Built Entered service Notes
Abel Matutes 2010 2010 Named after politician Abel Matutes
Avemar Dos 1997 2008
Bahama Mama 2010 2010 ex. SF Alhucemas; sister ship of Ciudad de Mahón
Cap de Barbaria 2023 2023
Cecilia Payne 1999 2018 Named after astronomer Cecilia Payne
Ciudad de Mahón 2008 2024 On charter from Trasmed; sister ship to Bahama Mama
Dénia Ciutat Creativa 1992 2016
Eco Aire 2018 2018
Eco Aqua 2018 2018
Eco Lux 2018 2018
Eco Terra 2018 2018
Eleanor Roosevelt 2021 2021
Formentera Direct 1987 2014
Hedy Lamarr 2010 2011 Named after actress/inventor Hedy Lamarr.
Hypatia de Alejandría 2019 2019 Named after scientist Hypatia; sister ship to Marie Curie
Jaume I 1994 2005 Named after King James I of Majorca
Jaume II 1996 2006 Named after King James II of Majorca
Jaume III 1996 2007 Named after King James III of Majorca
Kerry 2001 2019
Margarita Salas 2023 2024
Marie Curie 2019 2019 Named after physicist Marie Curie; sister ship to Hypatia de Alejandría
Martín i Soler 2008 2008 Named after composer Martín y Soler
Nápoles 2002 2015 Sister ship to Sicilia
Nixe 2004 2004
Passió Per Formentera 2009 2009
Pepita Castellví 2010 To enter service in summer 2026[6] Named after the oceanographer Josefina Castellví
Poeta López Anglada 1984 2012
Ramón Llull 2003 2003 Named after humanist Ramon Llull
Regina Baltica 1980 2015
Rosalind Franklin 1989 2025 Named after scientist Rosalind Franklin
Rusadir 2018 2023[7]
Sicilia 2002 2015 Sister ship to Nápoles
Tom Sawyer 2001 2023
Virot 1973 2016
Visborg 2000 2023 On charter from Destination Gotland
Wasa Express 1981 2022 On charter from United Marine Egypt (UME)

In 2025, Baleària launched the fast ferry Mercedes Pinto, its third vessel equipped with dual-fuel natural gas engines.[8][9]

Past vessels

  • HSC Al Sabini
  • MS Bahia de Malaga - Sold to Kada Denizcilik Turism, renamed Med Dream
  • MS Bahia de Ceuta - Sold to Nova Ferries, renamed Ilha Azul
  • MS Borja
  • MS Borja Dos
  • MS Breant
  • MS Clipper Racer
  • MS Espalmador
  • HSC Federico Garía Lorca - Sold to Conferry, renamed San Francisco de Asís
  • MS Guido
  • MS Hoburgen
  • MS Isla de Botafoc - Sold to Ventouris Ferries, renamed Bari
  • MS Isla de Ibiza
  • MS Meloodia
  • HSC Nixe 2 - Sold to Excalibur International Marine, renamed Ocean Lala
  • MS Pau Casals
  • MS Posidonia - Sold to Caremar, renamed "Nereide"
  • MS Rólon Sur
  • MS Sonia
  • HSC Maverick Dos
  • HSC Pinar del Rio - crashed in Denia in August 2019, scrapped.
  • MS Posidonia sold to Medmar in 2023

Incidents

On 16 February 2012, the high-speed ferry Maverick Dos ran aground while on passage from Ibiza Town to Formentera. The vessel was carrying 21 passengers and 6 crew members at the time. There was one injury, but all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.[10]

References

  1. ^ C. Álvarez, Ángel (7 March 2024). "Baleària factura 652 millones pero reduce beneficio un 40% por la inversión en barcos y el euríbor". El Economista (Spain). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  2. ^ Seville, Richard (2009). Mediterranean Ferries. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 9781871947984.
  3. ^ "Baleària gets what's left of Armas Trasmediterránea". Ship2Shore (in Italian). Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  4. ^ Capuzzo, Nicola (25 August 2025). "Naviera Armas hands over routes and ships to DFDS and Baleària, one ferry to Liberty Lines". Shipping Italy (in Italian). Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Caribbean Sea Ferry Route Map". ferryroutes.com. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Baleària amplía su flota de alta velocidad con la adquisición de un trimarán" [Baleària expands its high-speed fleet with the acquisition of a trimaran]. Baleària (in Spanish). Spain. 27 February 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  7. ^ "Brittany Ferries' cancelled Honfleur as Baleària's Rusadir". niferry.co.uk - News and Information Ferry Site. 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  8. ^ Camiolo, Marina (19 September 2025). "Baleària estrena en Gijón el fast ferry 'Mercedes Pinto': cómo seguir en directo la botadura". La Voz de Ibiza (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  9. ^ M. Pardo, J. (September 19, 2025). "Armón bota en Gijón el 'Mercedes Pinto', tercer 'fast ferry' construido para Baleària" (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  10. ^ Hancock, Paul. "Maverick Dos - Shipwreck Log". Shipwreck Log. shipwrecklog.com. Retrieved 29 October 2021.