Snakes in Ibiza: What's Happening Right Now and Why It Matters

Snakes in Ibiza now cover around 90 percent of the island and are threatening its only endemic vertebrate. The current situation explained calmly, for visitors and island lovers alike.

Videos of snakes swimming through the Mediterranean, right alongside boats, on beaches, on tiny rocky islets: anyone scrolling through social media recently has probably seen them. Snakes in Ibiza are all over the news right now. The reality behind the images is more complex than a simple snake alert, and for holidaymakers, ultimately far more reassuring than the footage suggests.

What's Currently Happening in Ibiza

The horseshoe whip snake, an invasive species from mainland Spain, has spread rapidly across Ibiza over the past two decades. Around 90 percent of the island is now considered colonised. In the early 2000s, the species was virtually unknown on the island.

The numbers tell the story: in 2025 alone, over 4,400 snakes were caught on Ibiza, Formentera and the surrounding small islands, more than 3,600 of them on Ibiza itself. More than a dozen full-time snake catchers are deployed, supported by over 500 volunteers. For 2026, the regional government has planned even more intensive measures: more staff, more traps and closer monitoring of coastal areas.

What Makes This Unusual: They Swim

What has surprised researchers most in recent years is the behaviour of snakes in Ibiza in the water. Scientists have confirmed that horseshoe whip snakes actively swim through the sea, from Ibiza to the surrounding islets, in search of new hunting grounds. Between 2015 and 2025, at least 14 sightings of these snakes in the open sea around Ibiza were documented. On ten of the surrounding small islands, the snakes have already wiped out the local lizard populations entirely.

The Real Problem: The Pityusan Wall Lizard

For visitors, the horseshoe whip snake poses no real danger. The true tragedy is playing out elsewhere: the Pityusan wall lizard, the only endemic vertebrate on Ibiza, is facing acute extinction because of the snakes. This small, colourful lizard exists exclusively on Ibiza, Formentera and the surrounding islets. Biologist Jaume Estarellas puts it plainly: when the lizards disappear, the entire ecosystem falls out of balance.

This is not an abstract ecological scenario. Lizards regulate insects, spiders and other small creatures; they keep pest populations in check and stabilise food chains. Without them, soils and vegetation change. Farmers on Ibiza are already reporting rising insect pressure as an indirect consequence of the snake invasion. Scientists warn that if the spread continues unchecked, the lizard could be gone from Ibiza by 2030.

As a protective measure, threatened lizard populations are already being secured and bred in captivity at Barcelona Zoo. A race against time.

How Did the Snakes Get There?

The story begins in the early 2000s. Wealthy property owners and hotel developers brought old olive trees from the Spanish mainland to Ibiza, for gardens and hotel grounds. Hidden in the root balls of those trees were snakes or their eggs. On Ibiza, they found ideal conditions: a warm climate, abundant prey and no natural predators. The population has expanded explosively ever since.

How Dangerous Are the Snakes for Visitors?

Short answer: barely at all. The horseshoe whip snake is non-venomous and actively avoids contact with humans. An encounter while swimming is considered unlikely by experts, and even if one occurs, the animal poses no real threat. Anyone who sees a snake in Ibiza should keep their distance and not touch or provoke it. COFIB recommends calling 112 or their direct line +34 653574145 for any sighting, with a photo and location if possible.

Should You Rethink Your Ibiza Holiday?

No. Ibiza remains one of the most beautiful and safest destinations in the Mediterranean. What is changing is the island's ecosystem: a serious problem for biodiversity, but no reason for holidaymakers to panic. Guests staying in a private villa on Ibiza should keep an eye on outdoor areas, dense planting and drainage openings, not because an encounter is likely, but because an informed guest reacts far more calmly than a surprised one.

Final Thoughts

Snakes in Ibiza are a serious ecological issue: for the island, its unique wildlife and its natural balance. For visitors, however, Ibiza remains exactly what it has always been: one of the most captivating islands in the Mediterranean, with a nature worth protecting.

Last updated: June 2026

Main photo by Bernard DUPONT, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.