A video filmed in Ibiza showing a young man dipping a piece of watermelon into seawater before eating it has sparked a humorous reaction from pharmacist and health creator Guillermo Martín, better known online as Farmacia Enfurecida.

The young man claims that adding seawater to the fruit provides extra electrolytes and makes the watermelon “really hydrate”. Martín has questioned the logic behind the idea, turning the unusual Ibiza beach experiment into another viral health-content discussion.

The unusual Ibiza beach experiment

The video begins on a beach in Ibiza, where the young man holds a piece of watermelon and an alcoholic drink while explaining what he describes as something he does whenever he visits the island.

He talks about the composition of watermelon before walking towards rocks by the sea.

There, he dips the fruit into a small pool of seawater before taking a bite.

His immediate reaction is that the watermelon now “hydrates for real”.

The claim about watermelon

The young man says watermelon is made up of 96% water, 3% sugar and 1% protein, fat and minerals.

However, standard nutritional data do not support those exact proportions.

The United States Department of Agriculture describes watermelon as containing roughly 91 to 92% water, with carbohydrates, including sugars, making up much of the remainder alongside smaller amounts of protein, minerals and other nutrients.

That does not mean watermelon is not hydrating. Quite the opposite: its high water content is one of the reasons it is commonly considered a hydrating food.

Watermelon already contains electrolytes

The idea behind the video is that seawater adds electrolytes to the fruit.

Watermelon naturally contains minerals and electrolytes, meaning it does not start out as simply a piece of fruit containing nothing but water. USDA information also identifies watermelon as a source of nutrients including potassium and other minerals.

Adding salt to the outside of the fruit does not automatically transform it into a more effective hydration product.

Proper hydration depends on the overall balance of fluids and electrolytes rather than simply adding more salt.

Why seawater is not a hydration drink

There is an important distinction between obtaining electrolytes from food and drinking seawater.

According to NOAA, normal seawater contains around 3.5% dissolved salts. Human kidneys cannot produce urine that is as salty as seawater, meaning the body has to use additional water to eliminate the excess salt. Drinking significant amounts can therefore increase rather than solve dehydration.

That makes seawater fundamentally different from the carefully balanced electrolyte solutions designed for hydration.

The pharmacist's reaction

Guillermo Martín responded to the clip through his Farmacia Enfurecida social-media account.

His reaction focuses on the contradiction between the young man's concern about the composition of foods and the fact that he is simultaneously holding an alcoholic drink.

Martín uses his characteristic irony to question the broader type of health content that labels ordinary foods, ingredients or “chemicals” as dangerous while overlooking other factors.

“The watermelon now dehydrates?”

Martín jokes about the video's reasoning by pointing out that watermelon is already largely made up of water and contains electrolytes.

His response essentially asks how a food with a high water content could suddenly be treated as though it were dehydrating simply because it contains naturally occurring sugars.

The pharmacist then shifts his attention to the alcohol shown in the video.

Alcohol is a different story

Alcohol can contribute to dehydration.

The Cleveland Clinic explains that alcohol reduces the release of vasopressin, a hormone involved in helping the body retain water, increasing fluid loss through urination. The NHS likewise advises avoiding alcohol when treating dehydration.

That does not mean a single alcoholic drink automatically causes dangerous dehydration, but it does make alcohol an unusual accompaniment to a supposed hydration hack.

What about the seawater touching the fruit?

The video presents the seawater as a source of electrolytes, but natural seawater is not drinking water.

The CDC warns that natural bodies of water can contain microorganisms that may cause illness if swallowed. That is one reason health authorities advise against swallowing water while swimming or bathing.

The video does not establish whether the particular seawater used was contaminated, so there is no basis for claiming that the piece of watermelon actually caused illness.

Farmacia Enfurecida's familiar approach

Martín has built his online presence around explaining health and pharmacy topics through humour.

He is a pharmacist and has previously described Farmacia Enfurecida as beginning during his Pharmacy studies before evolving into a wider social-media platform focused on pharmacy, health information and everyday myths.

His response to the Ibiza video follows that same format: take an unusual health claim and examine it through a mixture of scientific explanation and satire.

A viral Ibiza moment

The clip is another example of how everyday moments filmed on the island can quickly become social-media talking points.

This time, the ingredients are particularly simple: a beach in Ibiza, a slice of watermelon, seawater, an alcoholic drink and a claim about electrolytes.

The resulting reaction from a pharmacist has turned an unusual beach snack into a debate about what actually helps the body stay hydrated.

The takeaway

Watermelon is already a water-rich fruit and can contribute to daily fluid intake. USDA data place its water content at around 91 to 92%, rather than the 96% figure stated in the video.

Dipping it in seawater does not establish any additional hydration benefit, and seawater itself should not be treated as a source of drinking water because its salt concentration is too high for the human body to safely eliminate without losing additional water.

For this particular Ibiza video, the biggest result may simply be that the unusual “hydration hack” has provided Farmacia Enfurecida with another opportunity to remind viewers to look carefully at health claims circulating on social media.