Location
Whale Watch, Puerto Colon, Tenerife
Type of Animals Involved
Pilot Whales, Spotted Dolphins, Guillemots
Extent of Contact
There are a great many companies offering trips to view wild pilot whales, (and dolphins if you are lucky) along the west coast of Tenerife. Although all are clearly a better choice than visiting Loro Park where killer whales are imprisoned in a tank, the boat trips do vary some what in their ethical standards.
Animal Behaviour
Whale Watch Tenerife is a small company run by 2 marine biologists (Marc and Laura) who really do care about their work. They provide an experience which is intimate and educational, whilst at the same time furthering their own knowledge of the cetaceans they are studying.
Whilst the bigger boats boast of snacks and drinks, the focus here is to enable those on board to witness and learn about natural behaviours.
Overall Impression
What makes this trip unique is that every morning Dr Marc observes the whale and dolphin action from the caldera above Peurto Colon. He then radios to the boat advising them of the best locations for the morning’s excursion. This enables the boat to travel directly to the best viewing spots, saving time, fuel and often resulting in being the only boat around.
On our particular trip we observed 2 groups of pilot whales, and then got right up in amongst a large pod of spotted dolphins who were choosing to bow ride the boat in between hunting a large bait ball… the dive bombing guillemots being a bonus.
If you are keen to learn more about their research Dr Marc will even let you join him at the caldera where he can demonstrate how he tracks the movements of the marine life with binoculars and telescopes.
Moira, Scotland
