Whale and dolphin watching in Tenerife

Whale and dolphin watching in Tenerife means a boat trip of roughly 2 to 5 hours off the island's south-west coast, where the official tourism board says resident populations of short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins can be seen year-round. Trips leave from Los Cristianos, Puerto Colón (Costa Adeje) and Los Gigantes, and in the Canary Islands only boats licensed under Decreto 178/2000 — recognisable by the yellow "Barco Azul" (Blue Boat) flag — may run commercial cetacean-watching trips.

Which whales and dolphins can you see off Tenerife?

The two species you are most likely to meet are the short-finned (tropical) pilot whale and the bottlenose dolphin, both resident off the south-west coast. Webtenerife, the Cabildo's tourism site, says up to 21 cetacean species have been recorded around the island, and that other species are easier to spot at certain times of year, "especially in May and June". Hello Canary Islands, the regional tourism portal, lists Risso's dolphin, sperm whale, Atlantic spotted dolphin, Bryde's whale and Cuvier's beaked whale among species seen on watching trips across the archipelago. Behaviour is never predictable: some days the animals rest at the surface, other days they travel fast.

What do the Canary Islands rules say?

Decreto 178/2000 of 6 September 2000 (BOC no. 133) regulates cetacean watching in the Canary Islands. Its main points for visitors:

• Tourist boats need an authorisation from the regional government and must fly the "Barco Azul / Blue Boat" flag: yellow, 80 × 50 cm, with a blue-and-white emblem of two pilot whales and the year of validity. It is renewed every year.
• Boats may not manoeuvre to approach closer than 60 m to a cetacean or group of cetaceans.
• They may not stay within 100 m for more than 30 minutes, and speed is capped at 4 knots within 500 m.
• Swimming or diving within 500 m of the animals is prohibited, as are feeding, touching, chasing or cutting off their path.
• There are limits on how many boats may gather around the same group.

If a trip promises swimming with dolphins or "guaranteed" close encounters, that is a red flag. The regional tourism site adds that boat noise can disrupt cetaceans, which communicate by sound, and that collisions can happen with any type of vessel.

Short trip or long trip?

Webtenerife describes three common formats: about 2 hours on a small, fast boat focused only on cetaceans; 2–3 hours on a medium-sized boat with a meal and a swim stop in a bay; and up to 5 hours on a larger boat that also cruises past coastal landmarks such as the Los Gigantes cliffs. If you get seasick, the shorter trip is the safer choice. Trips run on about 8 in 10 days on average, so build in a spare day in case the sea is too rough.

How do you pick a responsible boat?

Look for the Barco Azul flag on the boat itself, not just on a website. Webtenerife publishes a downloadable list of licensed boats for commercial whale watching, and operators can also sign up to a voluntary Sustainability Charter. Ask at the ticket desk how close the boat will go and how long it will stay with the animals; the answer should match the 60 m and 30-minute limits.

What should you bring?

Sun cream, a hat, binoculars and a windproof layer: the sea breeze feels much cooler than the harbour. Take seasickness medication before boarding if you need it. For photos, avoid heavy zoom on a moving deck and expect some shots to blur.

Combine a morning on the water with an afternoon at the Teide cable car, or see more of Tenerife.