Tenerife

The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is dominated by Mount Teide (the third-tallest volcano structure on earth) but it’s also home to beautiful beaches and picturesque villages.

The waters between the west coast of Tenerife and La Gomera was declared a Whale Heritage Site in 2021, the first designation of its kind in Europe. The most commonly seen species in these waters are short finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins but more than 20 different species, some resident and some transient, have been recorded in waters around Tenerife.

The volcanic geology of the islands leads to sharp changes in depths and together with the geography that exposes the islands to oceanic cold currents, this creates excellent conditions to bring coastal and oceanic cetaceans together.

Our operations are based in Los Gigantes, a town on the west coast of the island with plenty of options for visitors in terms of accommodation, leisure activities and places to dine.

A striking feature close to the town is Acantilados de Los Gigantes, giant rock formations that rise from the sea to a height of 600 metres. Los Gigantes means ‘The Giants’. Nearby to Los Gigantes are the resort towns of Puerto de Santiago and Playa de la Arena.

Our boat in Lanzarote

‘Esiel’ is an eco-friendly hybrid vessel (the most silent on the island) and is equipped with a hydrophone and a 360-degree camera to provide the best experience during the observation of whales and dolphins.

This hybrid version comes with two combustible engines and two electric engines. It’s a one off and unique in the Canary Islands.

Whale and dolphin observation experiences

Join us on the first completely noise and emission free whale and dolphin watching catamaran in Europe! You’ll be part of a small group, learning about and experiencing whales and dolphins in a unique way with our expert team.

Our experiences in Lanzarote include both morning and sunset tours, and are available both as a shared group experience or as a private experience (where you can book the entire boat for a private journey with friends/family/workmates etc.)

Tenerife Conservation Programme

By joining the Tenerife Conservation Programme for between 1 and 8 weeks, you can be part of a unique movement and mission to make whale observation trips noise and emission free. You’ll learn more about whale and dolphin species, help to create awareness of the challenges they face, and get hands-on experience working with the WeWhale team.

You’ll learn about whale and dolphin bioacoustics and behaviour from our Head of Conservation, Mercedes Reyes, one of the most renowned marine mammal biologists of the Canary Islands. Housing is provided by us in the WeWhale Ocean House in Los Gigantes, with a stunning view of the harbour (you can even see our boat from the balcony!)