Dolphins are seen off the south-west coast of Tenerife, in the strip of sea running from Los Gigantes to Punta de Rasca, and they are seen all year round. It is not luck and it is not a season: a resident colony of short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins lives there and does not migrate. This guide covers exactly where, what time of day to go out, what else you will see and how to tell a respectful trip from one that is not. If what you want is to compare and book, that is on the whale watching in Tenerife page.
Where to see dolphins in Tenerife: the Teno-Rasca strip
The place has a name of its own: the Franja Marina Teno-Rasca, almost 70,000 hectares of sea between south-west Tenerife and La Gomera. It is a Special Area of Conservation within the Natura 2000 network, and in 2021 it was declared the first Whale Heritage Site in Europe by the World Cetacean Alliance, the third in the world after Hervey Bay in Australia and The Bluff in South Africa.
What makes this strip special is the depth. Less than two miles from shore the sea floor drops away sharply, while the water stays calm in the lee of the island. So there is abundant food and flat water at the same time. That is why the animals never need to leave: 26 of the world’s 79 cetacean species have been recorded in Teno-Rasca, and two of them live there permanently.
In practice this means the trip is short. Between casting off and the first sighting there are usually twenty to forty minutes, with no need to cross open water or endure two hours of sailing.
The departure harbours and which one suits you
Four points on the south-west coast account for almost every trip. The difference between them is not the animals, which are the same, but the scenery on the way out and how long it takes you to reach the harbour.
| Departure point | What sets it apart | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Los Gigantes | You sail beneath 500-metre cliffs and continue towards Masca | Anyone who wants scenery as well as wildlife |
| Puerto Colón (Costa Adeje) | The widest choice and the most departures per day, with large, steady catamarans | Families and first-timers |
| Los Cristianos (Arona) | Large harbour, frequent departures, every format going | Anyone staying in the tourist south |
| Puerto de Santiago | Small and quiet, very close to the watching area | Anyone after a smaller boat |
If you are staying in the north of the island, allow an hour and a half by car to any of them. It is worth an early start rather than leaving it to the last departure of the day.
When to see dolphins in Tenerife
All year, and for once that is not a platitude. The colony is resident, so there is no high or low season for sightings: local operators report around 90 per cent of trips with a sighting in any given month.
The time of day does matter
What really changes is not the month, it is the hour. Early in the morning the sea is flatter, because the trade wind picks up from midday and raises a short chop. If you are prone to seasickness or have small children with you, take the first departure. If you are after photographs, the last trip of the afternoon gives you side light and colour in the water, though the boat will move about more.
When to see dolphins in Los Gigantes
The same applies here: all year round, with the first morning departure the most comfortable. What sets this spot apart is that the cliff blocks the northerly wind, so on days of strong trade wind the sea is often better here than further south. It is also the closest departure point to where the pilot whales gather.
The months, if you have to choose
From May to September the sea is calmer and the water warmer, which is when the swim stop is actually appealing. From November to March there is a better chance of migrating species such as the Bryde’s whale, because it coincides with their movements. And whatever the season, check the wind forecast the day before: one day of light trade wind is worth more than any month on the calendar.
What you will see besides dolphins
Two species are resident and turn up on almost every trip:
- Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus). The flagship animal of this coast. Four to six metres long, black, with a rounded head, usually seen in family groups resting at the surface. Technically it is a dolphin, despite the English name, which is why so many people come ashore convinced they have seen a whale.
- Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The classic dolphin, up to four metres. This is the curious one: it comes to the boat and rides the bow wave.
Less often you will see Atlantic spotted dolphins, common dolphins, striped dolphins and Risso’s dolphins. And passing through, mainly in winter, Bryde’s whales and the occasional sperm whale. Nobody can promise you a particular species: the residents are near certain, the rest is a lottery and is best treated as one.
How to tell the trip is a respectful one
There is a written rule and a visible sign for this, so you can check before you pay.
Decree 178/2000 of the Canary Islands Government regulates cetacean watching across the archipelago. It prohibits approaching closer than 60 metres to an animal in a vessel, and closer than 500 metres while swimming or diving, unless expressly authorised for scientific or educational purposes. Put plainly: if somebody offers you swimming with wild dolphins in Tenerife, they are offering you something that is not legal.
The visible sign is the Barco Azul flag: a yellow flag, 80 by 50 centimetres, with the symbol and the authorisation period in blue. It is flown by vessels that have registered the activity with the Canary Islands Government and comply with the rules. Look for it on the mast before you board; if it is not there, change boat.
Two more signs of a good trip: the skipper cuts or eases the engine once the group is located rather than chasing it, and the boat does not sit on the same group indefinitely. The animals in this strip are used to vessels, and that is precisely why the responsibility lies with whoever is at the helm.
Can you see dolphins from land?
Sometimes, but do not count on it. From the viewpoints at Los Gigantes and from the cliff path you can pick out groups at the surface with binoculars on flat-sea days, and on the ferry to La Gomera it is fairly common to come across them. To see them close you have to go out on the water: the pilot whales work the 1,000-metre contour, which is further out than it looks on a map.
Practical tips for the trip
- Seasickness. If you are prone to it, take the tablet an hour before, not as you board. On the boat, stay amidships and look at the horizon, not at your phone.
- Clothing. There is wind on deck even when it is hot ashore. Windproof, cap and sun cream: the glare off the water burns twice as fast.
- Photographs. Burst mode and a fast shutter. Pilot whales surface briefly and bottlenose dolphins leap without warning. And put the phone away for a while: the first time, it is worth watching with your own eyes.
- With children. A large catamaran rather than a speedboat, and a short trip rather than the five-hour one. Glass-bottom catamarans work well because there is something to look at even when no animals are in sight.
- Swimming. Many trips stop to swim in a cove. Bring swimwear and a towel even if you have not made up your mind.
Trips from the south-west
These are the options we work with in the area, in different formats depending on what you are after:
- Freebird catamaran, 3 to 4.5 hours from Costa Adeje, with a swim stop.
- Glass-bottom catamaran, the most comfortable option with children.
- Five-hour catamaran trip, which reaches Los Gigantes and Masca.
- Exclusive sailing boat, 3 hours under sail in a private group, the quiet option.
- Ragnarok viking ship, 2 to 3 hours, the one that works best with small children.
Tenerife: Freebird catamaran with whale watching
Board the Freebird catamaran (Freebird One) from Puerto Colón, in Costa Adeje, for responsible whale and dolphin watching in Tenerife. Choose a 3-hour route along the Adeje coast or a 4.5-hour sailing to Los Gigantes and Masca, with an expert guide on board, time...
- Costa Adeje
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To see them all side by side with duration, harbour and guide language, the whale watching in Tenerife page compares them one against another.
More things to do at sea
If you want to stay on the water, have a look at the excursions in Tenerife, where everything is listed with its duration and departure point.
