Interesting facts

5 Aquatic Animals To Discover In Tenerife

• Oct. 29, 2016
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• All about scuba diving
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You definitely should go to Tenerife because it offers multiply activities, many majestic landscapes, but also incredible fauna and flora. Though it's a part of Europe Tenerife doesn't look like any other European touristic and diving destination. Its geographical location in the Atlantic Ocean makes it a perfect place to discover wonderful underwater species. Here are 5 most attractive marine animals that inhabit the Canary region.

1.       Turtles 

Did you Know that Tenerife is one of the only places in Europe that is a shelter for the marine turtles? Out of 7 species of marine turtles that exist in the world, we can find 6 of them in the Canary islands. That makes divers and snorkelers happy as they frequently have the chance to meet these lovely creatures underwater or on the surface. But we should be careful with them because these species are fragile and it is necessary to respect them and to protect them as much as we can. They are wild animals and they should not be touched or fed because that can modify their behavior and endanger their existence. So when you meet a turtle in the sea don't touch it and just observe its gracious and charming movements.

2.       Rays

The seabed of Tenerife is inhabited by a large variety of rays. One finds stingrays, large blackrays, eagle rays, butterfly rays, etc. Some of the species can measure several meters. In certain dive sites they are not afraid to swim together with divers. They eagerly show hospitality to their guests and accompany them during the whole dive. It's unbelievable how relaxing and enjoyable is to watch these majestic animals. 

3.       Angels shark

For those who do not know this animal, it is an inoffensive species of shark. The angel shark lives in the sandy bottom during the day and leaves it during the night. They eat shellfish. Unfortunately, like most of other species of sharks it is an endangered one. There remain only about 5000 in the world and the Canary islands are one of the last places where these animals live. We get lucky rather often and meet some of them when diving in Tenerife. They are difficult to find since they are camouflaged in sand. Not to miss them you should watch the bottom thoroughly. These sharks actually look more like rays for their flattened body of a triangle shape. They can reach a dimension of more than 2 meters but the ones we usually see in Tenerife are smaller. 

4.       Dolphins

One of the favourite touristic activities is a boat excursion to see the dolphins. We normally see them every time we go to the ocean. There are 6 species in the Canary Islands. These friendly and curious animals very often swim close to the boats and feel totally not shy to demonstrate how gracious they are jumping out of the water. One can also find them near the fish farms where they catch fish that manage to escape from the farm.

5.       Pilot whales

For the position in the Atlantic Ocean and the temperature of its water, Tenerife is a good place to observe marine mammals. Some are in migration (humpback whales, killer whales, sperm whales…) and pass off the Canary coasts and it is sometimes possible to see them. There exists also a population of pilot whales which live near the island of Tenerife all year long. They are slightly bigger than dolphins and have a special big round-shaped head. You can see them during boat tours too.