The clear Atlantic water’s around the Tenerife - Canary Islands - Los Gigantes region are famous world wide, amongst marine biologists, as they serve either as a permanent home, or as a temporary feeding ground, for an astounding array of Whale and Dolphin species

The most common species encountered are the Bottlenose Dolphin and the Long Finned Pilot Whale. The dolphins, with their permanent grin and playfull antics, thrill passangers as they ride the bow wave of the Boat trips at a distance almost close enough to touch. Offering an ideally suited feeding ground and many miles of open Ocean the waters around the Los Gigantes area have been "adopted" by a Pod of resident Bottlenose Dolphins that put in almost daily appearances to the passengers of many Boat trips. Away from the accelerated pace of the Dolphins the Pilot Whales can often be encountered as they lie almost motionless at the water’s surface. Again a pod of these larger cetaceans have chosen the Los Gigantes region as their permanent home.

   

The Pilot Whale pod can be stretched out over many miles of Ocean with the larger males acting as guardians at the pod extremities. The animals most often encountered are those that make up the nursery groups that incorporate mother’s with their young and adolescent females that take turns in "babysitting" the younger animals. The pod stay in contact with each other via an extensive and complicated sonar communication system that is made up of click’s, whistles and high pitched squeals.

Apart from the Bottlenose Dolphins of the area visitors are often treated to an impressive aerial display provided for by the regularly encountered groups of Spotted Dolphins. These smaller animals, in comparison to the Bottlenose Dolphin, move with lightning speed and are prone to providing onlookers to an impressive display of aerial leaps. Wonderful photographic models these animals provide the opportunity to take home some fantastic holiday snaps or video footage. On a par with the Spotted Dolphin, for their aeriel acrobatics, are the Common Dolphin's, with a lateral yellow marking on each flank they are easily identified during their displays.

From time to time an inquisitive calf will approach the boat in order to get a closer look at the passengers on the boats. These moments of interaction allow passengers to witness, first hand, the beauty and simplicity of these incredible creatures. When feeling in a particularly playful mood it has been known for the younger animals to approach the boat and almost lift their body out of the water for a closer look at the passengers, much to the delight of the on-lookers. Throughout the course of the year many other species are encountered in these water's. Part of the excitement of seeing 27 differing cetacean species that either reside in or temporarily use the water's of Los Gigantes as a "Pit-Stop" before continuing their individual journeys to destinations world wide. However, due to the importance of these waters as breeding and feeding grounds, visitors to the area have, at differing times of the year, encountered species such as Sperm Whales, Blue Whales, Fin Whales, Right Whales, Minke Whales and the hugely rare Blainvilles Toothed Whale. So far as Dolphin species encountered by visitors these include Striped Dolphins, Spotted Dolphins, Risso's Dolphin, Rough Toothed Dolphins and of course the resident Bottlenosed Dolphins.