The subtle sea breeze hums in our ears while the sun scorches down from the blue sky. The twelve meter sailboat rocks from side to side as we drift further away from the Los Gigantes harbour. In the horizon, a silhouette of the La Gomera island, located 50 kilometres from Tenerife.
The sailboat heads towards the area between Tenerife and La Gomera that’s inhabited year-around by Pilot whales and Bottle nose dolphins. Suddenly the captain points his finger to port: “Movement in the water!”
A black dolphin like creature rises to the surface. The captain assures that it is a Pilot whale, recognisable by it’s large and curved fin. It moves smoothly, rises to the surface to breathe every five seconds and eventually dives into the depths of the Atlantic.
At the same time a larger Pilot Whale raises it’s head, as if to greet the crew onboard. The adept swimmer disappears underneath the water as quickly as it appeared.
From the deck of the boat opens up a stunning view of the Los Gigantes cliffs, known for it’s terrific snorkeling coves. Swimming platform in the back of the boat enables an easy access to the water for swimmers and underwater explorers alike.
Our journey continues back to Los Gigantes after a refreshing dip in the water. Halfway towards the harbour our captain hollers as he notices a school of Bottle nose dolphins only twenty meters away from us. They move fast, pop quickly up to the surface and finally disappear into the horizon.