28 Species

Around one third of all whale and dolphin species either reside in or pass through Canarian waters. There are 4 resident species and a total of 24 migratory species to be seen. Please take some time to discover the information on our resident and migrating species to maximise your enjoyment of your Whale Watching experience.

OUR RESIDENTS

Pilot Whales are easy to study for a number of reasons. During the day they can be found logging at the surface of the water where they recuperate from their night-time hunting efforts in shallower, warm water. Please check out our Research on Pilot Whales here.

Risso Dolphins are found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters, usually in deep waters rather than close to land. Rissos are also found in the Persian Gulf, Mediterranean and Red Seas, but not the Black Sea.

The largest of the Antarctic toothed cetaceans, Sperm Whales have an enormous square head and a robust dark grey or brownish grey body with corrugations in the skin giving it a shrivelled prune-like appearance.

Bottlenose Dolphins show attachment to other species, especially humans. Indeed, all around the world (USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain) some dolphins have entered into spontaneous relationships with humans. Please check out our Research on Bottlenose Dolphins here.