Beaked whales in Tenerife
One of the deepest-diving mammals on Earth and one of the least seen. It surfaces briefly and then goes back down for most of an hour.
The dive
Blainville's beaked whales feed on deep-water squid well beyond a kilometre down, and stay under for extended periods before returning to the surface for a short series of breaths. A group can be present in the water beneath you for most of your trip and be visible for a couple of minutes of it.
That is why they are so rarely seen despite living here — not because they are absent, but because they are almost always somewhere you cannot look.
What you see
A small, low dorsal fin set well back, a body heavily marked with white linear scars, and — on adult males — a strongly arched lower jaw carrying two teeth that erupt like tusks, often with barnacles growing on them. The scarring is from fights between males.
Why they matter for how boats behave
Beaked whales are among the species most sensitive to underwater noise, and are documented as being affected by intense military sonar. In everyday terms this makes engine noise and repeated approaches a real issue for them in a way that is easy to overlook, because nothing visible happens.
It is one of the clearest arguments for the small-boat, engine-off approach described on the responsible watching page.
Common questions
Will I see a beaked whale?
Almost certainly not, and that is normal. They are among the least observed large mammals anywhere.
How deep do they really dive?
Recorded dives go well past 1,400 metres and last far longer than most whales can manage.
2 h · max 10€60 per adult
Book