Spirit of the Sea Gran CanariaWhale and Dolphin Watching
Tour highlights
What's included
Included
- 2.5 hours at sea with a guide
- Commentary in Spanish, English and German
- Underwater viewing area and open observation deck
- Illustrated species sheets on board, by QR code
- Free transfer from Bahía Feliz, Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas, Meloneras and Mogán
- A voucher for another trip if no cetaceans are sighted
Not included
- Food and drinks
- Pick-up from Las Palmas, which is groups only and costs extra
- Gratuities
Full description
Whale and dolphin watching with Spirit of the Sea
Spirit of the Sea has been running whale watching out of Puerto Rico, in the south of Gran Canaria, for more than twenty years. The trip lasts two and a half hours and the boat was built for the job: as well as the open observation deck there is an underwater viewing area, so you can watch below the surface as well as above it.
They are the only boat here that puts something behind it: if the trip goes out and you see nothing, they hand you a voucher to come back another day. Nobody can promise a wild animal, so what is guaranteed is the second go, not the dolphin.
Which departure to take
There are two a day, and the difference matters. The 10:30 stays out watching and does not stop. The 13:30 anchors off the coast for a dip when the weather allows, so bring a swimsuit and a towel if that is the one you want. In July and August there is a third departure at 16:30.
Getting there
The boat is berthed at Puerto Base in Puerto Rico. A free transfer runs from Bahía Feliz, Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas, Meloneras and Mogán if you book it at least 24 hours ahead. Pick-up from Las Palmas is possible for groups, but it is charged separately.
What you might see
The Canaries have more than thirty recorded cetacean species, which is one of the highest counts anywhere. Off this stretch the regulars are bottlenose, spotted, striped and rough-toothed dolphins, short-finned pilot whales and false killer whales, with sperm whales and humpbacks passing through on migration. Sea turtles are common, and flying fish are a frequent sight on the way out.
Guides explain what you are looking at in Spanish, English and German, other languages on request, and there are illustrated species sheets on board that you open with a QR code.
Why this one and not another boat
The trip is built around watching rather than around a party. The crew log every sighting, with the date, the place and the behaviour, for research at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on cetacean populations and the effect of climate change on migratory species. They also answer stranding calls, collecting injured animals such as turtles caught in plastic or nets and taking them to the Tafira Wildlife Recovery Centre, run by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria. Passengers sometimes see a recovered animal go back into the water.
They follow the Canary Islands code of conduct and the ACCOBAMS agreement on approaching cetaceans, they have dropped single-use plastics on board, and they belong to the World Cetacean Alliance.
What to bring
Sunscreen and a windbreaker, because it is cooler out on the water than on the beach, plus something for seasickness if you are not used to boats. Swimsuit and towel only if you are on the 13:30.
Pickup & meeting point
Where to meet
Puerto Base, Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria.
Free hotel pick-up from Bahía Feliz, Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas, Meloneras, Mogán.
free, booked at least 24 hours ahead.
The boat is berthed at Puerto Base in Puerto Rico, in the south of Gran Canaria. Add the free transfer during booking, at least 24 hours before, and they collect you from your zone.
Good to know
- Sunscreen
- A windbreaker
- Swimsuit and towel for the afternoon trip
- Something for seasickness if you are not used to boats
- Your CanaryVIP ticket (printed or on your phone)
- The transfer has to be booked at least 24 hours before.
- The swim stop only runs on the 13:30 departure, and only when the sea allows.
- Pick-up from Las Palmas is for groups only and is charged separately.
Frequently asked questions
Reviews
Write a reviewReal reviews from travellers who did this activity, selected from public reviews online.
Seeing these animals where they live was worth the money. We spent a good while alongside different pods of dolphins, watched flying fish and seabirds, and got lucky with a hammerhead. Sightings are never guaranteed, though they take you out again free if you see nothing, and we chose them for their responsible-watching accreditation, which they lived up to.
Good fun to do once. The staff were friendly, and the upper deck gives you the best view. We ended up seeing a whale, dolphins with a young one among them, and a turtle.
Leuk om een keer mee te maken. Het personeel was vriendelijk, en vanaf het bovendek zie je het meeste. We kregen een walvis, dolfijnen met een jong erbij en een schildpad te zien.
Guest service was very good and available in several languages, with dolphins guaranteed. That is where my unease starts: the animals did seem to enjoy swimming alongside, but the hunt for them, with several boats out at once, struck me as strange. The state of the toilets on board is borderline too.
Der Service am Gast war sehr gut und mehrsprachig, und Delfine sieht man garantiert. Genau da liegt aber mein Zwiespalt: die Tiere schienen das Mitschwimmen zu genießen, doch die Suche nach ihnen, mit mehreren Booten gleichzeitig, wirkte auf mich befremdlich. Der Zustand der Toiletten an Bord ist zudem grenzwertig.
The trip came off brilliantly: dolphins in their own habitat, plus sea turtles and several whales. Big credit to the crew for scooping rubbish out of the water along the way and rescuing two tiny crabs while they were at it. Real respect for that.
Wycieczka wyszła świetnie: delfiny w naturalnym środowisku, do tego żółwie morskie oraz kilka wielorybów. Ogromny plus za to, że załoga po drodze wyławiała z wody śmieci i uratowała przy tym dwa maleńkie kraby. Duży szacunek za takie podejście.
We left on time and the boat is well looked after. The crew were on it throughout, watching anyone who felt sick and lending a hand so nobody lost their footing. They know where to find dolphins, which swam a good while alongside us, and they went out of their way towards a whale seen in the distance.
Salimos a la hora y el barco está cuidado. La tripulación estuvo encima todo el rato, pendiente de quien se mareaba y echando una mano para movernos sin caernos. Saben dónde buscar a los delfines, que nadaron un buen rato delante y a los lados del barco, y hasta se desviaron para acercarnos a una ballena avistada a lo lejos.
They take you a fair way out into the Atlantic to find the animals where they live. We got a turtle at a distance, flying fish and a pod of dolphins circling the boat, and there is a cabin below with windows under the waterline. It gets choppy, so bring something for seasickness; the crew look after anyone who struggles.
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