Dolphins gran canaria

Experience the magic of seeing Dolphins & whales in their natural environment in Gran Canaria. The shores of Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria boast an amazing 98% success rate to see dolphins & whales.
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With their “smiley faces” which we all love, Dolphins are extremely sociable and love to swim and play in the bow of the boats.  We are very lucky to have a permanent colony of short-finned pilot whales lives here in our waters. Pilot whales are social whales and travel as a group or family so it’s common to see lots at the same time. Pilot whales also often play amongst themselves or interact with Dolphin & Whale boats.  We can sometimes also see Sperm Whales in the local waters.  Up to 20.5 metres long, these whales are one of the world’s biggest creatures.

There are over 80 species of cetaceans, a group made up of whales, dolphins and porpoises of which 27 have been seen in the Canary Islands.  Due to the enormous diversity of species in the waters around Gran Canaria there so many sightings all year round for dolphins & whales!

The word “cetacean” is from the Latin cetus, which means “large sea creature”. It refers to the group of marine mammals that includes all whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

The largest dolphin is the “Killer Whale”

The largest dolphin is the “Killer Whale” known also as Orca and the most know dolphin is the bottlenose dolphin.

The flukes are two parts of the tail of a dolphin

The flukes are two parts of the tail of a dolphin. All dolphins have a blowhole at the top where they breathe. Dolphins can stay up to 15 minutes under water, but they cannot breathe under the water.

The dolphin´s brain is similar in size to that of humans

The dolphin´s brain is similar in size to that of humans. Their brains are 4-5 times larger than those of other animals of similar size.

Dolphins detect prey and objects using their echolocation

Dolphins detect prey and objects using their echolocation, that is, by interpreting the echo of sound waves bounced back by the target.

Dolphins have an organ called melon in the head that emits the sound waves used for echolocation

They are social animals

They are social animals and can live in groups called pods than can have of members or even join with other groups creating superpods with thousands of individuals. The bonds between of a pod are very tight. They have been observed helping sick, alderly, and injured peers.

Dolphins can hear a frequency

Dolphins can hear a frequency range ten times broader than of human being.

There are about 100 teeth

There are about 100 teeth in the mouth of a dolphins, but the amount varies among species. However, they use the teeth to grab their prey, but they don´t chew it. All food is swallowed whole. Dolphins have two stomachs just like cows. The first one stores the food and the second is where digestion takes place.

Dolphins sleep resting one side of the brain at time.

Thanks to its bone structure and its ability to hold air in the lungs for a long time, dolphins can rest underwater. However, they need to breathe regularly. Therefore, some degree of awareness is necessary, and one side of the brain remain active, while the other part rests.

The tail first

Dolphins are the only mammals that give birth to its offspring delivering the tail first instead of the head. The gestation period in most species lasts between 10 and 12 months.

Dolphins are mammals

Dolphins are mammals, warm-blooded animals which give birth to live offspring and feed them with breast milk from the mother.

Dolphins give themselves names

It has been proved by scientists that dolphins give themselves names. They develop their own individual whistles and they recognize theirs and other dolphin´s names. Dolphins can communicate with each other by emitting a variety of sounds.

Dolphins stick with their mothers for a long time

It is in the nature of the dolphins to stick with their mothers for a long time before they leave their pack. Some stay with their mothers for 3 or even 8 years!

Dolphins are famous among people because they are graceful and beautiful creatures. Their incredible performance while jumping in the ocean and their friendly face have made people like dolphins.

However, probably the most attractive feature that has made dolphins very appealing to humans is their intelligence which has no equal in the animal world.

Dolphins communicate through a language that includes sounds with different purposes, as humans do, as well as samples of behaviors related to pleasure, fun, teaching and social coexistence. That is why some have insisted on considering them “non-human people,” which gives them a little more “special” treatment.

Dolphins Gran Canaria are experts in dolphins & whale watching tours.  We have experienced, researched and questioned each boat cruise offering dolphin & whale tours, to recommend only the best.  We promote and organize only the tours who specialize in Dolphin & Whale search.  We ensure that the boats that we recommend are technically & physically designed for this purpose and that the crew are experienced and passionate about dolphins & whales. We also ensure that the tours we recommend promote responsibility for our marine life, including obeying and following the marine code.