Marine life of the Canary Islands

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The marine life found in the Canary Islands is interesting, being a combination of North Atlantic, Mediterranean, and endemic species. In recent years, the increasing popularity of both scuba diving and underwater photography have provided biologists with much new information on the marine life of the islands.

Fish species found in the islands include many species of

sea cucumber, and coral
.

Marine turtles

A hawksbill turtle, one of the marine turtle species found in the Canary Islands

Five species of

Kemp's ridley turtle. None of these species are known to breed in the islands, so those seen in the water are usually migrating. However, it is believed that some of these species may have bred in the islands in the past, and there are records of several sightings of leatherback turtle on beaches in Fuerteventura, adding credibility to the theory.[citation needed
]

Sea urchins

The lime urchin, rapidly becoming overabundant in the Canary Islands due to fishing of its natural predators.

By far the most commonly seen invertebrate in Canary Island waters, the

Triton's trumpet. In areas with many of these creatures, the seabed can become completely stripped of algae. As a response to this "ecological emergency", widespread culling
of sea urchins has been advocated in some areas.

Marine mammals

Pilot whales around Canary Islands are particularly known to be curious and friendly to humans.

Marine mammals of the Canary Islands include varieties of

hooded seals also appear every now and again.[3] In 1995, continuous observations of North Atlantic right whale, being considered as functionally extinct in eastern North Atlantic were made,[4] followed by another possible sighting off La Gomera between 1998 and 1999.[5] The Canary Islands were also formerly home to a population of the rarest pinniped in the world, the Mediterranean monk seal
.

Sharks

Tenerife and Gran Canaria are one of the few remaining locations with a substantial population of angelsharks. It is quite a common sight while snorkeling.

The basking shark, a harmless plankton feeder, visits the island in large groups during the winter, but is rarely seen.

The

common smooth-hound comes close to shore in the late summer to breed, but is too small to be dangerous to humans.[6]

The hammerhead shark (

Sphyrna zygaena
) is another fish eater, and is sometimes encountered while fishing.

Native fauna gallery

Marine life and tourism

Marine life, particularly cetaceans are one of the main attractions of Tenerife and the other islands, generating jobs and letting tourists enjoy the marvelous sea life of the area.

See also

Gallery

References

  1. user-generated source
    ]
  2. user-generated source
    ]
  3. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T6204A45225150.en
    . Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  4. doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.1997.tb00617.x
    .
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2016-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ Gran Canaria website with information about sharks for tourists
  • Sergio Hanquet, Diving in Canaries, Litografía A. ROMERO, 2001.
    ISBN 84-932195-0-9
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