Canary Islands

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Sbiriguda

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Which dives would you suggest in the Canary Islands?
Is it possible to dive or to do some snorkeling with the whales or dolphins?
Thanks
 
I doubt very much that you can dive or snorkel with whales or dolphins, but there boat trips you can take but no guarantees to see them.
On Lanzarote, I believe some of the best diving is in the area of Playa Chica, with some shore dives straight from the beach & nearby access points, as well as some sites accessed via a short boat trip.
I went with Safari Diving right on Playa Chica itself but unfortunately my diving was cut short by an issue with my ear on my only trip there last year, so can't give a comprehensive report on the diving.
 
Thanks
 
My first contact with scuba diving was on the Canaries, and I regularly dive with La Palma Diving on La Palma (highly recommendable dive center, and island -- great dives). Regarding whales and dolphins, what UFOrb says is correct. There are whale watching boat trips offered, but surely not a guarantee on seeing them, and people stay on the boat. Actively seeking them out for swimming/snorkeling/diving with them is as far as I know not allowed, for reasons of not disturbing them.

This being said, I have to share my marine mammal story here. Beginning of February, during my dive guide course, we got visited by a humpback whale on a very normal shore dive! Stayed with us for some minutes. In the group, we also had two customers who both had I think less than 25 lifetime dives, and who had come by from a cruise ship for just one day of diving. Talk about having made the right choice! Of course we were very lucky, and I would not even know how to estimate the chances of this event. But it can happen, you can never know what the ocean will show you...
 
during my dive guide course, we got visited by a humpback whale on a very normal shore dive! Stayed with us for some minutes. In the group, we also had two customers who both had I think less than 25 lifetime dives

Wow!! Very lucky indeed :)
 
Thank you very much
Anyway, swimming with whales is wonderful for us divers/freedivers but not necessarily a good idea for the conservation of the habitat of these wonderful animals
Thinking in a selfish way I would like to do that, but frankly I don't think it's good for them to have humans around...
Probably the only way to be sure to see them clearly and with enough time to appreciate the dive is to go to Tonga or to the places where they have the sardines migration in South Africa or the herrings migration in Norway Canada or similar. These are the only places where whales are very likely to be present, and to stay quite some time to eat so it's possible to see them well
As for Canary Islands, it's probably better to go there for "plain diving" and then do some whale watching
 
I have a non diving question on Canary Islands. I have a dear friend who suffers from a medical condition and he doesn't like the idea of going to tropical countries because in case he will have a serious problem he would be afraid he can't find adequate medical treatment or it would be too expensive or too difficult. I respect his idea, but I would like to find a place which looks different from the Mediterranean and still politically belongs to Europe, so it has a health system which more or less the same as mainland Europe (Spain in the case of the Canary islands). Would you confirm based on your experience that Canaries are more or less like the rest of Spain and reliable in this respect?
Thanks
 
Would you confirm based on your experience that Canaries are more or less like the rest of Spain and reliable in this respect?

I think so, but my only experiences in that regard have been when I got a perforated eardrum last year on Lanzarote (from being unaware one nostril was congested I think) and when I got some glass in my hand in Tenerife back in 1997. In both cases I was able to get medical attention straight away.
I can't remember what happened about payment in 1997, but last year I had to go to a private medical practice and it cost me much more than it would've in the UK (NHS, only contribution to medicine is required at point of service), but not so much it was worth claiming on insurance.
I hope that may help some.
I'm sure Google can be your friend to help with a more detailed answer.
 
I´m not from the Canaries but I´m been quite often there for holidays. Fortunatelly never have to visit a hospital or Health Center.
I consider Spanish National Health Service quite reliable and the Canaries are fully part of it. Your friend should not have any problem if medical assistance or emergency is required.
As probably you know, if you´re italian take your Eurepean Heath Card with you; it makes burocracy much easier.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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