Stumbling through the waves, peeking above the water, playing with the foam, enjoying their freedom, this is how you will see the dolphins and whales of La Gomera.
The transparent waters, warm temperature, and abundance of food have made La Gomera the chosen place as the regular residence of these marine mammals, hence they can be seen almost every day of the year.
More than 20 species of cetaceans can be seen in its waters, almost one third of the species existing worldwide!
The joy of dolphins around the boat infects those who observe them, their closeness and lack of fear are maintained because the sightings are very respectful. The companies that carry out these excursions in La Gomera have the “blue flag,” an authorization that distinguishes them for complying with the current regulations for respectful observation of cetaceans. And almost 100% of the departures can observe specimens of different species.
But… What are cetaceans exactly?
They are marine mammals, so they are not considered fish, they have to breathe outside the water, although some species can stay up to 1 hour in apnea searching for their food at great depths. They are divided into those with teeth (odontocetes) and those with a beard (mysticetes), but the most known division is between dolphins and whales.
They have a sophisticated system to interpret their environment through sound, echolocation. It is very similar to that of bats, they project a sound wave (vibrations or clicks) that impacts with other objects (rocks, fish, boats) and in their rebound (echo) are interpreted by the animal to know the size, distance, etc.
Those with teeth have a varied diet, including fish, shrimp, octopuses, squids, and those with a beard feed through the filtering of large amounts of water through their mouth, retaining small animals, especially small crustaceans (krill).
How can we see them?
There is a varied offer of companies that offer this activity. Most excursions depart from the port of Vueltas (Valle Gran Rey), there are also departures from Playa Santiago and San Sebastián de La Gomera.
In the “Activities” section of the website www.lagomera.travel, you will find all the information and contact details to book your excursion.
La Gomera, being home to several species of cetaceans with a fixed residence, allows their observation almost all year round. Normally, boats do not need to travel long distances from the coast to ensure a sighting. It is common to see species such as the spotted dolphin, common dolphin, striped dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin, rorquals, sperm whales, or pilot whales.
Any advice?
To live this experience, we must equip ourselves properly: wear comfortable clothes and a bathing suit if we want to enjoy the sea, binoculars if we are not prone to seasickness, a cap, sunglasses, and sunscreen. It is also advisable to take some seasickness pills to enjoy the activity without any inconvenience. Some companies offer onboard meals, included in the price.
To capture some good images, it is ideal to wait for the boat to stop or reduce its speed, align the horizon line, observe the position of the sun, and if your camera has the option, choose “sports scenes,” it will allow you to take clear photos in motion.
Is there any regulation?
It is prohibited:
– Swimming with the animals.
– Feeding them.
– Touching them.
– Throwing waste into the water.
– Disturbing them with noise.
Nature, the sea, the sun, free dolphins and whales, combine in an unforgettable experience that will become one of the best memories of your trip to La Gomera.
Valle Gran Rey is a municipality on the island of La Gomera that is about a 60-minute drive from the capital, San Sebastián de La Gomera. If you decide to come to La Gomera by boat, once you leave the port, you come across a roundabout that points the way to Valle Gran Rey, and almost without realizing it, you begin to climb leaving the urban area behind.
The journey begins to surprise you at every turn, at every viewpoint. If you are not in a hurry to arrive, which is advisable to start disconnecting, you can make a stop at the Roques viewpoints, which, like good hosts, welcome you by offering their finest features, surprising you with the stunning views they have reserved for you.
Today we want to tell you about sunsets in Valle Gran Rey, so we will continue our journey to reach this charming place. After entering the Garajonay National Park, about 20 minutes later, you will come across a first deviation that indicates the descent to Valle Gran Rey through the hamlet of Las Hayas, you can also continue about 3 kilometers more and you will find another descent that indicates Arure, another picturesque village before Valle Gran Rey. The roads are very well signposted, so you won’t get lost.
And we’re almost there… After Arure, you continue the descent to the sea, you will pass through two tunnels that as you pass through begin to reveal even more beauty. You will also come across viewpoints that take your breath away, remember we said the journey is for disconnecting, so we recommend you make an almost compulsory stop at the César Manrique Viewpoint, there you will have a panoramic view of the whole imposing valley.
We’re here! The coast of Valle Gran Rey welcomes us with open arms. We hadn’t told you, but the island enjoys microclimates that allow for very pleasant temperatures at any time of the year. The sun guarantees its presence almost every day of the year. And since it is the main character, we will take a front-row seat to watch its farewell show.
Whether you want to sit on a terrace drinking some good local wine or on the edge of the stone that borders the beach or directly on the sand, the show is guaranteed.
Do you want some photography tips to make your photos look better? Here they go:
- Use silhouettes: Objects in front of the sunset will appear black, so you can take advantage of this effect and give personality to the photo by choosing a significant one.
- Incorporate the foreground: You can incorporate some element of the beach and photograph it up close, the sunset will be the ideal frame for that object: a sandcastle, some rocks, a late umbrella, or even the shape of the sand, you will see that you can tell a story with a simple detail.
- Care for the horizon: In addition to being aligned, you must consider what you want to give more interest to, you have to imagine 2 parallel horizontal lines that divide your photo into 3 parts. If you want the sky to be the most important, then place your horizon on the lower line if, on the other hand, you want to give more importance to the land part, the horizon will be aligned with the upper line.
Well, now it’s time to enjoy the color party! The palette already begins to show itself in all its splendor, from yellows to reds in a few minutes, passing through oranges in all their shades.
Every day is different, with clouds or completely clear, with calm seas or with waves, accompanied by the spontaneous sound of drums or simply the sea. But there is something in common, it will never leave you indifferent.
We interviewed Cristofer Clemente, a trail runner who is among the world’s most outstanding athletes in Trail Running.
In 2015, he begins to stand out in the top positions of this discipline, achieving the runner-up position in the Ultra Skyrunners World Series. In 2016, demonstrating a great desire for improvement, he wins with a wide margin the same world championship.
In 2017, he was called up by the Spanish team that reached the first position as a team in the Trail World Championship IAU-ITRA (Italy) with Cristofer Clemente being the second to reach the finish line just 1 minute behind the first place.
This exceptional athlete trains every day in his favorite sport in La Gomera motivated by the contact with nature and the sense of freedom he experiences on each of the many routes he can travel around the island.
Question: What is Trail Running about?
Question: Why La Gomera?
Cristofer Clemente: I have been to many places, and I have seen that La Gomera has very good trails for this sport, well signposted, with the security that you are not going to get lost, with contrasting landscapes, with different typologies that allow its practice for runners of all levels. La Gomera encourages you to improve, as it is a demanding sport. People need to know this island and its landscapes through its trails.
Question: What is your favorite route?
Cristofer Clemente: I really like technical routes, with a lot of difficulty and the island has plenty of them. I try to do a lot of coastal runs, it is true that you tend to always go to the mountains, to the greenery, but the coast has spectacular sunsets and sunrises. It is a visual gift for anyone who likes to walk or practice this sport.
Question: What advice would you give to a runner who wants to come to the island?
Cristofer Clemente: Here the trails are very well marked, also in terms of distances, they have to take into account the elevation changes and the temperature changes. Be aware of the distance to be covered to carry good hydration. It is an island to enjoy, for lovers of Trail Running “La Gomera is the place.”
Question: How many hours do you train?
Cristofer Clemente: 18 to 20 hours per week, luckily living in the islands, the temperature does not limit the training, even from dawn until dusk here you can train. Mountain race lovers love to go running with a headlamp and here the quality of the skies allows you to enjoy spectacular landscapes when you reach the summit.
Question: What is a typical training session like?
Cristofer Clemente: I leave my house in San Sebastián de La Gomera and can take many trails, for example, going up to Degollada de Peraza, going down La Laja, then choosing to go up towards El Cedro or Alto de Garajonay. La Gomera has the advantage that you can go along the coast or in the mountains, there is a lot of variety. My training is not like what others do, it is true that I have tried it but I didn’t like it, mine is to run directly on the terrain, tough circuits, leaving my house and being in contact with nature. There are faster days and slower days. And it has worked for me. I have not been trained as an athlete since I was a child, but I started training to lose weight and feel better and I got hooked on the mountains, going up and down my trails.
In this sport for me, 70% is mental and 30% is physical. Mentally you motivate yourself, controlling how your body is doing, telling yourself “come on, you can do it.”
Question: Any technical advice for going up or down hills?
Cristofer Clemente: To go up you have to go like an old person, short steps, not exceeding your heart rate, you should be able to maintain a conversation. And to go down you have to control your stride, which should also be short and steady, as if on tiptoes, like a dance, which allows more stability, with the body leaning forward.
Question: What about footwear?
Cristofer Clemente: Footwear should be specifically for mountain running, not running shoes for asphalt or walking. The island has very varied terrain, degraded rock, limestone, leaves, gravel. Sometimes the trade winds blow, moistening the ground and you have to have appropriate footwear.
