Tenerife-La Gomera WHA is the location of a great range of environmental education, conservation-based research and citizen science programmes, delivered by NGOs, academic institutions, and government bodies. These initiatives are vitally important and help gain a better understanding of the whales and dolphins in the area, and bring the marine environment to life for residents and visitors.
Comprehensive photo identification catalogues are adding value to whale watching experiences by providing fantastic data to share with tourists, with several operators contributing their sightings to grow these data sets.
The “Centro de interpretación itinerante de Canarias”, founded by the NGO Rumbo Ziday, is an education centre that highlights the marine biology, ecology and conservation of the region, with a focus on cetaceans. Rumbo Ziday also does several research activities in tourism, including their “Be a Biologist for a day” initiative, where the local community and tourists have the chance to experience what it’s like to work as a biologist.
Educational programmes and activities allow children and the general public to see the value of the area’s natural environment. Through these activities, they can also better understand cetacean behaviours, distribution, acoustics and the threats they face.
Helpful links
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