There are few places in Europe where you can watch a pod of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) year-round from a small boat, barely twenty minutes from shore. Tenerife is one of them. The waters along the island’s southwestern coast host one of the most biodiverse marine corridors in the Atlantic, a stretch of deep, warm sea that has earned formal protection at both Spanish and European level — and a designation that no other place on the continent shares. Understanding what makes this ecosystem extraordinary is also, increasingly, a matter of understanding what threatens it.

A Marine Sanctuary Unlike Any Other in Europe

The Teno-Rasca Special Area of Conservation (ZEC Teno-Rasca) runs along roughly 80 kilometres of Tenerife’s western coastline, from the Teno Massif in the north to Punta Rasca in the south. It covers approximately 76,648 hectares of ocean, reaching depths of around 2,000 metres at its farthest southern point, and it forms the largest Special Area of Conservation in the Canary Islands within the European Natura 2000 network. [1]

What sets this stretch of water apart is geography. The island rises steeply from the ocean floor, and the deep underwater trenches close to shore create conditions that would normally only exist far out to sea: cold, nutrient-rich upwellings meeting warm surface waters, producing a dense food web that supports an exceptional concentration of marine life. Up to 28 species of cetaceans have been recorded here. [2] Most remarkable among them are the short-finned pilot whales, a resident population that does not migrate and can be reliably observed on almost any given day of the year, making Tenerife one of the very few places on Earth where this is possible. [3]

Alongside the pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) maintain a permanent presence, while Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), and occasional transient species such as fin whales, sperm whales, and orcas are recorded seasonally. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) inhabit the waters throughout the year, and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are occasional visitors. [1]

Beneath the surface, the seabed is equally rich. The reserve contains sandbanks, rocky reefs, marine caves, and extensive meadows of seagrass known locally as sebadales — underwater prairies of Cymodocea nodosa that function as nurseries for juvenile fish, feeding grounds for sea turtles, and significant carbon sinks. These habitats are listed under the EU Habitats Directive as priority ecosystems requiring active conservation. [1]

In January 2021, the World Cetacean Alliance formally designated the Tenerife-La Gomera marine area as Europe’s first Whale Heritage Site, and the third in the world, recognising not only the ecological richness of the zone but also the island’s commitment to responsible marine tourism practices. [2] Mission Blue, the ocean conservation organisation founded by marine biologist Sylvia Earle, has also declared the area a Hope Spot in support of further protection efforts. [1]

Why the Coastal Crisis Threatens What the Reserve Protects

Recognition and legal protection do not automatically translate into good environmental outcomes, and the Teno-Rasca reserve exists within a broader coastal context that is under serious pressure. Tenerife welcomed 16.3 million visitors in 2025, and the strain that level of tourism places on the island’s infrastructure is becoming visible in its waters. [4]

The same coastline that contains Europe’s whale sanctuary also borders one of Spain’s most troubled wastewater management systems. Environmental NGO Ecologistas en Acción documented that approximately 57 million litres of wastewater are discharged into Canary Islands seas every single day, and the Court of Justice of the European Union formally condemned Spain in late 2025 for failing to adequately treat urban wastewater, identifying at least 12 critical locations on Tenerife alone. [5] While the worst contamination has been concentrated in the north and south of the island rather than in the heart of the marine reserve itself, discharges of this scale and consistency create cumulative effects across an interconnected ocean system. Microplastics, pharmaceutical residues, and nutrient pollution from sewage all move with currents, affecting the entire marine corridor.

The EU-funded OCEAN CITIZEN project, which selected Tenerife as its primary pilot site for marine restoration in 2024, has documented what decades of compounding pressures have already done: once-thriving fish populations have declined significantly, rocky reefs have been damaged, and seagrass meadows have retreated in several areas of the island due to a combination of pollution, overfishing, and rising ocean temperatures. [6] The project is working to address these losses through seagrass replanting, coral restoration including gorgonians and black coral populations, drone-based monitoring, and community engagement programmes designed to connect local residents to the conservation process.

There is also a contested infrastructure question. For several years, plans have existed to construct a new commercial port at Fonsalía, a location that sits within the Teno-Rasca conservation zone. Critics, including the international marine conservation organisation OceanCare, argue that the project was only made possible because the relevant coastal section was cut out of the protected area designation, not because it was less biodiverse. Local civic groups have organised in opposition under the name Plataforma Ciudadana Salvar Fonsalía. [7] The outcome of this dispute will have direct implications for the ecological integrity of Europe’s flagship whale sanctuary.

The Bigger Picture

Tenerife’s marine environment represents something genuinely irreplaceable in a European context. A resident population of pilot whales, 28 recorded cetacean species, seagrass meadows, deep-water reefs, and sea turtles, all within 12 nautical miles of a major tourist island, is a combination that exists nowhere else on the continent. The Teno-Rasca designation, the Whale Heritage Site status, and the OCEAN CITIZEN restoration programme all reflect a serious scientific and institutional recognition of what is at stake.

What is needed now is the political and economic will to match those designations with real infrastructure investment, consistent enforcement, and honest public communication about the health of these waters. The sea does not lie. And the pilot whales, whose ancestors have made this coastal channel their home for longer than any human record, are paying attention.

Sources

1. Teno-Rasca Marine Strip Special Area of Conservation overview, TenerifeDolphin.com and TenerifeWhaleWatching.com
2. AD Boat Rental: Tenerife — Europe’s First Whale Sanctuary, adboatrental.com
3. Whale Watch Tenerife, whale watching season data 2023-2025, whalewatchtenerife.org
4. Timeout: Tenerife Is Investing €81 Million Into A Massive Coastal Clean Up, timeout.com, March 2026
5. BritBrief: Health alert for Canary Islands — tourists warned about beach water pollution, britbrief.co.uk, January 2026
6. OceanCitizen EU: Reclaiming Tenerife’s Ocean, oceancitizen.eu, September 2024
7. OceanCare: Whales and Dolphins Off Tenerife in Danger, oceancare.org

Miami, FL, February 24, 2026 — Seaworthy Collective, a Miami-based non-profit that supports current and aspiring entrepreneurs in BlueTech (ocean innovation), is excited to announce its next wave of startups and founders selected for Cohort 7 of its flagship Startup Program, The Continuum Ocean Enterprise Studio and Incubator.

The 2026 program will once again support US-based startups developing ocean data technologies and services, in alignment with the priorities of the NOAA Ocean Enterprise Initiative. This is a result of Seaworthy’s expanded role in its $14 million NOAA partnership, The Continuum, a coordinated network of ocean enterprise accelerators that fast-tracks startups getting to market by making support for BlueTech solutions more scalable, efficient, and interconnected. The Continuum partners include Braid Theory, Ocean Exchange, Seaworthy Collective, St. Pete Innovation District, Tampa Bay Wave, World Ocean Council, and the University of South Florida.

“We are so proud of this latest wave of startups and founders to not only represent Seaworthy Collective’s seventh cohort, but our second under the umbrella of our NOAA partnership, The Continuum,” said Daniel Kleinman, Seaworthy Collective’s Founder and CEO. “Altogether, these businesses and entrepreneurs are driving forward the future of the Blue Economy and Ocean Enterprise; addressing the critical need for data and AI-driven solutions across ocean mapping and survey, water quality monitoring and reporting, fisheries and ecosystem health, and overall ocean intelligence; enabling improved decision-making and emerging markets to grow.”

The seven startups selected to be part of the Spring Ocean Enterprise Studio & Incubator are:

BathyLab – Brookfield, NH; Founded by Shannon Hoy and Patrick Cooper. BathyLab develops AI-powered tools that help seafloor mapping teams collect better data and scale their operations. Their solutions provide real-time operational intelligence for both crewed and autonomous vessels, supporting the critical seafloor mapping work that drives the blue economy and advances our understanding of the planet.

BeachLens – Gainesville, FL; Founded by Ja’Rell Felix. BeachLens brings together real time coastal, safety, and tourism data and turns them into simple, actionable insights for users. The core product is a mobile application that acts as a centralized hub for beach safety and logistics, moving far beyond basic weather apps to offer highly specific data.

Envara Scientific – Sterling, VA; Aspiring founder Marianne Dietz and her emerging venture, Envara, will leverage intelligence-informed thinking to help organizations better navigate and act upon high-stakes environmental data.

H3 – Miami, FL; Aspiring founder, Rachel Bobich, joins Seaworthy as she looks to build a collective Intelligence and resourcing platform to support the scientific community that propels the Blue Economy.

iCatch – Bozeman, MT; Founded by Dr. Mariah Meek and Dr. Nadya Mamoozadeh. iCatch is taking the guesswork out of species identification. Combining predictive AI technology with precision genomic testing allows species verification by anyone, anywhere, all along the seafood supply chain.

Marnova – San Diego, CA; Founded by Andrew Barrows and Dr. Forest Rohwer. Marnova converts harmful sargassum blooms into productive fisheries through a nature-based feeding system that strengthens the marine food web. They pair it with real-time tracking hardware and software so fishers can find these fishing grounds faster, while reducing sargassum washing ashore and disrupting coastal livelihoods.

Project Neptune – Hermosa Beach, CA; Founded by Maxwell Lynch and Ethan Young. Project Neptune provides localized beach water quality data, forecasts, and decision-ready insights to help people safely plan their time at the coast. They aggregate and interpret water quality testing, environmental conditions, and risk indicators into simple dashboards that show whether it’s safe to enter the water, and why.

“This cohort marks a pivotal moment for Seaworthy Collective as we scale the solid foundation built over the last five years supporting our first 100 founders and 50 startups. By integrating these next seven early-stage startups into The Continuum, we are proving that our model for founder success is not just repeatable, but highly scalable. We aren’t just launching startups; we are building a streamlined pipeline for the next generation of ocean intelligence,” Tamara Kahn Zissman, Director of Founder Success at Seaworthy Collective.

Join Seaworthy Collective’s community via its home page at www.seaworthycollective.com to stay updated on details of its upcoming Spring slate of events featuring the members of this latest cohort, including the upcoming Spring Sea Change Makers Panel Series and Startup Showcase, Seaworthy’s biggest event of the year, at The LAB Miami on May 20, 2026.

Sponsorship opportunities are currently available, and general inquiries are also welcome via email at Info@SeaworthyCollective.com.

About the Organizations

Seaworthy Collective is a Miami-based 501c3 nonprofit that supports current and aspiring entrepreneurs driving innovation for ocean impact (AKA BlueTech). Our mission is to bring all hands on deck for BlueTech, via programs to co-create and grow early-stage startups, build regional capacity, and educate our community. We empower Sea Change Makers, founders of all backgrounds leading profitable and planet-positive businesses. Since 2021, we’ve supported 100 founders across 50 BlueTech startups, who have raised over $34 million since graduating. Altogether, our local and global community generates scalable solutions for 71% of the planet (our ocean) to regenerate 100% of the planet. Learn more at SeaworthyCollective.com

The Continuum is a coordinated network of ocean enterprise accelerators that fast-tracks startups getting to market by making support for BlueTech solutions more scalable, efficient, and interconnected. The Continuum partners include Braid Theory, Ocean Exchange, Seaworthy Collective, St. Pete Innovation District, Tampa Bay Wave, World Ocean Council, and the University of South Florida. Learn more on our website at: TheContinuum.blue

Tenerife is one of the most unique territories of the eastern Atlantic, an island where geology and the ocean engage in a continuous and visible dialogue. The largest of the Canary Islands is characterized by extreme morphology: volcanic peaks, jagged lava coasts, and seabeds that plunge rapidly into deep ocean waters. This combination makes the island not only a point of scenic interest but also an area of significant environmental and biological importance.

At the center of the island rises Mount Teide, Spain’s highest volcano, dominating a landscape shaped by millennia of volcanic activity. Lava flows, solidified along the coasts, testify to a geological past still readable in today’s scenery. Tenerife thus appears as a natural platform extending into the ocean, where the separation between terrestrial and marine environments is minimal.

This topography directly influences marine conditions. The waters surrounding Tenerife become deep just a short distance from the shore, creating an ideal environment for numerous cetacean species. Ocean currents, underwater canyons, and a relatively stable temperature year-round support one of the richest marine biodiversities in the Atlantic. Today, the area is recognized as one of the main observation points for marine mammals in Europe.

Among the most emblematic species in these waters are pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), also known as blackfish. Despite their name, they are the largest representatives of the dolphin family, with individuals exceeding six meters in length. Their robust bodies and characteristic rounded foreheads make them immediately recognizable when surfacing.

What makes pilot whales particularly interesting from a scientific perspective is their extremely complex social structure. They live in stable, cohesive groups, often composed of dozens of individuals connected by lifelong relationships. Their society is predominantly matriarchal: the oldest females lead the group, preserving and transmitting essential knowledge for survival, such as feeding areas and hunting strategies.

Their ideal habitat consists of deep ocean waters, where seabeds drop rapidly, favoring the presence of squid, their primary food source. Tenerife offers particularly favorable conditions: the underwater canyons surrounding the island allow pilot whales to hunt at depth without straying far from the coast. Unlike many other cetacean species, those in the Canary Islands are resident, making them observable throughout the year.

Communication within the group occurs through a complex range of sounds, used both for echolocation and for maintaining social bonds. Each group develops distinctive vocal patterns, a sort of sound signature that reinforces collective identity. This makes pilot whales especially sensitive to acoustic pollution, one of the main threats to their survival.

Direct encounters with these animals create an impact that goes beyond mere naturalistic interest. Watching them move slowly, surface in synchrony, and care for their young conveys the image of a structured and aware community. The moment they break the surface, accompanied by the deep sound of their breath, creates an almost total suspension of time.

Emotionally, the experience is marked by a strong sense of respect and awareness. Feelings of wonder, humility, and gratitude arise from the perception of facing a form of intelligence adapted to an environment humans can only observe, not inhabit. At that moment, the sea ceases to be an indistinct space and becomes a living, complex, inhabited ecosystem.

Tenerife thus confirms itself not only as a tourist destination but as an open-air natural laboratory for understanding the relationship between the marine environment and human presence. Observing pilot whales in the island’s waters demonstrates how coexistence between human activities and wildlife is possible only through a delicate balance based on clear rules, scientific knowledge, and respect for natural limits.

This observation experience is also made possible by the work of specialized local operators, such as Monte Cristo Catamaran, a company in Tenerife that organizes tours dedicated to marine wildlife observation. Conducted in compliance with environmental regulations and the natural behavior of cetaceans, these activities exemplify how tourism can integrate with ocean ecosystem protection. The approach prioritizes responsible observation, maintaining proper distances and minimizing impact on pilot whales, transforming the excursion into an opportunity for education and awareness rather than a simple tourist attraction.

Indeed, encounters with these cetaceans are not experiences of consumption but of awareness. Approaching a resident species that depends directly on the quality of the marine ecosystem prompts reflection on humanity’s role in the oceans. Pilot whales, with their complex social structures and sensitivity to acoustic and environmental pollution, become living indicators of the sea’s health.

In this sense, respect for nature cannot be limited to the emotion of the moment but must translate into concrete practices: regulation of maritime traffic, responsible tourism, protection of deep habitats, and reduction of human impact on ocean ecosystems. Tenerife is a significant example of how the enhancement of the marine environment can go hand in hand with its protection, supported by scientific research and effective conservation policies.

The experience of encountering pilot whales leaves a mark that goes beyond personal memory. It provides a broader awareness: the ocean is not a space separate from humanity but a vital system of which we are part. Recognizing this interdependence means accepting a collective responsibility, affecting not only coastal communities but the entire balance of the planet.

In an era marked by climate change and growing pressure on marine resources, places like Tenerife acquire cultural and strategic value. Here, the sea is not merely a backdrop but a silent interlocutor that invites listening, respect, and a new form of relationship with nature, founded on knowledge and long-term protection.

By: Angela Milella

About the Author

My name is Angela Milella, I am 27 years old, and I hold a degree in Law. I have a deep passion for nature, which has always guided my professional path. Specialized in environmental crimes, I am currently a PhD candidate at the University of Bari, where I focus on corporate sustainability, aiming to combine legal expertise with environmental awareness in a responsible and conscientious approach.