The cliff from the sea
The whole wall from a boat at its foot.
No machine-readable author provided. Porao assumed (based on copyright claims). — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tuxyso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tuxyso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tuxyso — CC BY-SA 4.0
**A wall of volcanic rock dropping into the Atlantic from as much as six hundred metres — with no road beneath it** — on Tenerife's western coast. ⚠ **Scale is the matter**: **the cliff rises straight from the water** ✅ **between 300 and **600 metres**** for kilometres — **with no beach, no foot and no road**. ⚠ **The Guanches called it the wall of hell** — **because it was reckoned the end of the known world**. ✅ **Its formation is volcanic**: **the scarp of an ancient giant collapse** — ⚠ **a whole flank of the island slid into the sea**, **leaving this vertical section exposed**. ✅ **And it is truly seen from the water** — **boat trips leave from the small harbour beneath it**, **and whales and dolphins are often seen on the way**.
The whole wall from a boat at its foot.
A resident population in the strait all year.
A port beneath the cliffs with restaurants and a view.
Los Gigantes, 38683 Santiago del Teide, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
**By choosing the right operator and refusing the boat that gives chase — the difference to the animal is large.** ⚠ **The problem**: **whale watching is a large industry** — ✅ **beneficial when well run**: **it funds conservation and creates an economic interest in the animals' survival**; ⚠ **and harmful when badly run**: **many boats surrounding a pod, engines masking their acoustic communication**, **and pressure separating calves from their mothers**. ✅ **What to look for**: **(1) **the Blue Boat certificate** in the Canaries** — ⚠ **an official mark given to compliant operators**; **(2) a boat that comes no closer than **60 metres** and does not cut across the animals' course**; **(3) engines stopped or slowed on approach**; **(4) limited time with one pod (about 30 minutes)**; **(5) no more than two boats with the same pod**. ⚠ **What to refuse**: ✅ **any boat promising a «guaranteed approach» or «swimming with dolphins»** — ⚠ **the latter is prohibited in the Canaries**; **and any boat that speeds after a pod moving away**. ⚠ **⚠ And report a violation if you see one** — **the Canarian authorities do act on them**. ✅ **And patience gives the better sighting**: **an undisturbed animal stays and behaves naturally.**
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