The waters of Tenerife in the Canary Islands are rich with captivating marine wildlife. The sea turtles of Tenerife are an amazing sight in the azure ocean bays of the island. We kayaked and snorkeled with the sea turtles of Tenerife in their natural environment. I’ll tell you in this post how you can too!
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Where is Tenerife?
Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, is located in the Atlantic Ocean about 700 miles west of Morocco. It’s closer to Africa than its home country of Spain. Flights from Madrid to Tenerife are plentiful. As are flights from London as Tenerife is a beloved vacation spot for the Brits. There are two airports on Tenerife. However, the south airport (TFS) is the most popular to fly into.
The tropical waters of the Atlantic around the islands have crystal clear high visibility. Perfect for seeing all kinds of marine life. Besides the sea turtles of Tenerife, marine fauna includes whales, dolphins, sport fish, stingrays, colorful tropical fish, and the harmless angel shark. Check out the tide pools for octopus, squid, sea anemones, and limpets to name a few of the things we saw.
Related Post -> Roque de Taborno: The Best Hike in Tenerife
Kinds of Sea Turtles in Tenerife
Five species of sea turtles inhabit the waters around Tenerife. The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is the most common to see while snorkeling. The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) shows up periodically. The turtles of Tenerife can be seen year-round.
To tell the difference between green and loggerhead sea turtles, look at their shells. The naturalist on our whale watch trip with Biosean pointed out that green sea turtles have 4 lateral plates on their shells while loggerheads have 5 plates. We mainly saw green turtles with a possible loggerhead sighting.
How to Snorkel Responsibly with Sea Turtles
Sea turtles are a vulnerable species in the wild. Very few turtles survive hatching on beaches and making their way into the ocean where they face marine predators. Habitat loss, pollution, boat strikes, and coastal development also threaten the sea turtles of Tenerife. Therefore, sea turtles do not need any more stress from irresponsible snorkelers.
I snorkeled with the green turtles of Akumal on the coast of the Yucatan peninsula and learned more precautions to be aware of in swimming with turtles. First, the turtles are quite curious so they will often approach you if you give them space. Do not harass the turtles. Move away if they show stress or are going up for air. Additionally, quietly approach from the side of the turtle so you don’t surprise it. Don’t touch or try to feed the turtle. Finally, wear biodegradable sunscreen (or don’t use sunscreen at all) and take all trash with you as turtles might mistake litter for food.
Where to Find the Sea Turtles of Tenerife
We snorkeled at several beaches on Tenerife to search for sea turtles but the place we consistently found them was at La Arenita beach in Palm-Mar. Others have mentioned finding turtles at El Puertito Beach, Abades Bay, and Punta de Teno. However, La Arenita was our go-to beach to kayak and snorkel with the sea turtles of Tenerife.
To get to La Arenita Beach, navigate to the small town of Palm-Mar on the south coast of Tenerife. Follow the main road, Avenue el Palm-Mar, through town. Stay right on this road near a market and playground until you reach the beach. Park along the road or in spaces in the neighborhood.
The best way to get around the island of Tenerife is by car. While the bus system is good on the island, a car allows you to explore remote snorkeling beaches and get to other outdoor adventures on the island. I use Discover Cars for booking a car for my travels. They work with reputable rental agencies and offer reasonable rates.
How to Kayak and Snorkel with the Sea Turtles of Tenerife
There are two ways to see sea turtles in the wild at La Arenita Beach in Palm-Mar. The easiest option is to go with an organized tour specifically designed for snorkeling with the turtles and seeing dolphins. All the equipment is provided and the guides know where to find the turtles. This is an excellent option if you are newer to kayaking or need the proper equipment.
However, if you are a little more adventurous and know how to sea kayak and snorkel, you can put together your own DIY tour. We found this option so much better as we could spend as much time as we wanted snorkeling with the turtles. Both times we went we always saw more sea turtles than the tour groups as we spent more time in the water.
Creating your own sea kayaking/snorkeling tour
It’s best to have a car to get to the beaches of Tenerife. My favorite car rental facilitator is Discover Cars as I always have good experiences using them. They work with reputable rental agencies and offer very competitive rates. With a car, it’s easy to do a road trip around Tenerife to see all the amazing sights.
First, to start your DIY swimming with turtle tour, you need kayaks. We rented them from Gran Azul Tours which is next to the grocery store in Palm Mar. They have their kayaks stored on the beach so it’s super convenient. Pick up paddles and lifejackets at the office and walk down to the beach to launch.
We rented a double sit-on-top kayak for the 3 of us. The rental was 30 euros for 2 hours. Our plan was for 1 or 2 people to be snorkeling while the other person paddled the kayak nearby. If you have good upper body strength, it’s fairly easy to get back in the stable flat-bottomed kayak.
The area we found the most turtles was about a quarter-mile from the shore to the left of the floating fish farm. There is a yellow buoy–stay in front and to the left of it.
Swimming with sea turtles
From the kayak, we could see the sea turtles poke their heads out of the water to check us out. We slipped into the water from the kayak and let the sea turtles approach. I noticed the turtles gulping something down. Looking closer, I could see it was tiny jellyfish, which is one of their favorite foods.
We watched several sea turtles for almost a half-hour. They were eating jellyfish and periodically surfacing for air. We couldn’t stop taking photos with the Go Pro. They were just so magical and curious.
We were surprised to see SCUBA divers below us enjoying the scenery and the turtles from below. A local guide, hanging out in the support boat for the divers, said the 2 turtles nearby were named Donatello and Margarita by the guides. We also saw what we thought was a loggerhead sea turtle but it was very timid and quickly left the area so we named it Timi.
Gear for Snorkeling with Sea Turtles
You will need the proper gear to do your own kayaking and snorkeling trip to see the sea turtles of Tenerife. Gran Azul Tours can provide you with a mask and snorkel. However, if you plan to do any other snorkeling on Tenerife, bring your own. Here is the gear I used and recommend.
- Snorkeling set
- Shortie wetsuit or Aqua skin
- Go Pro with floating handle grip
- Dry bag
- Quick dry towel
Wrap Up of Kayaking and Snorkeling with the Sea Turtles of Tenerife
Besides snorkeling with sea turtles, the La Arenita beach area offers many kayak adventures as well. You can paddle over near the fish farm to see dolphins swimming near your boat. The fish farm attracts the dolphins hoping for an escaped fish meal. We sat in the kayak and watched them swimming and diving near the boat.
Also kayaking beside the giant cliffs of the bay to a sea cave is possible. You can poke your kayak into the sea cave. Just be mindful of the current and tide so you don’t get tossed about in a swell in the cave and hit your head.
If you want to spend time in this area to enjoy the sea turtles, great snorkeling beaches, and to go on a whale watch, I’d suggest staying in Palm-Mar or nearby Los Cristianos. Without a doubt, seeing sea turtles in their natural habitat will be a highlight of your trip to Tenerife.
-> Related Post: Outdoor Adventures on the Yucatan Peninsula
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15 Comments
Kristen · February 15, 2022 at 9:59 am
Wow! What an incredible experience! Those turtles are massive and I’d love to do that someday.
MK Dymock · February 15, 2022 at 10:21 am
The photography on this is jaw-dropping. What an amazing adventure.
Josy A · February 15, 2022 at 1:32 pm
Incredible photos!! I love the one with the close up turtle resting bitchface. 🙂
We got really lucky on our honeymoon when a giant sea turtle swam over to us while we were snorkeling. It honestly made my week! I did visit Tenerife once, but I had no idea there are sea turtles there too! This is so, sooo cool!
Amelia · February 15, 2022 at 11:06 pm
This is simply the best post on snorkeling in Tenerife and for goodness sake I read dozens.
Bloggers rarely post anything of substance with any real secrets! And here you are! I hope Tenerife turtle populations stay abundant. Donatello, Margarita and Timi made the trip clearly. I wish Biocean or you would list a contact to write the equivalent of fish and wildlife there to reinforce the extreme sheer amazing biological gift these turtles are! Lastly, of note, in shore I found myself swimming through some relatively harmless tiny stinging jellyfish! No biggie but you gotta earn them amazing turtle views. I heard someone lost a snorkel out there so if you don’t get one off the link… then you know how to save yourself a few pounds in the carryon!
Venaugh · February 16, 2022 at 6:45 pm
I would love to do this! The water looks so clear, I’ve done a swimming with whale sharks tour and unless you were right next to it, you couldnt really see the sharks so this definitely looks like a much better experience.
Susan · February 16, 2022 at 6:48 pm
What a fun experience! I visited Tenerife years ago and had no idea you could swim with turtles there. Thanks for sharing tips on how to swim with them responsibly. I wondered about how to do that!
Marianne · February 16, 2022 at 8:11 pm
I would love to kayak and snorkel with sea turtles! Looks like it would be an incredible experience.
Francesca · February 16, 2022 at 8:19 pm
I love snorkeling so much! This post is absolutely incredible and I cannot believe how lucky you have been to encounter these amazing creatures. So jealous! I hope to have the chance in my life to swim with turtles as well. Thanks for sharing!
Renee · February 17, 2022 at 5:12 am
Tenerife is on my list of places to go! Although I’m not sure I would go snorkeling, I would love to do some kayaking in the Atlantic Ocean. Your adventures sounded like so much fun!
Gloria · February 17, 2022 at 10:05 pm
Wow another reason to visit Tenerife in addition to the gorgeous beaches
Sue tippett · February 20, 2022 at 8:38 am
Wonderful photos and info.
Linn Clark · April 21, 2022 at 1:16 pm
Love reading your blogs! Beautiful photos and great information!
Wioletta · January 4, 2023 at 7:20 pm
Looks great!! Amazing pictures!! Was that in February? Wondering if I could go for one of these trips now in January and see some turtles!!??
Karen · January 5, 2023 at 10:15 am
We went in January and saw turtles every day. I hope you get to see them.
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[…] Marine sea life abounds in the Canary Islands. To see it, join a tour or rent a boat to marvel at the whales, dolphins, and sea turtles of Tenerife. […]