The Cunning Canary

39 responses so far ↓

• 1 Aat // Apr 25, 2008 at 3:09 am

  Interesting and good complete review. It would help to give some additional data like sailing hours and above which windspeed the trips are cancelled. This could avoid useless travelling from other locations. Is reservation on beforehand necessary?

• 2 Victoria // Apr 25, 2008 at 3:12 am

  Hi Aat. The trips run at 11:30am and 2:30pm on weekdays, then 12:00pm and 3.00pm at the weekend. There is no set windspeed when they are cancelled, just “when it is very windy” or when the sea is too rough. But that hardly ever happens since the weather here is usually fine. You can just turn up at the dolphin desk 15 minutes before the trip. The boat is large and licensed for 96 people, so you will definitely get on. You might want to book in the summertime (July, August) or in Christmas week, since those are the busiest times. There are flyers in just about every hotel so you can phone from where you are staying or pop down in advance and pick a day.

  Don’t forget your camera!

  All the best,
  Victoria

• 3 Aat // Apr 25, 2008 at 3:33 am

  Hi Victoria, that’s great news. Thanks for your prompt answer. we went some time ago on this trip and would like to do it again with our children next week. But unfortunately I forgot the details. Your entry was great help. Thanks again.

• 4 Victoria // Apr 25, 2008 at 3:36 am

  Aat, you can phone or SMS Nina on +34 630138851 to book the day before you go to confirm your places. Have fun!! Victoria

• 5 Aat // Apr 25, 2008 at 3:56 am

  Wow, that is certainly a great service. this morning I was uncertain about the trip, now I have all details on hand. Perfect.

• 6 Victoria // Apr 25, 2008 at 4:16 am

  You’re welcome! Have a great holiday.

• 7 kath // Sep 10, 2008 at 10:06 am

  Please change that photo! I had really bad hair that day cos of the wind!!! Fanks! x

• 8 marc // Sep 17, 2008 at 8:42 am

  Hi there
  How much does the trip cost per adult, child and infant

• 9 Victoria // Sep 17, 2008 at 12:37 pm

  It says in the first line!!

  Costs 24 euros for adults, 12 euros for kids (under 15 I think) and free for under 5 year olds.

  Dolphins have been spotted on every trip so far this week.

  Have fun

• 10 tan // Dec 1, 2008 at 4:45 pm

  is it safe for my 3 year old to go on thr trip

• 11 Victoria // Dec 1, 2008 at 4:48 pm

  Hi Tan, yes absolutely, the sides of the boat are high, the sea is usually calm and 3 year olds go free! I think there are optional life jackets too although they shouldn’t be necessary.

  Also look at the Crystal when you come over. It is a glass bottom/submarine boat and thousands of fish are guaranteed.

  Have fun!! Victoria

• 12 Claudio // Feb 27, 2009 at 4:36 pm

  boat name is Multiacuatic
  http://www.multiacuatic.com

• 13 Victoria // Feb 27, 2009 at 4:37 pm

  The Multiacuatic runs from Puerto Base and it’s 29 euros according to the website. The one from Puerto Escala is 24 euros and you get a repeat trip if there are no dolphins.

• 14 Victoria // Feb 27, 2009 at 4:39 pm

  Claudio, do you know Dutch Mike from Excelsior 2?

• 15 Dolphin Trips Gran Canaria – What to Expect — The Cunning Canary — My Grand life on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands! // Jul 26, 2010 at 4:42 am

  [...] to be the dolphin trips which leave from Puerto Rico harbour and you can check out my post “dolphin trips in Gran Canaria” for my [...]

• 16 Lyna // Feb 8, 2011 at 5:01 am

  I would be very interested of the dolphin trip, but are they made just starting from May? I have been looking round on different web pages, but many of the activities like Loro park and now this boat trip can be booked starting from May?! As I am coming in the end of April, what could I do there interesting other than being on the beach?

• 17 Victoria // Feb 8, 2011 at 5:04 am

  Lyna, I used to work on the dolphin boat and the trips run all year. The website booking feature is useful for the summer months when it’s busy but outside of that (eg April when you’re there) you can simply go to the dolphin booking desk in Puerto Rico harbour and book there. Loro Park is in Tenerife so you’d need to see your rep about that. You can get a local bus to Palmitos Park in Gran Canaria which is a similar animal park. There are also shopping centres you can visit and other excursions like glass-bottomed boats, camel safaris etc. Just about everything is open in April but it isn’t peak season until the mid-summer so you can book everything once you arrive.

  Enjoy yourself!!

  Victoria

• 18 dan // Jun 27, 2011 at 3:22 am

  what ever you do, do not go on the Sagittarius star dolphin cruise its is awful and u dont do many if any of the things you are told you will.

• 19 Emily // Oct 18, 2011 at 5:16 pm

  Hi, I am going to gran canaria in February. Will the dolphin trip be running? If they are, can you book an excursion in playa del ingles?
  Thanks

• 20 Victoria // Oct 19, 2011 at 2:15 am

  Hi Emily, yes the dolphin trips run all year. You can’t do the excursion from PDI because there is no harbour. You need to get the bus to Puerto Rico and head to the harbour there, then you can visit one of the 2 or 3 dolphin desks and do the trip. There are several a day. Alternatively you can speak to your rep and book it at your hotel or apartment. Else you can book online before you go: http://www.partner.viator.com/en/2813/tours/Gran-Canaria/Dolphin-and-Whale-Cruise/d792-3042LPA28 Have fun!

• 21 claire // Oct 19, 2011 at 2:31 am

  Obviously as its winter months dolphins wont be there as they migrate, at most your see a striped dolphin..if you was off the north coast of Italy, which you aren’t. There may be around a one in a million chance your see a fin whale which would be amazing as they are around 18 meters long, but you wont. A 10 year survey to find out what cetaceans are around in the winter months begins this January, I would suggest either waiting 10 years, or not wasting your money.

• 22 Victoria // Oct 19, 2011 at 2:33 am

  Claire, Gran Canaria is located off the north coast of Africa. Where do you think the dolphins migrate to?!

  Having worked on the dolphin sales desk for more than a year, I can assure you that the dolphin trips would not run year-round if there were no dolphins.

  Also, some dolphin trips offer a free trip if you have an unlucky trip and don’t see dolphins. You can keep going on the trip until you find them (yes, they are wild animals and sometimes can’t be found in a 90 minute trip). If there were no dolphins, the boats wouldn’t offer this, would they?

• 23 Victoria // Oct 19, 2011 at 2:36 am

  http://www.ehow.com/about_4588314_do-dolphins-migrate-hibernate.html

• 24 claire // Oct 19, 2011 at 4:07 am

  Are u suggesting that dolphins migrate solely due to water temperatures?

  I have been on this trip it was utter shambles, it was not what was advertised, we pointed out to the lady on dolphin sales desk and she could not have been more rude.

• 25 claire // Oct 19, 2011 at 4:09 am

  O well done you found and ehow, its nearly as useful as wikipedia, read a book.

• 26 Victoria // Oct 19, 2011 at 4:09 am

  Dolphins go wherever there is food. The water temp doesn’t change all that much around the Canaries so that wouldn’t be much of a factor. But I’ve been on dolphin trips during every month and usually seen them. Sorry to hear your trip wasn’t good. There is one trip from Puerto Escala and I think 2 different ones from Puerto Base (the bigger harbour in Puerto Rico). The one in Puerto Escala gives a free trip if the boat doesn’t find dolphins on the first trip. I’m not sure about the other ones. There is also a dolphin search trip from Anfi, and one from Mogan, but I expect those are more expensive.

• 27 Victoria // Oct 19, 2011 at 4:10 am

  I was trying to be helpful, Claire, shame there are people like you who only want to criticise and spoil it for everyone else.

• 28 Chris // Dec 6, 2011 at 6:31 pm

  Hi, I am going to gran canaria next week and i went on one of those dolphin excursions with animalwellness sites or something like that and i must admit i wanted to find a better and cheaper one to go with as they charged 45euros (i think thats a con tbh)and seeing victoria mentioning one that does a 2nd free trip if dolphins arent spotted on the first trip, i could do with some info about that one so i could print this off and get this booked at capri when i arrive? i know some trips provide bus services from the hotel to the pier drop off point but does that one also provide this? i really want to see dolphins and dont want to see them in a park where most of them are treated badly and exploited for high amounts of money in shows. i want to see them wild naturally – this is more of a spiritual experience. this is not to say i didnt enjoy palmitos park show though as i saw the dolphins there performing and the spiritual and amazing things they did and their powers had me in uncontrollable tears. never has an animal done this to me before just from observing them. What people say about dolphins being healers really has alot of ground – and seeing them close in the wild could be the tipping point. Ive also heard swimming with them is even more powerful but i may not have the courage to do that just yet. thats a later date lol

• 29 Chris // Dec 6, 2011 at 6:32 pm

  infact. it is my birthday on friday 16th december so seeing dolphins would be a special birthday surprise for me.

  love n light

• 30 Chris // Dec 6, 2011 at 6:34 pm

  as for dolphins migrating – im not sure entirely, as apparently in west wales – there are dolphins round there and the weather is colder there most of the summers than all year round in gc, so theres a good chance of dolphins all year round to be fair. if theyre as far as in the uk, and in parts of norway too i believe, then i think theres a good chance they are always in gc. its a case of hit n miss though tbh with boat trips so im willing to give it one more try while im there next week for my birthday week and look to details for the one victoria mentioned about a 2nd free trip

• 31 Chris // Dec 6, 2011 at 6:36 pm

  that dolphin and whale link no longer works either so i dnt know what site to look for. i would be gratefull for details and a page to print off to show to the hotel person. thanks

• 32 Victoria // Dec 7, 2011 at 5:20 am

  Hi Chris, thanks for your comments. Sorry the link isn’t working any more. I just checked it and it looks like that company isn’t selling tickets online any more.

  Honestly, I would go to Puerto Escala in Puerto Rico (that’s the smaller of the 2 harbours) and book the dolphin trip there. It should be 25 euros (might have changed a little) and they do offer a free 2nd trip if they’re unlucky enough to find them the first time.

  I agree with your comments about how it’s nicer to see these lovely animals in their natural habitat rather than watch trained ones in captivation do tricks. They are really beautiful and special and I also felt very moved the first time I saw them leaping out of the sea into the air. It’s magical.

  There is no way at all of guaranteeing a viewing though since they’re in the wild and the sea is big but make sure the boat you book with does offer free trips until you do see them.

  You can see dolphins all year around the Canaries, believe me I worked on the boat, since the water temperature doesn’t change much and their prey remains in the same general area.

  I don’t think you can book this trip online at all now but if you get yourself to the harbour in Puerto Rico you will find the dolphin desk and you can book there.

  As for swimming with them, it’s best to swim with the trained ones. Wild dolphins are wild and a dolphin in a bad mood CAN attack you or try to drag you down to the seabed. They have moods just like us. Swimming with them can be lovely but wild dolphins are not domesticated (that’s like comparing wild cats with house cats).

  But I hope you manage to see them on your birthday. That would be wonderful for you!

  Victoria

• 33 Chris // Dec 8, 2011 at 1:57 pm

  hi victoria, thanks for the reply so puerto escala is the company then? i just need to find the bus that goes to puerto rico from maspalomas now, as i will be near holiday world for the week – well thats the nearest recorgnised stop anyway so if i can find the bus that goes from there i intend to see dolphins.

  I understand what you mean about wild dolphins. in their defense, they have rescued a few people from sharks and also from drowning in wild seas in new zealand going by what i have seen on the news and on the net and information. but there are definately circumstances when to respect their space – ie:especially when the females are looking after their young, they wouldnt want to be disturbed and would protect them (as humans would do with their young). i think also if the dolphins feel threatened by humans for some reason they may be more likely to lash out then too. thing is, i need to learn more about dolphins first, and observe their body language and sounds that means to respect their space and dont want to be approached.

  i dnt know if i would get chance to do so with trained ones as theyre in the parks with people ripping other people off to see the shows, and i dnt trust how theyre treated either

  you say they might try to drag you down to the seabed – hmmmm, is there any hope of escape from dolpins in attack mode? they have warded off a white shark on numerous occasions so i wouldnt fancy being on the wrong side of a dolphin – or even a pack of them come to think of it. I strongly believe that dolphins mean human beings no harm as a rule, but as you say, animals have survival instincts and their are times to approach them and times not to – this is the same with dogs in a sense.

  id feel safer in a boat with dolphins round it though as opposed to sharks round it. isnt it debatable though that using a boat to sail to where dolphins are could well disturb dolphins? i did read an interesting site about dolphins – one about what many parks do to captivated dolphins where they mentioned this about going on a boat to see them. tbh, i dont think it would be timne for me to swim with dolphins as of yet, as i wouldnt feel safe in the waters as it would be too deep and i only got one badge for swimming at school so im not great at it. id need a lifesaving boat/dingy type thing round me first i think. though how many instances are there of dolphins attacking people? i have no idea of that one (i guess not all dolphins are like flipper ). I think i have alot to learn about these wild n wonderful mammals..

  I have heard that swimming with dolphins can heal people and also heal people of disease but again, i dnt know how true this is but if they can heal people mentally then it wouldnt surprise me if they could more t hings to some degree. ive heard they know what parts of the human body is causing humans distress at the time and they have a way of working magical things and they are soo inteligent too and spiritual.

• 34 Chris // Dec 8, 2011 at 1:58 pm

  25euros is ok. i went on the animal encounters trip for 45euros and dont fancy that price again really. bit overboard (no pun intended). though u got free drinks, bus ride to puerto rico and back, and a fish dinner and some fruit so it balanced things out alittle. that could well be the asking price. going for a 2nd trip i would definately prefer though.

• 35 Chris // Dec 8, 2011 at 3:16 pm

  hi victoria, i have found an interesting link about interracting with dolphins on this website. this sounds interesting and it appears dolphins can be as vulnerable as humans in some cases, but its understandable why many dolphins may tend to avoid human beings – particularly on boats.

  http://www.irishdolphins.com/webpilot/list/details.asp?contentid=54&l=10

• 36 Victoria // Dec 8, 2011 at 3:56 pm

  Chris, Puerto Escala is the name of the port (harbour) in Puerto Rico. There are 2 harbours either side of the beach – Puerto Escala and Puerto Base. You need to get the no. 33, 39, 70, 90 or 91 bus from the Maspalomas lighthouse to Puerto Rico, then just walk straight down to the beach.

  You’ll see the harbours on either side. Puerto Escala is the one on your right but you can also try Puerto Base on your left. The dolphin trips are daily at various times through the day.

  The dolphins seem to like the boats because they usually approach (well some of them do, there are bottlenose dolphins which are very friendly, the “Flipper” ones, as well as spotted, striped and other kinds which are less sociable with humans). No one is allowed to feed them but they are very curious. They are also totally used to the vibrations from the boats/sounds of the boats and do not flee. They stay in the vicinity of the boat.

  Wild dolphins can be aggressive (maybe like cat who’s had enough of being stroked and scratches you to signify this) but they can also be lovely. Personally I think they’re beautiful and majestic creatures and very special. Thanks for the link.

• 37 Chris // Dec 8, 2011 at 4:33 pm

  i was reading that you shouldnt feed dolphins as this can interrupt their feeding pattern and that the dolphins can tend to leave their young whilst visiting the boats and leaving the young vulnerable to prey, apparently.

  from that site, it sounds like the dolphins are more likely to keep their distance unless they feel comfortable around you, and they may attack if you persist in harassing them and its more on their terms in initiating contact. keeping up with them isnt an option due to their speed they can travel at . it does sound like they only attack under certain circumstances – mostly being a lack of respect for them which is totally understandable. Im with you on this one. They are loverly beings. and my time on the palmitos show on friday 2nd december afternoon was nervewrecking but fantastic. those dolphins can bring grown men to tears!

  i agree about the cat thing – by scratching as a warning to say “get outta my way!” kinda thing … animals tend to interract with humans on their terms more than anything – though cats do tend to get upset when humans ignore them and theyre meowing like mad! is it just me who notices that?

  funnily enough im not sure where the lighthouse is but i walk down to the beach often from the holiday world back end of the building section. i think 39 might go from holiday world i will need to double check.

• 38 Victoria // Dec 9, 2011 at 2:44 am

  If you’re staying at the Holiday World end of Maspalomas, then there is a bus every 20 minutes or so from the bus stop right outside, which goes to Puerto Rico. It will say Puerto Rico (or Mogan) on the front.

• 39 Chris // Dec 9, 2011 at 2:41 pm

  thanks for the help. i will see what happens when i go gc on sunday and fingers crossed – i just might see some beautiful dolphins . i will report back here if i do especially . these experiences need to be shared on such sites like these and other dolphin and animal lovers in general

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