The Marine Connection has concerns with regards to ongoing seismic activities, taking place off the Canary Islands. The activity has apparently terrified the whales and dolphins that live in the waters off south Tenerife, with observers reporting the animals have abandoned their normal habitat.

This area has the largest number of cetaceans in the Canary Islands yet the Spanish government granted permission for a seismic investigation of this sort to be carried out. The whales have moved six miles and the bottlenose dolphins went even further and completely vanished for three days.

The area in question is a designated Area of Community Interest, complaints are now being made to not only the Spanish Government but also Brussels. These whales usually live just two miles off the coast and is such a vital area for these marine mammals as there are vast submarine canyons inhabited by giant squids - a staple food of the cetaceans. Hopefully the research vessel Hespérides won't have done permanent damage and the upset is temporary for these animals.

Image copyright: D Walker