Maco Yacht

Puerto Colon, the marina on the front between Playa de las Americas and Costa Adeje. It is where the largest share of the island's whale and dolphin boats are based, so it is the easiest departure point to reach from the southern resorts.

Both are sold. The shared departure puts you on a boat with other passengers at a lower price; the private option takes the whole boat for one group. They are separate products rather than an upsell, so the choice is made at booking.

Good, because the pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins in this channel are resident and do not migrate. That is unusual enough that the water between Tenerife and La Gomera was designated a Whale Heritage Site, and it is why operators here sail all year.

The company gives responsible watching its own section and publishes a guide to the local wildlife. Approach distances and time spent alongside the animals are regulated in Canarian waters, so an operator that talks about it is showing the right thing.

Sun cover, something warm for the open water and flat shoes. The Atlantic here is calmer than it looks from the cliffs, but the wind picks up over open sea and there is less shade on deck than most people expect.

Through the operator directly, choosing the shared or private option and the departure. Booking ahead matters most in the winter, which is the island's busiest season rather than its quietest.