The Canary Islands are situated in the path of the Gulf Stream and it is this and the Canary Current which flows South/South west which creates a great deal of biodiversity throughout the waters that surround the islands. Home to a vast array of fish and other sea creatures, the currents are also a valuable source of food which attracts many larger animals such as sharks, rays, turtles, whales and dolphins.

As many as 26 different species of whale and dolphin have been spotted in Canarian waters amongst them the Atlantic spotted, striped and common dolphins and fin, sei, dwarf sperm, pygmy sperm and cuvier's beaked whale. Killer whales have also been sighted. By far the most common however are the bottle nosed dolphins and short fin pilot whales which frequent the stretch of water between southern Tenerife and La Gomera. The water is deep here - up to 2,500 metres deep in places - and it is warm and sheltered, creating ideal conditions for large squid, the pilot whales' favourite food.

I joined a group of holidaymakers aboard the Royal Delfin, who were staying in the Melia Bahia del Duque Hotel in Tenerife one of three boats operated by Nostramo - a well established company in Tenerife. The trip includes lunch and an enthusiastic crew are on hand at all times; the commentary on our trip was given in five languages so there is no barrier on board these boats when it comes to understanding the information imparted. We headed out of Puerto Colon in Playa de las Americas and headed for the incredible cliffs of Los Gigantes and the Bay of Masca, hundreds of eyes peeled in search of dolphins. We slowed to a halt near the cliff face and not long after we arrived we spotted a couple of fins slowly exiting and entering the water in perfect symmetry. We watched them whilst our expert captain manoeuvred the boat to get a better view but sadly the dolphins decided it was time to leave and we saw them no more.

After some lunch in the shadow of the awe inspiring "la Galera"; Europe's highest cliff, and a dip in the clear waters lapping the beautiful Barranco de Masca , we headed back, this time heading south into deeper water to find whales. We were in for a treat as several were spotted - first off the port side, then the starboard. Like the dolphins, their synchronised swimming was perfect as they slowly rose and fell out of sight into the blue once more. The Royal Delfin also boasts a glass bottom so if you're lucky you may even see these beautiful animals under the water as well as above.

Pilot whales are amongst the largest of the dolphin family and are close cousins of the most ferocious hunter of the big blue - the killer whale. Their round, bulbous foreheads make them easily identifiable and like dolphins their dorsal fins are unique to each animal making identification easy. Over three summers the Proyecto Ambiental of Tenerife made a photo study of the pilot whales' fins in the waters off Tenerife and identified over 300 different individuals. These whales have no need to migrate due to the rich waters they have made their home and these pods are one of the only 'resident' populations in the world.

Pilot whales grow to between 3.6 and 6.5 metres long and can weigh up to 4 tonnes. In each pod there are normally from 10 to 30 individuals and like dolphins the pods are matriarchal. Pilot whales' brains are huge and they contain some of the most sophisticated echolocation equipment in existence - why then do these whales tend to beach themselves? Surely they can detect the coastline? One theory is that the effect of magnetic storms can upset their superb navigational system and cause them to become confused and disoriented hence ending up on beaches.

It is the dolphins however who continue to capture the hearts of humans, with their constant smiles and antics in the water. Dolphins are highly sophisticated and intelligent animals - in fact their cortex (the part of the brain in charge of social intelligence) is larger that that of any other mammal, including humans. The females are the centre of dolphin society and the bond between mother and calf is strong; even though male calves will leave their mother's pod to avoid interbreeding, calves and their mothers stay in contact for life - around forty years for females and 30 - 35 years for males.

Pods of dolphins vary in size enormously. Some can be as small as just two or three individuals, others up to 100. It has been known for several pods to join forces to create groups of over 1000 animals. South of Tenerife around 100 dolphins live permanently although in different pods. New calves are always a great thing to see, I was told on the boat, as this means that the dolphins are happy and are mating, something it has been proved does not happen when they are unhappy with their environment. In fact, studies have shown that in captivity, if left alone, dolphins simply shut down and die, they do not survive alone as they are such sociable animals. Dolphins just love to play and it is perhaps this that has made them such a firm favourite of the animal kingdom. There is nothing quite as exhilarating as watching dolphins race through the water riding the bow wave of a boat or seeing them leap in unison from the water.

Dolphins have been friends of man for millennia and a thousand tales have been told about how dolphins have guided boats away from dangerous reefs and rocks, of how dolphins have led fishermen to shoals of fish, or even how dolphins have saved the lives of shipwrecked sailors. Today, at centres around the world, dolphins are used in the treatment of mentally handicapped, autistic or depressed humans and the results have been astounding. I spent a morning at the Tenerife Aqua Park Dolphinarium with head trainer Jose Ruiz Barbero who has worked with dolphins for 26 years. Jose has attended many courses and has studied the effect of "dolphin treatment" at the dolphinarium, where a program is run daily.

When I arrived, Jose and his staff were running their morning checks - every day the dolphins (that live here) at the park are checked to ensure they are medically fit and are run through their paces before they wow the crowds who will come to see them perform later in the day. At this early hour, all is quiet and I wandered around one of the pools admiring two beautiful dolphins. As I got close they came and jumped onto the shallow ledge surrounding the deeper water and smiled up at me; I of course grinned back and they then splashed back into the water. The dolphins were also communicating with clicks and other indescribable sounds - the noise dolphins make is actually made by passing air through various passageways in their heads and these low frequency sounds can be heard for hundreds of miles. Research has shown that a dolphin's speech centre in the brain is highly developed and communication between individuals both within a pod and between pods is extremely advanced. Under the pool, an underground viewing window gave me a close look at the dolphins and again they swam to greet me through the glass. Being a dolphin nut, I was in heaven, it was simply magical.

I met Natalia, aged 8, who has been swimming with the dolphins here for two years. Natalia suffers from a heart condition and after a serious operation when she was only 6 months old and numerous hospital visits, was extremely traumatised. The emotional block caused by the trauma left Natalia mute until she was four and even when she did begin to speak it was only a few words and she was an extremely shy and withdrawn child. Two years ago, her therapist suggested that her parents take her to visit José and his charges at the aqua park. Natalia's mother explained what happened: "It was incredible" she began, "the results were almost instantaneous, Natalia immediately started to speak more and her confidence grew tremendously". I asked if the effects were short lived, much like the euphoria of an event that fades as time passes, "No, with every day that passed Natalia became better and better, it was truly amazing, especially after we had tried so many conventional therapies."

I saw the results first hand when little Natalia got in the water with the two dolphins. José guided her hand over the soft skin of the animals and asked her to get the fish treats for them. By 'conducting' with her hands, the dolphins started to 'sing' - and with that, Natalia's face broke into a broad smile. I thought that smile couldn't get any bigger but I was wrong - when José instructed one of the dolphins to tow Natalia around the pool, the grin turned to a laugh of delight. It was an honour to witness something so special.
Research into the effect that dolphins have on people is still far from complete, similar stories to Natalia's can be found the world over. Patients suffering from severe depression who have had to take drugs for years report that after swimming with dolphins their dependency on drugs became a thing of the past. Autistic children also respond incredibly well to the treatment. It seems that we are only touching the tip of the proverbial fin of learning about dolphins, how they live in the wild together and their relationship with humans and the incredible effect they have on all of us.

In Tenerife, several organisations have been set up to conduct research into the wild pods as well as protecting them from the eagerness of man to 'get a close look'. It is important that as responsible human beings we do everything we can to ensure their health and safety as one day they may be protecting ours!

More Information about : Tenerife - Fuerteventura - Lanzarote - Gran Canaria