Established in 1989 as a non-profit conservation and development non-governmental organisation (NGO), Frontier is dedicated to safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem integrity and building sustainable livelihoods for marginalised communities in the world's poorest countries.
Below is one of many blog posts in which was written for Frontier Gap during my time as their Field Communications Officer.
It was a Monday morning, bright as day, warm sunshine and crystal clear blue waters. What is so special about this day? The very fact that myself, a boat full of tourists, the crew and a fellow Frontier volunteer saw some species of cetaceans that are incredibly rare in the Canary Islands, specifically in Los Cristianos in South Tenerife. We saw Sei Whales! AND Common Dolphins. The first thought was non-existent, as my mind was being completely blown away, especially in how close they came towards the boat, it was incredible. Common dolphins are very similar to bottlenose dolphins, which is the type of species that are the regulars and the kind of dolphins we survey and track behavioural stats and migration stats for. Which means they also love to swim close to the boats (lucky for us!) and can grow to 2.5m. You can tell the difference below their dorsal fin, wherein their black-grey colour turns to a creamy white on their belly with a grey tail. Now the Sei Whales didn’t come as close, but they were close enough to make out the size, species and to see that it was a mother and a baby riding the waves together. They come around 19.5m. This means they are the second-largest type of whale in the world. The “winged whales” travel all around the world, staying in the warmer parts of the ocean, which explains why they came to the Canaries. This species of whale, however, is one of the most endangered, and becoming incredibly rare, which is why everyone on the boat, the Frontier Tenerife team and myself when I found this out, were completely amazed and shocked we saw them.
It is moments like these, when you realise how you can help stop the whales and dolphins from becoming extinct, raising awareness and most of all, appreciate how lucky you are, especially from a Frontier Volunteer point of view. It re-installs the notion of exactly why you are here.
If you wish to see this and more, follow our socials to keep updated. Or even better, come and join us! Even if it is a week or even 6 months!
Instagram: @frontiertenerife Facebook Page: Frontier Tenerife Twitter: @frontiertrw
By Hannah Samantha - Field Communications Officer and Volunteer, Tenerife Whale & Dolphin Conservation Project
Instagram: @hannahsamanthaofficial
Frontier runs conservation, development, teaching and adventure travel projects in over 50 countries worldwide - so join us and explore the world!
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