Since its launch in 1994, Freebird Sailing has expanded to become the largest catamaran service in the Canaries. To date, it has carried more than 1.2 million passengers on adventures ranging from family cruises around our coastline to VIP sailing trips and parties in the port.
Freebird also has other strings to its bow. From its headquarters in Tenerife at Puerto Colon, new innovations are always being introduced, such as VIP Teide at Night tours which includes studying the stars with a local astronomer and a gourmet meal. You can also discover Tenerife or La Gomera by open top jeep and further exciting plans for 2008, both on and off the sea, will soon be revealed.
A big business Freebird may well be but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t got a strong ecological conscience. It puts conservation at the very top of its priority list and has won many awards and accreditations.
Every day, you see the magnificent Freebird catamarans skimming across the ocean in their quest to bring the islands’ magnificent marine life closer to holidaymakers and local residents alike.
On a recent trip, I discovered just how wonderful that can be. Out on the 17.5 metre Must Cat which can take up to 70 passengers, pilot whales bobbed up just yards away from our seats and it was so thrilling to see five bottle-nose dolphins seemingly forming a flotilla either side of the bow.
As our expert guide Barry explained, they have no fears. They don’t have to. Whale and dolphin hunting is strictly outlawed in the Canaries and they know the waters of Tenerife are a safe haven. There are 28 species of whales and dolphins that either reside or pass through our Canarian waters and, on a boat trip, it would be very rare and unlucky not to encounter any. The boat before us was extra fortunate to meet up with a group of around 50 dolphins frolicking in the sun and just a couple of years ago, two blue whales were even spotted.
There is so much to learn about whales and dolphins and many myths to dispel. I didn’t realise, for example, that dolphins live together for years in groups or families and Barry and his fellow crew members really are able to recognise many of them individually, even giving them names.
For Barry, this has been life for around 20 years but he sees it not just as a way of earning a living but a chance to spread the message about the threat to whales and dolphins in other parts of the globe.
As if to prove the point, we pass by a tiny boat in which three young women stare studiously out to sea, clipboards in hand. These are marine biologists with the Atlantic Whale Foundation, a British-based charity which has a very strong presence in Tenerife and one which is always looking for volunteers for a variety of roles.
This whale and dolphin conservation project, supported by Freebird, has a research station in Arona where you can book up to become a team member. Volunteers can work as research guides on whale watching boats but can also help with anything from staging art exhibitions to running educational workshops, creating eye-catching posters, producing calendars and even painting the whales and dolphins in their natural habitat.
The marine biologists are currently involved in a number of studies, including what effect unlicensed whale-watching or dolphin boats have on marine life and what and why dolphins are attracted to bow riding.
Licensed companies such as Freebird do have to adhere to a strict code of conduct and it was interesting to see the measures being taken.
Depending on the weather, engines are shut down and the sail raised wherever possible to be more environmentally friendly. All the crockery and cutlery used on the trips is made from recycleable material and the paint used on the catamarans does not contain any toxic substances.
The engines are fitted with silencers to minimise disturbance and surface movement is kept low due to the shape of the catamarans and their fibreglass construction.
Freebird also suppports other conservation projects which are always looking for volunteers even though they are further afield, such as the Omacha Foundation which is working to conserve the Amazon river dolphin and the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society.
Freebird also likes to give its backing to local projects and causes, most recently helping with fundraising for the successful bid by Peter Raab and Tim Wilks to row the Atlantic.
Managing director of Freebird, Steve Beck says that if every one of their customers donated 50 centimos to the causes supported by the company, it would make a huge difference. However, Freebird is doing just that anyway by publicisng and promoting the various conservation projects which you can read about in more depth by visiting:
www.freebirdsailing.com and clicking on to the various links.
Meantime, if you haven’t taken a whale or dolphin trip yet, start planning one now. There are a variety of choices to suit all pockets and durations and discounts are available for residents. It’s an experience you won’t forget.

(Taken from the article at Tenerife News)

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 15th, 2008 at 7:29 pm and is filed under Enviroment, Information, Tenerife, Tourism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.