Between the Teno and Rasca points, the Teno-Rasca Marine Strip, covering about 22 kilometres in length, is one of the most unique marine protected areas worldwide, with many animals making it their home. Short-finned pilot whales, the Guanches of the Sea, have here become one of the few resident populations in the world, taking advantage of the unique geological formation of the space between Tenerife and Gomera. The amazing area is also an important migratory route for baleen and sperm whales on their global journey, while sharks, rays and turtles can also be seen in this mesmerising land that tickled Darwin’s imagination so long ago.
Not only is the Teno-Rasca strip an amazing example of the coexistence of species in the wild and home to one of the most unique pilot whale groups in the world; even more so, on the small, dark hump of the pilot whale, large part of the economy, culture and identity of Tenerife is supported. Whale watching here is almost exclusively based on the sightings of pilot whales, with their sightings being almost definitely guaranteed. This incredible rate of success has made it possible for whale watching to become one of the main industries of the island and a major source of income for the local community.

This abundance of animals, as well as the fast incorporation of whale-centred tourism, has awarded the area with a number of awards and honours, the most of which would be the nomination as a Whale Heritage Site by WCA and a Natura2000 site.
What does Whale Heritage account for however? Does the phrase refer to the heritage of whales? The ocean, squid, fish, krill and minerals that the sea always has and always would provide for them? Her heritage is her family and her way of living, passed down to Her by Her mother, and her grandmother before her, for countless generations.

Or is heritage rather a hint to the facts that whales are our heritage? A culturally, politically, ethically and economically significant animal whose presence has so diachronically been influential to us? Or would it even mean that sentient animals are not ours to inherit and to bequeath?
Even more so, how does heritage come into play when the animal, whose species goes next to the word, faces so many different threats today, all of them an inheritance from us?

Whales base their life on sound. Sound is to them what sight is to us; the main medium via which they feel the world, communicate, evaluate, find their prey and their way around the ocean. Not only can sound travel much faster and further, it is also the only means an animal could use when it dives to a 1000m depth. A pilot whale would take a breath on the surface and then dive extremely fast down to 1000m to find a giant squid, using only sound, clicks and echolocation. And then She would reunite with Her family the same way; producing clicks and sounds unique to not only the group but the individual herself; what we would call a tribe tongue and a name.
Because sound is so important to Her and her family and because they have evolved to be extremely sensitive to sound, noise pollution is one of the main negative byproducts of marine traffic. Because the ocean is now such a loud place, it reduces Her ability to use sound to perform essential life functions such as foraging, finding a mate, communicating with one another, and evading risks. We call this acoustic masking, and while most of the time it doesn’t kill or harm Them outright, it could reduce Their chances of survival considerably, over time. Imagine if someone was constantly shining lights in your eyes. It might not kill you, but it would certainly make life more difficult.
The whale and Her family today face numerous threats. She lives in a world constantly attacked by outsiders, and She has to prepare to bring her young into a world that is changing faster than she can adapt.

Jane Goodall among other amazing conservationists often work around the notion of “ being the voice of the voiceless” and “speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves”. Gayatri C. Spivak, in the context of colonisation and imperialism wondered if the subaltern can ever truly speak: in the aftermath of the era of colonisation how hard is it for third world countries to speak up against the massive machine of imperialistic control. Following this work the question was rephrased as “can the subaltern be heard”, to put the emphasis not on the lack of individuals to speak up but rather on the unwillingness of others to listen. I believe this is a perfect analogy for whales and conservation.
Her voice is there, and it is loud. We just need to make sure we listen.
Episode 2 of 3 by Iro Tsarmpopoulou-Fokianou