The main problems being saturation of space, erosion of beaches, over exploitation of water resources, loss of ecosystems, water contamination, noise and deterioration of landscapes. The worst hit areas are the Canaries and the Mediterranean coast. Unless a halt is called to the building expansion Tenerife will soon disappear under concrete. Tenerife is on a whale migration route and whale watching trips take place from the south of the island. A third of all species of whales and dolphins live in or pass through the waters of the Canary Islands.
Whales are an endangered species.
High speed ferries are killing whales and dolphins and the sheer mass of whale watching boats is disturbing resting whales and dolphins and harassing them to death. Tourists should avoid both the high speed ferries and the whale watching trips. Tour operators should comply with their own codes of conduct and not organise these trips or in any way promote them. Typical of the English papers is the fortnightly Tenerife News . The government, in what is little more than a crude attack on free speech, has been clamping down on the English press and radio stations.