Orca whales flock to Lanzarote

Nature really spoils the visitor in Lanzarote, if it’s not the spectacular volcanic landscape capturing the attention, then it’s the Atlantic that laps around the island. One third of all cetacean (whales and dolphins) species in the world either live in or pass through the Canary Islands and last week there was a special treat.

The Orca whale, often given the misleading name of killer whale, is a rare visitor to our waters but the SECAC monitoring service spotted a pod of 14 orcas between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. This magnificent creature is typically 10 metres long, 10,000 kgms in weight and has a distinctive 2 metre dorsal fin. They can live to be 90 years old and the likely reason for their visit to Lanzarote was to snack on some shoals of red tuna.

We can’t promise you will always see such a rare sight on a sea trip but there are many dolphins, whales and other sea life out there for you to see at a close but discreet distance. Costa Teguise is well placed for boat excursions and the reception at Sands Beach Resort Hotel can give you details of all the boat trips available to you. Yet another reason to visit this stunning and revealing island.

Lanzarote has the bottle to tackle waste

With such rare beauty, Lanzarote is a magnet for holiday makers from all over the world. The island government has taken great care to safe guard the natural wonders and they are always looking at new ways to encourage environmental awareness and conservation

Results have just been released from a november trial run to capture and recycle the thousands of bottles and other glass that is used across Lanzarote. Some 625 collection points were set up across the island for the public and business’s to deposit their used glass, and the response underlined the need for this service. in total 2,700,000 kilos of glass was collected, top of the areas was Tias with 79,040 kilos, Yaiza weighed in with 67,060 and Teguise came third with 66,800.

This trial is to be extended during 2009 to improve the quality of the Lanzarote environment. Sands Beach Resort Hotel are ahead of the game in this area, they practice recycling on a large scale and use every possible method to ensure they do not waste any valuable resources. It’s good to know that as well as having a great beachfront family holiday, you can also be assured that you are not having a harmful effect on Lanzarote. 

Rare whales filmed off Lanzarote

Nature certainly dishes up a feast of wonders in and around the Canary Islands, particularly in the case of whales and dolphins. One third of all the species in the World either live in or pass through the Canary Islands, but even allowing for that fact, some sightings are enough to get the whole World talking.

Gervais’ beaked whales are very rare as they normally prefer the deep waters of the North Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico, but they are equally at home in the deep waters between our islands. Normally shy, they have just been filmed for the first time in their natural habitat, some 18 miles off Puerto Calero. The yacht Ibero came across 3 males whilst on a survey and protection voyage for the La Caixa banks social works programme.

Gervais’ beaked whales measure between 4.5 metres long for the male and 5.2 metres for the female and they can be recognised by their dark grey tops and light grey undersides. The small head sometimes has a white tip and the mouth contains two small front teeth.

We can’t promise you will see such rare sights when visiting Sands Beach Resort Hotel, but the beachfront setting in Costa Teguise has great views of the Atlantic and reception will be glad to show you a choice of boat excursions you may want to enjoy to see some of the more common whales and dolphins.

Costa Teguise pitches in for coastal clean up

Visitors to Costa Teguise are always impressed at the close knit feel of the community, that’s why Sands Beach Resort hotel is so popular for family holidays. There is a strong sense of pride locally and they are very aware of the need to protect their beachfront and ensure it looks at its best.

There was a stampede of volunteers when a beachfront clean up day was organised for June 7th, and now it involves the local council, Clean Ocean Project, the local leisure business association and several of the local diving schools. The ambitious project will see the volunteers sweep their way through Famara and Costa Teguise, removing any rubbish, no matter what size, from the beaches of Las Cucharas, Los Charcos, Playa Jablillo and Playa Bastian.

The sea will get plenty of attention to from the diving schools, Aquatis Diving Centre, Calipso Diving and Native Diving, between them will provide 108 divers to scour the sea bed near the shore. Calipso Diving are no strangers to guests of Sands Beach Resort hotel, as they hold free trial scuba diving sessions at the Mai Tai pool every Saturday at 3.30 pm.

All the beachfront cleaners on June 7th are volunteers, and they will look very striking in their commemorative blue t shirts which feature a turtle, just one of the wildlife species they are hoping to protect. Everyone is welcome to join in, they are a friendly bunch and it’s a great way to learn more about the environment of Costa Teguise.

Lanzarote, an island in bloom

Palm trees offering cool shade around the pools and plazas of Sands Beach Resort hotel, can easily be taken for granted, just like the other varied species of plants and flowers that give Lanzarote such a colourful landscape. Once you and your family start to explore, you will soon discover a garden of natures wonders, blooming in front of you.

Many people assume that only palms and cactus plants can grow in the dark volcanic soil of Lanzarote but the mineral rich lava deposits help to nurture all sorts of growth. Starting with those 2 most obvious species, we have the palm tree, in it’s traditional form and also the Washington palm with larger spanned leaves. The best place to find a large collection of both types of palm is Haria, in the north, it’s called the Valley of the 1,000 palms. Cactus also come in 2 main varieties, the upright prickly pear and the squat round mother in laws seat, to use it’s common nickname. Both played an important part in the economic history of the Canary Islands, as they were home to the Cocheneal beetle that produced a clothing dye that was the islands main export before bananas.

For prettier flowers, nothing catches the eye like Bouganvillea, the climbing purple flowering plant that clings to walls and buildings. How about the Yucca, distinct with it’s white flower produced from it’s spikey leaves, or the Poinsettia, with it’s bright red flower, used to adorn roundabouts and roadsides, always a particular favourite at christmas.

These are just the tip of a wealth of plants and shrubs that you can find all over Lanzarote. Admire and enjoy them but please don’t pick them, take a nice picture, and savour the beauty at your leisure.

Lanzarote leads the way in wind power

You can’t fail to notice on the way from Arrecife airport to Sands Beach Resort hotel in Costa Tequise, old windmills, new turbines and artistic wind sculptures on the horizon. These are just signs of the respect that the island people show to their environment, and it is an attitude happily shared by Sands Beach Resort as they look after their holiday guests and the wider world.

Remains of the flour grinding windmills can be seen across the island as well as working examples of windpumps, most notably in the salt pans of Janubio, down near Playa Blanca and the El Charco salt pans between Arrecife and Costa Tequise, El Charco is also the site of one of the first desalination plants in the world.

Clean, modern power

In recent years, power producing wind turbines have appeared in 2 sites in Lanzarote. Monte Mina, in San Bartolome, a short breeze from Costa Tequise, has 5 vesta style wind turbines, but the main site is in the north at the Parque Eolico (wind park) in Los Valles, Haria, near the valley of the 1,000 palm trees. This park has 48 varied types of turbine and makes a strong input into the island power supply.

Lanzarote is a very forward looking island and Sands Beach Resort is proud to play it’s part, it holds a Biosphere Hotel certificate, presented by the Institute of Responsible Tourism. That’s a comforting thought as you relax on your sunbed.

Sands Beach Resort, your Biosphere Hotel

Lanzarote is not just family friendly, it’s eco friendly. From the moment you arrive at Arrecife airport, you will be aware of this, from the colour coded recycling bins for different waste outside the terminal, to the low rise buildings and uniform white colour scheme on the island houses. Sands Beach Resort is proud to be making it’s own contributions to protecting the environment.

Sands Beach Resort has been awarded a certificate from the Institute of Responsible Tourism, declaring it a Biosphere Hotel, in recognition of it’s policies. These include the use of low consumption lighting, watering gardens around the resort with recycled water, and the use of sensitive cleaning products that limit harm to the environment.

You may not be aware, but the desalination plant in Arrecife was one of the first in the world to recycle sea water. You may also spot wind turbines scattered across the island, making the most of the Alisio wind that wafts across the islands high points.

In your villa you will find lots of handy hints to make sure that the environment does not suffer, through thoughtful use of lighting, water and towels. When you look around the resort, and out to the beachfront, you will appreciate what a special island Lanzarote is, it’s good to know that whilst you and your family are having a great holiday, you are taking care to make sure the island and the wider world environment retain their beauty for future generations.