CANARY WHISTLER #5

REAL STORIES AND ISLAND LIFE SNEAK PEEKS!

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FEBRUARY 2022 | ISSUE #5

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INSPIRATION

SPECIAL EDITION

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CONTENT THE DREAM - DIGITAL NOMADLIFE - VR EXPERIENCE

03 EDITOR'S NOTE Just snorkelling, or walking knee-deep with a flashlight during the evening.

04 OCEAN LIFE The archipelago has several marine reserves.

One area has even been declared a "hope spot".

14 DIVE SPOTS Around 400 pilot whales live there, together with migratory species like brydés whales, Atlantic spotted dolphins or even false killer whales.

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INSPIRATION!

ANGEL SHARK CONSERVATION 16 PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR Be sure you are up to date and know what to do if it stings you.

INTERVIEW FELIPE RAVINA OLIVARES I have a preference for big animals. Some of the last works Íve done have been with smalltooth sand tiger sharks, manta rays or whale sharks.

21 ISLAND FOODIE PAPAS ARRUGADAS Papas arrugadas, or wrinkled potatoes, is a traditional dish on the Canary Islands. The salted potatoes come with a special spicy sauce.

The almond season is not just a feast for the eyes, but a tasty one. It is a popular resource and almond flour is used in many different desserts and cookies.

05 COVER IMAGE: FELIPE RAVINA OLIVARES GRAN CANARIA HELLO@CANARYWHISTLER.COM

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18 FLOWERING ALMOND TREES

ISSUE #5

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CLICK ON ARTICLES

A MAGAZINE TO WATCH!

EDITOR'S WORDS We love the Ocean! So, to be able to include an interview with Felipe is a true honour. Many of us enjoy these islands, and experience the Ocean during our short swims. But there are so much more to discover. Just snorkelling, or walking knee-deep with a flashlight during the evening.

Enjoy the marine life surrounding the archipelago!

"there are so much more to discover" This is an interactive e-magazine. So feel free to press the video play buttons, podcasts, links and some of the pictures.

LISTEN TO STORIES

Islanders - We Got You Covered!

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WATCH VIDEOS

WALK THE EARTH

OCEAN LIFE

PAGE 25

The archipelago has several marine reserves.

One area has even been declared a "hope spot". The waters between Tenerife and La Gomera is thriving with marine life. "one of the finest examples in the world of a thriving pelagic archipelago system".

THE MARINE LIFE HERE IS

AMAZING. AND THE ISLANDS HAS SOME OF THE BEST DIVE SITES IN EUROPE.

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SHARKS IN THE AREA

"SEVERAL THREATENED OCEANIC SPECIES, SUCH AS THE HAMMERHEAD AND BLUE SHARK, COME TO THE CANARY ISLANDS TO BREED"

Several shark species live around the islands.

Some are here all year, while others only visit for certain seasons.

And read the interview with Felipe, to learn about dive spots, and filming sharks.

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Click on the article to the right, to read more about some of the species. For a full overview, check out the "shark guide" poster on the next page.

https://redpromar.org/app/documents

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"THE CANARY ISLANDS ARE THE LAST KNOWN STRONGHOLD OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SHARKS: THE ANGEL SHARK" The canary islands are the last place where angel sharks can be seen regurarly. Due to its massive decline around the world, a special project was initiated: https://angelsharknetwork.com/canaryisland s/

If you see an angel shark around the islands, you can go to the website and report your sighting.

"The artificial beach of Las Teresitas on Tenerife was identified as a nursery habitat for Angel sharks". Click on the article to the right, to learn more.

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MEET

FELIPE

RAVINA

OLIVARES

OCEAN FOCUS

Can you present yourself

My name is Felipe Ravina Olivares. I was born and raised in Tenerife, an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that belongs to Canary Islands archipelago. Every summer I used to go with my dad to a tide pool area in the south of the island an that´s where my interest in the ocean began.

Do you have a favorite marine organism to film?

I have a preference for big animals. Some of the sand tiger sharks, manta rays or whale sharks. But if I have to choose I would say pilot whales, I feel a

Photo by: Rafael Fernández

special connection when I am around them.

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last works I´ve done have been with smalltooth

INTERVIEW

"SCUBA DIVING IS PERFECT WHEN THE ANIMALS YOU ARE FILMING ARE NOT VERY SHALLOW. " Do you prefer scuba or freediving while filming?

I won 3 awards at CIMASUB with the mantelina documentary, and thanks to the work around it

Depending on the situation. Scuba diving is perfect

butterfly rays got protection in some of the

when the animals you are filming are not very

beaches where they aggregate in Canary Islands.

shallow, as you can stay underwater for more than

This is why I dedicate my llife to the Ocean!

an hour. Freediving is also interesting because it allows you to get closer to animals without scaring them.

Can you share a few easy tips/tricks for a cinematographer beginner?

Spend countless hours filming in the water. That way you will not only get better at filming, but you will also learn a lot about animal behaviour, which is very important when it comes to get the perfect shot.

EXPEDITION | PAGE 2

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INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW

"BEING ALONE FOR 3 HOURS WITH A 4 METER LONG SMALLTOOTH SAND TIGER SHARK IN EL HIERRO" What do you need to think about while filming

Are there some hot spots around the

sharks?

archipelago for sharks?

Respect their space and their behaviour. Don´t

La Graciosa, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran

go after them, let them approach you instead.

Canaria are good for angel shark encounters

The interaction has to be on their terms, that

(although you can see them in every island, but

way it will be positive for the shark and for us.

they are more frequent in those). Smalltooth sand tiger sharks appear in El Hierro every few

Can you share your #1 shark memory.

years. You never know when they will show up, but when they do, the encounters are amazing.

Being alone for 3 hours with a 4 meter long been one of my happiest moments in the ocean during these last years.

"I won the first place in World Shootout 2019 in Dusseldorf with the smalltooth sand tiger shark film".

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EXPEDITION | PAGE 2

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smalltooth sand tiger shark in El Hierro. It has

INTERVIEW

ESPECIES DE CANARIAS Tell us more about "Especies de Canarias".

My project Especies de Canarias was born in 2015, when I was a Marine Sciences student in

"GETTING A SPECIES OR AN ECOSYSTEM PROTECTED IS A THOUSANDS TIME BETTER THAN ANY AWARD, BECAUSE THAT´S THE MAIN REASON I DEDICATE MY LIFE TO THE OCEAN".

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University. I got the

One of the best things you can do protect the

idea after speaking in a TED Talk. The first idea

oceans is eating less fish, and make sure that it is

was to make individual episodes of the species

local and has been fished in a responsible way.

that inhabit the seas in Canary Islands. After a Click on picture below to reach the facebook

Social Media related to marine biodiversity and

group.

ocean conservation in Spain. I used that platform to make conservation films about key species that we have in our islands like spiny butterfly rays, angel sharks, pilot whales and also to make people aware of the problems that the islands face, like overfishing, overpopulation and plastic pollution.

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few years it became the biggest platform in

INTERVIEW

DIVE SPOTS Do you have a favorite dive spot?

Probably the channel between Tenerife and La

It is also home to a resident population of

Gomera. It has been designated as a Hope Spot

beaked whales and in the coast you can find

by Mission Blue, a Whale Heritage Site by World

beaches with dozens of butterfly rays, bull rays

Cetacean Alliance and it is also a Special Area of

and green and loggerhead turtles.

Conservation.

All the filming I have done here is under the Around 400 pilot whales live there, together

Spanish Government Permit, because swimming

with migratory species like bryde´s whales,

with dolphins and whales is forbidden in Spain

Atlantic spotted dolphins or even false killer whales.

"AROUND 400 PILOT WHALES LIVE THERE" Sadly it is located in a busy and touristic coastal area, and that poses a threat to marine biodiversity in form of pollution and boat strikes. It is an amazing place to film wildlife and it also allows me to film the threats they face to try and improve the protection marine biodiversity has in the area.

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OCEAN TIPS

CANARY WHISTLER CLICK ON THE VIDEOS

Snorkel spots on GC You don't need to dive with tubes to experience the marine wildlife. Check out below video, to discover excellent spots for snorkelling around Gran Canaria.

Try this!

Discover the underwater museum in Lanzarote. An amazing experience.

Diving El Cabrón

Encounters with marine wildlife from land. The above video is from La Gomera, where wild rays come regurarly to feed on the leftovers from fishermen.

El Cabrón is a marine reserve, located on the east side of Gran Canaria. An excellent dive spot.

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Ray meeting

HTTPS://WWW.FLORIDAMUSEUM.UFL.EDU/SCIENCE/FIVE-FACTSPORTUGUESE-MAN-OF-WAR/

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Despite their similar appearance, men-ofwar are actually siphonophores, colonial animals made up of individual specialized organisms, known as zooids, that work together as a unit. In the Pacific Ocean, they are called bluebottles and are usually smaller than their Atlantic counterparts.

INSPIRATION

BY EVELYN SOMERS

From time to time, these guys are seen along the beaches here. Be sure you are up to date and know what to do if it stings you. You might have heard something about "peeing on the area affected".

But please, click on the article below to learn the

- DON’T RUB THEM OFF. - DON’T RINSE WITH FRESHWATER OR ALCOHOL. - DON’T PEE ON IT.

proper way to treat a stung by a portuguese-manCLICK ON THE PIC/ARTICLE FOR MORE INFO.

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o-war.

C A N A R Y

W H I S T L E R

The Beauty of Flowers & Trees Prunus dulcis The almond trees on the canary islands blossom during the winter. It is a beautiful sight, and a very popular activity. There are plenty of spots and trails to take you to see the blossoming. You will find them in the mountainous regions.

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INSPIRATION

The almond season is not just a feast for the eyes, but a tasty one. It is a popular resource and almond flour is used in many different desserts and cookies.

The almonds are so popular here, that they even have their own festival. In Tejeda, Gran Canaria, you can enjoy the festival during the beginning

"THE ALMOND BLOSSOMS IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER, WHEN THE REST OF THE TREES ARE JUST SURVIVING..."

Click on below article, to learn more about the almond routes on Tenerife.

of February. Next festival will be in 2023.

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6 ISSUES

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R A E Y R E P What to Know From 2022 we will start with 6 issues/year. This will give us more time to create original content and experiences for our readers.

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TASTE OF SALT

Papas Arrugadas

ISLAND FOODIE Papas arrugadas, or wrinkled potatoes, is a traditional dish on the Canary Islands. The salted potatoes come with a special spicy sauce. The red sauce has different peppers in it, and the green one includes cilantro (mojo rojo, mojo verde).

"The humble potato, one of the jewels of Gran Canaria’s cuisine, has a passionate tale to tell."

Click on the article below to read more.

We have included a couple of different recipes here. But if you are on one of the islands, both the wrinkled potatoes and the sauces are sold every where. From restaurants to the grocery store.

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WRINKLED POTATOES

MOJO ROJO Click on the below picture, to reach a recipe for "mojo rojo".

PAPAS ARRUGADAS RECIPES & TIPS

Good Luck!

GLOBAL FOOD ,Such as public transport, automobiles, trains. Today, travel may or may not be much easier depending upon the destination you choose.

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E-MAGAZINE FOR ISLAND PEOPLE Any screen you have - we bring the island stories to you! All issues are filled with videos, that you can watch directly by clicking on them. You can also listen to different podcasts, click on articles, and read interviews. We focus on inspirational content. Stories that may change you. We want to make every click worth your time.

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