Wildlife
Much of the wildlife interest of Lanzarote is under the waves, and diving and snorkelling are both very rewarding.
There are numerous colourful fish to be seen metres from the shore and only slightly further out are rays, moray eels, octopus and angel sharks. The latter are not dangerous and look more like rays than typical sharks. For more details see the diving section.
On land the best time for wildlife is spring and early summer when everything is a bit greener and plants are in flower. Birds are more in evidence then too, including our favourite hoopoe, also kestrel, grey shrike and little egret.
For more determined bird watches there are bustards and stone curlew on the plans of Famara, and we have seen spoonbills on the coast near the Jameos del Agua. Sea birds are not so plentiful as around the coast of the UK, but there are gulls and terns and occasional exciting visitors such as storm petrels. There are several coastal sites where wading birds like whimbel, turnstone and greenshank can be seen in number.
There are few wild mammals on the island, though there are rabbits, hedgehogs, house mice etc,that have been introduced. There is also a native Canarian shrew!
There are no snakes on Lanzarote but you will very likely see lizards and geckos. There is a native tree frog found at the slightly damper north end of the island.
And of course there are the tiny blind white crabs that are found nowhere else in the world except for the underground lake at Jameos del Agua!
At first glance the island seems uniformly rather barren, apart from the planted palm trees, but there are a lot of different habitats where beautiful wild flowers can be seen along with strange succulent species. Coming from the UK we love to see the different cultivated plants as well, such as the prickly pear (on which cochineal beetles live), aloes, papaya, bananas, and the splendid show of hibiscus and bourganvillea in many gardens.
I am also fascinated by the local farming techniques like the acres of individual stone shelters built for each vine and the widespread use of black 'picon', volcanic grit which helps the soil retain moisture and keeps down weeds.
