Tidal Dance 2 - Rough Water Snorkelling In La Palma

Surfs up on Los Cancajos Beach

Some time ago we wrote a little post entitled Tidal Dance in which we extolled the restorative effects a spot of snorkelling can have on the body, particularly if you are suffering the after effects of beer and Greek food (you can see that post here). We also put together a little film with the same name to illustrate our point that immersing ones self in the oceans cool embrace and gliding back and forth with the fish can be a soothing experience. At least nine people have watched that video– or one person has watched it nine times – which is a bit disappointing. So on our recent trip to La Palma we decided to produce another version of that video, one that dispensed with the sedate bobbing about in calm water stuff in favour of something a bit more hardcore. So abstaining from an evening of beer and tapas, we selected a healthy salad washed down with nothing stronger than good old H20 (from a non plastic container) and turned in for an early night. The next morning, as the sun was barely cresting the horizon, we headed off to Los Cancajos beach in search of rough water; shoals of fish and the type of currents that make PADI divers wet themselves. The result was four scraped shins, several bruised arms, a couple of bumped heads, one camera lost in action and a little video we call Tidal Dance 2 – Bream Frenzy.   The water was wild and cold and the visibility was poor, but the goldline bream shoaling among the rocks made it all worthwhile. Oh and by the way, Snorkelling is still a damn good way to get fit. Although we strongly recommend that you stick with the more sedate stuff.