The Sphinx of Tabaibas (Hyles euphorbiae tithymali) belongs to the nocturnal lepidoptera (moth) endemic to the Canary Islands. It represents one of the 1,200 families that make up the order of the Sphingidae, and within the wildlife of Fuerteventura, despite not being one of its most extended inhabitants, its showy colourful body draws attention.

The name Sphinx of Tabaibas comes because their caterpillar lives precisely on these plants, both sweet Tabaiba (Euphorbia regis-jubae), and bitter Tabaiba (Euphorbia obtusifolia), which also serve as food for this herbivorous species that certainly prefers the tender tips and flowers, which they can devour in a few seconds.

Tabaibas venom is completely harmless to the caterpillar; on the contrary, it serves as biological ally, and it accumulates this venom in its body and keeps it even when the caterpillar becomes a moth, creating an unpleasant bitter taste in its predators, which will not try it in their life their again. Besides, they are able to regurgitate this poison, fluorescent green, when they feel attacked.

As a defence against its predators, mostly birds, it also has some spectacular electric colours throughout its entire body, with green, yellow and blue stripes, some black patterns shaped as eyes and a red spot on its head (the red, yellow and black are usually warning colours in nature). These colours that serve as defence, also turn it into one of the most showy species in the island, providing it an exotic attraction.

They are most commonly found from June to September, and a place where it’s most awesome to find it is in the Natural Park of the Dunes in Corralejo, where it leaves small marks on the golden sand, when moving between Tabaibas (simulating traces of tiny bikes ).

The adults of this species of fauna in Fuerteventura have nocturnal and crepuscular habits, hence it’s not easily to meet them, but sometimes they can be seen in daylight, especially those younger individuals.

They may be found in spring, making up showy groups on the leaves of the plants that will host them.

FuerteCharter | Fuerteventura: Sphinx of Tabaibas — © Aday P.

The size of the adult caterpillar can reach up to 15cm and, when it has run its course, it goes down from the Tabaibas and buries itself in the sand to start the chrysalis stage and become a pupa, which in turn will become a moth, not as beautiful and showy as the caterpillar, but large, with a wingspan of between 5’4 and 7 cms, which tuns it into one of the species of moths which best fly. Their wings move so fast that its fluttering produces a whistle like the one produced by the drone.

The colour ceases to be attractive to become a dark brown with some white patterns, although there are some species whose moth is black.

It features the longest proboscis of all moths; It is the organ that serves it as a drinking straw to suck nectar from tubular flowers. When it is not used, it’s rolled up under its head.

At the end of its life, the female moth lays about 8-10 greenish eggs, each of them becoming a showy caterpillar later on, thus starting the cycle of the species again.

If you happen to find any of these caterpillars on your way, don’t be afraid of them, but don’t bother them either if you do not want them to spit on you the Tabaibas’ venom. Just watch the wonder of nature, which is able to create such wonderful specimens.

FuerteCharter Team

History

Betancuria, the ancient capital of Fuerteventura

Sunday January 4th, 2015 Fuertecharter Team

In our eagerness to make the wonders of this paradise, Fuerteventura, known we can not ignore the oldest town in this island, and although our main passions are the sea and the boat trips around here, we recommend a visit to this town in the central area of the island: Betancuria. Let’s get closer to the history of this island and specifically to this town, going back to the years of the conquest.

In 1402 Fuerteventura was invaded by the French nobleman Jean de Bethencourt (Norman from origin, he got in touch with the Castilian crown through a relative and he got the right to conquer the islands). However it wasn’t until two years later that Fuerteventura was finally conquered.

In 1404 colonization starts properly; with this purpose a capital was founded by the military man Gadifer de la Salle —who accompanied Jean de Bethencourt in the conquest— and by Bethencourt himself, whose figure would be honoured when the capital was named after him: Betancuria, placed in one of the most fertile areas inland —a green valley, sheltered from the winds— less vulnerable and more sheltered from the frequent pirate attacks the island’s coasts used to suffer.

This place had been one of the first settlements in this island, when their inhabitants were the Guanches.

From its foundation it became a capital and the governing centre of this island, and all the administrative and governing organisms of this island were historically settled there.

Betancuria kept its political and administrative importance for centuries, resisting several attempts of Berber invasions that devastated the capital in the middle of the XVI C. However, at the beginning of the XIX C its economical power was decreasing in favour of other populations that were quickly growing, such was the case of La Oliva and Pájara, until it became one of the less populated urban areas in Fuerteventura.

At the beginning of the XVIII C the military government moves to La Oliva, which meant the beginning of the end of the political monopoly that Betancuria enjoyed. But it wasn’t until the XIX C that economical, social, administrative, religious and political changes —due to the fall of the Old Regime and the economic boom of the eastern side of the island— weaken Betancuria’s power in favour of other urban centres like Pájara, La Oliva, Antigua or Puerto de Cabras (Puerto del Rosario nowadays).

Betancuria stopped being the only parish in the island (XVIII C) when those of Nuestra Señora de Regla (Pájara) and Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria (La Oliva) were created.

In 1834 the municipality of Puerto de Cabras is set up, independent from Tetir, and little by little the different institutions of the administration and the government get settled there, thus becoming the capital in 1860.

Nowadays Betancuria, with less than 700 inhabitants, is a touristic attraction because of its beauty, as it keeps being one of the most beautiful villages in this island, whose historical power is still reflected in some of its buildings.

Church-Cathedral of Santa María

It’s one of the main buildings in this historical capital that started to be built during the first years of the founding of Betancuria to cover the spiritual needs of the islanders. (The 10% of the agricultural production was given to the church, and the 20%, to the island’s governor). This Norman-gothic style Church-Cathedral suffered some Berber attacks and had to be rebuilt in the XVII C., though it still keeps some remains of the first church, like the belfry and some columns and, also worth mentioning, its baptistery, choir, and a Mudejar coffered ceiling.

The Hermitage of San Diego

Another characteristic feature of Betancuria is its hermitage, similar —regarding the stone and the whitewashing— to the cathedral. Beside it we find the remains of the Franciscan convent that together with the hermitage were originally a part of the first Franciscan convent founded in the Canary Islands.

 We recommend a visit to the ancient capital of the island: in its streets, besides breathing the spirit of the conquest and the history of Fuerteventura, you will find local crafts, restaurants with typical majorero dishes … and enjoy one of the areas with the most vegetation in this desert paradise; as mentioned in the first paragraph, before knowing the inland area, we highly recommend this boat trip from Corralejo, in which we are true professionals, where we’ll show you the experience of enjoying the sea and one of the wonders and most beautiful natural monuments of this Canarian archipelago, Lobos Islet. We’ll be waiting for you…

FAUNA AND FLORA, Fuerteventura

Tarabilla canaria (Saxicola dacotiae): especie endémica de Fuerteventura

Tuesday December 23rd, 2014 Fuertecharter Team

Sin duda en nuestra isla de Fuerteventura contamos con una extensa fauna de aves, pero una de estas especies además es endémica de esta isla de las Canarias: la Tarabilla.

Este singular pájaro de la avifauna majorera tiene además la característica de ser la única especia que, siendo exclusiva de las Islas Canarias, solo habita en una de las islas, por este motivo, los majoreros deben sentirse orgullosos y tener un especial cuidado en la conservación de la misma. Hasta principios del siglo XX la Tarabilla habitaba también en los islotes de Alegranza y Montaña Clara, al norte de Lanzarote, Saxicola dacotiae murielae, pero en la actualidad solo se encuentra en Fuerteventura, Saxicola dacotiae dacotiae. El resto de aves endémicas de Canarias, como las dos palomas de laurisilva, el mosquitero canario y el pinzón azul, se distribuyen al menos en dos islas del territorio.

La Tarabilla canaria es un ave paseriforme de la familia Muscicapidae, que habita en terrenos secos y pedregosos. Posiblemente procede de la especie de Tarabilla común, evolucionada por su aislamiento en la isla, a la que llegaró hace unos dos millones de años, en el Pleistoceno.

Es un ave de tamaño pequeño, cuyo cuerpo recuerda al de un petirrojo pero más estilizado. Tiene unos colores contrastados, pardos, con la cabeza negruzca y la espalda y alas con listas blancas. Tiene una lista circular blanca, que le llega hasta detrás de los ojos. Los laterales del cuello también son blancos (en el caso del macho), al igual que el vientre. El pecho es anaranjado. La hembra presenta colores más apagados y la cabeza marrón con estrías.

Respecto al hábitat, es una especie muy fiel a su territorio, permaneciendo toda la vida en el mismo lugar, a no ser que ocurran acontecimientos de excepción, como por ejemplo el divorcio de su pareja, que suele darse en casos muy aislados, ya que también suele ser una especie muy fiel a su cónyuge.

Se encuentra en terrenos rocosos y en barrancos con vegetación, como pequeños palmerales y zonas con aulagas, aunque en ocasiones puede frecuentar espacios más abiertos y áridos, como el malpaís.

Para conseguir su alimento y el de sus polluelos, suelen colocarse en posaderos en lo alto de arbustos, desde donde tienen una vista privilegiada para lanzarse sobre pequeños invertebrados, y sobre estos posaderos constituyen verdaderos modelos para los aficionados al mundo de la fotografía de aves.

Suelen realizar dos puestas al año, con 4-5 huevos cada vez, que incuban durante 13 días.

Esta especie está catalogada en peligro de extinción y actualmente se cuenta con unos 1300–1700 ejemplares adultos, que van en disminución. Las principales causas de este peligro de extinción es el fuerte desarrollo turístico que ha sufrido su hábitat en las últimas décadas, debido a la construcción masiva de viviendas, hoteles, campos de golf… que han fragmentado y reducido su territorio. Por otro lado le afecta también el excesivo pastoreo de ganado caprino descontrolado y la introducción de especies como los gatos salvajes y las ratas negras, que depredan a sus polluelos.

Desde 1999 existe un plan de conservación para esta especie y, debido a su alta tasa de reproducción, es posible que se franquee la dificultad de su supervivencia si se tiene un poco de cuidado con su entorno.

El Equipo de FuerteCharter

FAUNA AND FLORA

“ MAJORERO” wall gecko, outstanding resident of Lobos Islet and Fuerteventura

Friday December 19th, 2014 Fuertecharter Team

We keep discovering Fuerteventura’s wildlife and Lobos Islet and although it seems that everything is about marine species and birds, we cannot forget an exceptional inhabitant of this paradise, a true symbol for these islands, The “Majorero” wall gecko (Tarentola angustimentalis). Perhaps those of you who do not inhabit these idyllic lands have not seen one yet, but for sure they known it though countless souvenirs that can be found in the island’s shops. It is a very abundant and well known animal, in fact the residents in the North of Fuerteventura usually feel proud to have one of these companions on the walls of our homes. In our boat trips from Corralejo, when we take our travellers to know the wonderful Lobos Islet in our Water Taxi, you will have the chance to to watch them: you just have to pay a little attention to the rocks in the sandy areas, where they are usually sunbathing in the mornings.

perenquen-majorero-©sargantanesidragons.blogspot.com — ©sargantanesidragons.blogspot.com

Let’s learn a little more about this species, endemic to Fuerteventura and Lobos Islet. The “Majorero” wall gecko, or common gecko, is a reptile lizard from the geckos family, which is named after the roughness, flaking or bumps on the dorsal areas of its body. 6 species inhabit The Canary Islands, 4 of which are endemic: Tarentola delalandii (Common “Majorero” wall gecko), Tarentola gomerensis, Tarentola Boettgeri (with two subspecies, one of them endemic to El Hierro) and Tarentola angustimentalis, in addition to the foreign Tarentola mauritanica (common gecko) and the Hemidactylus turcius (Pink gecko).

The “Majorero” wall gecko (Tarentola angustimentalis ) is a species found in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Lobos, La Graciosa, Montaña Clara, Alegranza, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste. For a time it was called Tarentola mauritanica angustimentalis as a subspecies of the Tarentola mauritanica, but now it’s considered a different species in itself, Tarentola Angustimentalis.

They can live on the coast and on the summits, being more abundant in thermophilic and tabaibal-cardonal, sandy and old “malpaís” areas, as well as on human constructions; it usually lives under rocks or rocky places. As far as its social behaviour is concerned, they are nocturnal, although they love sunbathing in the mornings; it is known that acoustic communication plays an important role for them.

They feed on insects, arthropods are their favourite, but as a curiosity, they sometimes eat their own molt. They are, at first sight, very funny; males are an average of 7.5 cm and females, 6.5 cm. Their body is robust and crushed. As most geckos, their skin is covered with bumps, except in the centre of their back, where they have a protruding bone. Their colour is light grey with a clear longitudinal line and five transversal dark bands. Their eyes, as you can see in the photos, are very prominent, golden or brown colour. It’s their eyes and hands, crushed but sturdy, which make them so funny.

Not much is known about their breeding habits: they lay about 1-2 eggs and apparently they have two clutches per year. The sex of the embryo depends on the incubation temperature: under 27º and 30 º they will be female, while under 26.5 ° C and 22,4ºC they will be male.

And though they are tiny they have a life expectancy of about 17 years.

This insect predator is endemic to the eastern Canary Islands and, usually, an abundant species, not threatened by human impact; until now no factors that may affect them severely have been detected, so we will have “majorero” geckos for a long time.

Let’s say that in our trips to Lobos Islet from Corralejo, on our Catamaran, this will not be the animal you will see most if you don’t pay attention, but we could not help giving it the prominence it deserves as it is a symbol which has become a souvenir for those who choose this paradise as a holiday destination. Still we hope that when you come to Lobos Islet you won’t forget that this is their home and, like us, they love to enjoy the sunshine on the beautiful sunny mornings which cheer up this area of “La Macaronesia”.

FuerteCharter Team

FAUNA AND FLORA, Fuerteventura

Marine Fauna of Fuerteventura: The Porbeable or Mako shark

Tuesday December 9th, 2014 Fuertecharter Team

Among the inhabitants of the coast of Fuerteventura we have a species of exceptional shark: the mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), known in the islands as “Janequin”. It belongs to the same family as the white shark, but it’s smaller and it tends to live further away from coastal waters.

It is a migratory fish that can be found in our waters in spring and summer when the water is warmer.
This cartilaginous fish has a sturdy, solid and fusiform body, which provides its perfect hydrodynamics, allowing it to swim at high speeds that can exceed 90km / h. This is also due to the fact that it’s a warm-blooded species, keeping the same body temperature, regardless of the external one, which allows it to make sharp outbursts and big jumps, up to 3 ms high, since its muscle power triples and so does its ability to react. For this reason they are chased by sport fishermen, since they are very combative and powerful rivals.
It is an avid hunter that prefers the evening hours for its activity. It feeds on fish such as sardines, herring, mackerel, bonito, skipjacks … and other larger ones like tuna, swordfish, and even marlin and sailfish. It also eats squid, other sharks, sea turtles, dolphins and even small cetaceans. As a curiosity confirming its greed, it has even been found a 300 kg mako shark carrying a 55kg swordfish inside. Its only predator is the white shark, which fortunately does not frequent our waters, being too cold for it.
It is considered a dangerous species, although in The Canary Islands there are record of just a few attacks on people, and it usually inhabits the pelagic realm, although it sometimes approaches the coast in search of food. Still, we recommend extreme caution in case of meeting one, especially regarding spear fishing.
The Mako shark has two dorsal fins, one large fin and one smaller one, and 5 gill slits on each side of the large u-shaped mouth; it has a pointed snout and sharp teeth. Its eyes are black, round and medium size.
He has a dark blue back, almost greyish, and white belly, and at the tip of the tail there is a crescent-shaped caudal fin, its upper lobe being slightly larger than the lower one, key for its perfect hydrodynamics.
They can be up to 400cm long (the female being larger than the male) and weigh up to 750kg; the size required to fish them is 290cm.
Mako sharks are ovoviviparous, female specimens being able to gestate up to 25 embryos, although litters are usually of 4-8 offspring, as the most developed ones eat their litter mates and the rest of eggs in an act of cannibalism called oophagy.
Regarding its commercialization, being such a big fish it’s sold in slices. Its fin is used to make soup, as well as its liver, from which oils rich in vitamin A and Omega 3 are also extracted. Its flesh is often mistaken with that of grouper and swordfish.

In our boat trips from Corralejo to the islet of Lobos, we go cross the area known as “The Mako” often visited by scuba divers, where it is sometimes possible to find some of these majestic specimens.

We invite you to discover the charms of our ocean on our catamaran.

FuerteCharter team

FAUNA AND FLORA

 Sweet Spurge endemic to the Canary Islands, had an infinity of uses for ancient inhabitants

Thursday December 4th, 2014 Fuertecharter Team

 We continue writing about Lobos Islet, since we love to present the wonders of the Canary archipelago, especially this islet where we go regularly on our trips from Corralejo.

This time we will dedicate the article to talk about a very characteristic species of flora in this islet.  Out of over 130 plant species living in this islet nowadays, we will talk about the sweet spurge (Euphorbia balsamifera), very characteristic of the Canary Islands and a symbol, particularly in the island of Lanzarote, which stands out in the islet with magnificent specimens. Remember that the jewel of the flora in Lobos is The Evergreen, endemic to this island, of which we have already discussed in another article that we recommend.

Spurge

In the Canary Islands we call Spurge to a large group of plants of the Euphorbia family. Here in Fuerteventura, we enjoy the existence of two species of spurge, sweet Spurge (Euphorbia balsamifera) and sour Spurge (Euphorbia regis-jubae). In the Islet of Lobos it’s the sweet spurge which reaches a surprising size becoming very representative of the islet and being highly appreciated by visitors who accompany us on our trips from Corralejo. It is endemic to the Canary Islands and North Africa. Especially we see it in the lower and drier areas of the islands.

Description

It is a rounded shrub that can grow up to 2 meters; with grey stems highly branched from the base and rugged, as they are exposed to the wind. It is a “succulent” plant because its stem and root allow storage of water in much higher amounts than the rest of the plants, keeping their water for long periods, which allows them to survive in dry and arid environments. It has rounded shape with branches that have small green leaves which they lose in dry periods but which recover when the rains start again; This is a mechanism that prevents water loss during periods of harsh sun.  It is just at this time of the year -autumn and winter, especially in days like the last ones, when the rain has cheered our island up, that we can enjoy their flowers. Small yellow flowers that form a unique reddish fruit which looks like knitted (tripartite structure).

Curiosities

In the chronicles of the ancient conquerors they spoke about the milk from these plants found in Fuerteventura “… trees that exude a medicinal milk …” and which has been employed for many uses throughout history. uses: As traditional fishing method (embroscar) that involves spilling the “cerote” (juice of the plant) into natural pools which can be seen during the low tide, and where fish were trapped; This juice has poisonous properties that lulled the fish and made it easier to catch them with shovels. -The Milky sap of the branches coagulates on contact with air to forms a kind of gum, and it’s said to have a nice flavour. This paste could be chewed to strengthen the gums; it was also used to wean kids, by sticking it to the udders of the goats; other uses, in times of extreme scarcity, could be as glue traps for birds. Among its medicinal uses, it treated colds in the shape of poultices; pricks of thorns, warts or wounds, by applying it straight on the skin.

 All these uses, together with the appearance of lime kilns in Fuerteventura, made this sap become more scarce, since it was also used as fuel. Currently the population of this plant is abundant and these days we can enjoy its green leaves, which have sprouted with the first rains. We invite you to come to Lobos in one of our trips from Corralejo to enjoy the magnitude of these plants, loved by the ancients for their properties and characteristics of the Canary Islands and specifically of this islet that we love so much.

FuerteCharter Team

Events

Rainbow Fuerteventura: LGTB Festival in Corralejo

Sunday November 30th, 2014 Fuertecharter Team

The town of Corralejo is again protagonist on the island, this time the long holiday weekend in December from Thursday 4^th to Monday 8^th , hosting the fourth LGBT Festival (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people): Rainbow Fuerteventura.

This festival, born in 2011, already enjoys a successful position within the international circuit of gay parties, and its aim is to provide colour and spectacle, organizing different activities in bars, hotels, shops, restaurants, terraces, beach bars, and even in the streets of Corralejo, during these five days.
The common factors to all activities are the willingness to have fun, paying no heed to social barriers, breaking with tags and proposing a mix of lifestyles and music, no matter your sexual orientation, just the desire to enjoy prevails.
Among the activities we’ll find contests, shows, parades, marches and late-night rave parties, enlivened by the most cutting edge music of the moment.
This year, the town council in La Oliva has painted, with rainbow flags, some pedestrian crossings on the main street to welcome a festival fighting for equality and against homophobia, transphobia, and in general any form of discrimination existing in society. So, Corralejo joins the tolerant and inclusive tourist destinations, and is touted as a LGBT destination, ideal for a holiday.
Among the activities of the program, apart from different parties in discos, pools or on the beach, Games for Equality, Diversity and Sustainability stand out, this year taking place for the first time, and among them we find a paddle tournament, one of beach volleyball and another one of Canarian wrestling, as well as the XI Cyclo-tourist event Corralejo Dunes. On Sunday, an exceptional event will be taking place in Lobos Islet: a race over 7 kms, though the path along this magnificent islet.
On Saturday 6^th The Trade Fair and White Night will take place, starting at 10am and ending at 11pm. There will be entertainment for children, street music, and Altihay community will take advantage of this opportunity to make their claims and social awareness campaign. That very day, the independent editorial “Two whiskers”, winner of the “Festival La Culta” award, and having already released six LGBT publications, will present their works, among which two monographs of stories about homophobia in Russia (“El armario de acero “) and Africa (” Los deseos afines “) can be highlighted.
Here we leave the full programme, so you decide in which of these festival activities you would like to take part to support diversity and tolerance.

And for those of you who want to discover the charms of sailing with us, we offer one of our trips by catamaran to the islet of Lobos. In FuerteCharter we are also committed to tolerance.
FuerteCharter Team

Corralejo, Events

XI Cycle-tourism event, Corralejo Dunes

Tuesday November 25th, 2014 Fuertecharter Team

Photo: © icic.es

On Saturday December 6^th, the eleventh Cycle-tourism event, Corralejo Dunes, Miles against Cancer, will take place in Corralejo, in memory of Pilar Cabrera González.

This is a non-competitive charity event, with participants going in pack over 47 kms around almost the entire municipality of La Oliva, in support of cancer victims. When riding in pack, no cyclist can overtake the organization that makes up the lead nor exceed the pace of the group; they can’t stay behind the closure group either.
Places are limited to 200 riders, in order of registration, and the fee is 10 €, which will go entirely to associations fighting this disease.

The exit will be on December 6^th, at 10: 30h., From the CC El Campanario, where this very day registration and delivery of numbers will take place from 8:30 am to 10h.
As a prerequisite, participants must be over 15, or age 15 in 2014; they must know how to ride a bike to perfection and have taken part in over-50km cycle routes; they must wear helmet, a spare tyre and hand pump, gloves, chain whip and a puncture repair kit.
They should wear Sunglasses, “camelbag” with water, sunscreen, cap and energy bars, although there will be two provision points, one with fruit and soft drinks and another one with just drinks.
To ensure the proper development of the event it’s necessary to pay attention to the organization, meet the standards of the Road Safety Act and its regulations, avoid untimely overtaking, respect the safety distances, not to push …, remembering at all time this is not a race.
And as an important point, respect for the environment and nature is called, it being completely forbidden to throw litter or food wrappers, thereby just the trace of the bike wheel remaining on the way.
All participants must submit the registration form, which you can download from this link; photocopy of DNI and the federal license or the Canarian Cycling Federation credit insurance of accidents. Under age participants must also submit a parental consent, mother’s, guardian’s or a legal tutor’s, which you can download from the link below.

Registration forms and authorizations can also be found in Tagoror Bookshop (Puerto del Rosario); the inter-island council (Public Service Board, in Puerto del Rosario, Corralejo, Gran Tarajal and Morro Jable, as well as in the Ministry of Sports and Hunting); in La Oliva town council (Department of Sports, Nautical School of Corralejo, Jose Perdomo Umpiérrez Pavilion and in La Oliva Municipal Pool); at La Mamma Restauranst, Corralejo, and the following websites:

www.laoliva.es/deportes
www.cabildofuer.es
www.ccjacomar.es
www.terravolcan.es
www.maxobike.com

FuerteCharter’s Team

FAUNA AND FLORA, Fuerteventura

Morays in Fuerteventura (Muraenidae)

Thursday November 20th, 2014 Fuertecharter Team

Muraenidae are a family of voracious and slippery fish in the shape of eel or snake inhabiting rocky areas or near-shore jetties or puddles (abundant to 50m deep), in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. They are also sometimes found in deeper waters (the largest ones). On the coast of Fuerteventura, we can find some species of this family.

They are voracious predators of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans, which usually remain hidden in crevices, stalking prey, and usually they only leave their den at night to hunt.

Morphology
They can be up to five feet long, and weigh 2 to 10kg.
They usually breed between May and October, with a peak set in August.
They have a dorsal fin along the whole body which joins ends with the tail fin. They don’t usually have pectoral and pelvic fins.
One feature of this family is its strong and double jaw (internal and external, “allien” type), whose shape allows them to catch prey and swallow it without using its limbs.
Their main predators are other morays and groupers.
They have small eyes and very underdeveloped sight, so they’re usually very suspicious fish which immediately launch attacks with their mouth to defend themselves, and though their bite isn’t usually poisonous, it’s very painful. They also have very small gills, so they often need to open their mouth wide to breathe.
Their skin does not have scales, but a mucous membrane which is toxic in some species, and they have an irregular colouration to help them camouflage.

Fishing murays
Fishing murays follows an ancient technique that mixes ritual with work. Fishermen often attract them with some songs that numb them, like siren songs. They are repetitive tunes, which vary from one island to another, but they often say things like: “Jo, little Moray … Jooo”, “Come little Moray , Goldentail Moray, the male is coming to eat your litter” and other typical verses accompanied by loud whistles and a pretty effusive intonation. The old moray fishermen believe that without this technique it would be impossible to catch these animals, as their strong jaws destroy any fishing hook.
These work songs, whose records date back to the sixteenth century, and which are said to have their origin in the ancient Greece, have been incorporated into the musical heritage of the Canary Islands, thanks to musical groups like “Los Sabandeños who sing “El pescador de Morenas” or a group of Canarian artists” Artenara” with their song ” El Canto de la Morena “.
Along with these songs, the fisherman also uses a hollow reed, inside which there is a wire ending in a noose, with a piece of squid attached as bait. The moray, stunned by repetitive songs, guard down and leaves its den in search of the piece of octopus.

Gastronomy
The moray is a delicacy for many palates, thanks to the excellent quality of its meat. The coast moray tends to have fewer bones and be more tasty than the deep water moray, which has more fat. As gastronomic anecdote, moray eels were highly valued in the Roman Empire, where the most special celebrations used to serve a menu with morays. The species was bred in a kind of fish farms, and it’s said that Romans often gave them the slaves’ flesh as food, as they said that the flavour of the morays fed with human flesh was delicious. Hence the phrase “sentenced to morays.”

Species
Among the species of Morays we have in the Canary Islands are:

Black Moray (Muraena Augusti)
It is the most abundant and is endemic to these islands and also to Madeira and Azores.
It can be up to 1m long, and it’s usually found within 100m deep.
Its body is spindle-shaped and in the distance it may seem black or bluish gray, but if you look closely you can clearly see its white spots.
It prefers rocky bottoms, with caves and hollows to shelter during the day.

FuerteCharter | Moray Fuerteventura — © Sacha Lobenstein_www.enelmar.es

Mediterranean Moray (Muraena helena)
This species is the largest one, reaching five feet long, and it’s usually found on the eastern islands, dwelling, like the black Moray, in rocky bottoms. Its bite is poisonous, due to the haemophilus secretion of its palatal mucosa.

FuerteCharter | Morays Fuerteventura — © ojodigital.com

Fangtooth Moray (Enchelycore anatina)
Although not as plentiful as the black Moray, we can also see it in rocky areas. It differs clearly because of its yellow head and its body patterns. It is a little smaller and it can reach up to 60cms.

Goldentail Moray (Gymnothorax miliaris)
This species is often mistaken with the Fangtooth Moray, but its head is more rounded and its body patterns are more marked. It is one of the most elusive and rare to see moray eels, as it is very shy. El Hierro is the island where it is most frequently seen. It is a poorly studied species.

FuerteCharter Team

FAUNA AND FLORA

Aves migratorias en Isla de Lobos, una guía rápida para reconocerlas

Saturday November 15th, 2014 Fuertecharter Team

Para nosotros, que acudimos diariamente en nuestras excursiones desde Corralejo a la Isla de Lobos, este islote sigue siendo un paraíso, casi virgen, donde la naturaleza y el mar son los protagonistas. Pues no somos los únicos seres que ven en este islote un lugar ideal, hay más visitante, excepcionales, que año tras año acuden a este lugar a pasar el invierno. Estamos hablando de aves migratorias que pasan en Fuerteventura, e Isla de Lobos, la época invernal, suponemos que como nosotros, buscando calor, tranquilidad y buenos alimentos.

En esta ocasión vamos a centrarnos en las Garzas, Garcetas y Zarapitos; 3 aves muy habituales en Fuerteventura en estos meses de otoño que ya anuncian la llegada del invierno, vienen del norte, donde crían en la época de verano, huyendo del frío y buscando zonas costeras, humedales, alimento y algo de calor para volver a emprender el vuelo una vez el invierno toca a su fin.

La Garceta común

Desde nuestro barco cuando hacemos la excursión a Lobos y fondeamos cerca de las zonas del islote más vírgenes podemos llegar a ver Garcetas comunes (Egrett Garcetta), personalmente me parecen aves súper curiosas. La garceta común es la más pequeña entre las garcetas, unos 60cm de longitud (envergadura alar:1m.). Para reconocerla, si hay dudas, solo hay que mirar sus patas negras, muy finas, con los dedos de color amarillo, pico recto y puntiagudo negro. Totalmente de plumaje blanco y un cuello largo pero dobladizo. El adulto en época nupcial tiene plumas ornamentales alargadas en el pecho y en el dorso, así como una cresta formada por dos plumas blancas.

FuerteChater | Aves migratorias Fuerteventura — fotografiatindaya.com

Es muy fácil verlas pues no son tan asustadizas como otras aves, por el contrario suelen estar cerca de zonas habitadas por el hombre. En Fuerteventura los surferos las ven habitualmente, también en Lobos en las zonas donde ha habido pesca aprovechando los restos de la misma para darse el banquete. Su alimentación se basa en anfibios, insectos, invertebrados marinos, peces pequeños.
Habita en costas, embalses, charcas y cursos de agua y hacen sus nidos sobre árboles, cañaverales, riscos o suelo, en forma de plataforma. En febrero-marzo es la época de cría, una sola puesta al año y tienen entre 3 y 6 huevos que incuban durante 21 días; una vez eclosionan los polluelos son alimentados por ambos padres otros 21 días, y a los 35 abandonan el nido.
Son muy habituales en la época invernal en el archipiélago canario, aves migratorias que están de paso durante el invierno. No es el islote de Lobos su lugar favorito dentro de las islas macaronésicas pero es habitual, cada vez más, verlas en la costa o en la charca. Muchos han sido los afortunados que las han visto volando hacia Lobos, o a la inversa, durante nuestras excursiones desde Corralejo.

FuerteCharter | aves migratorias Fuerteventura — www.canariasconservacion.org

La Garza Real

Muy habituales en Fuerteventura durante el invierno, sobre todo en charcas naturales, tanto de agua dulce como de Costa, vistas a menudo en la charca que se forma bajo el faro de isla de Lobos. Es una ave zancuda de gran tamaño, que habita en Europa y nos visita en invierno; últimamente es más frecuente verlas durante todo el año, por lo que se piensa que probablemente alguna pareja ya haya nidificado aquí y como muchos, elegido Fuerteventura como su vivienda principal; aunque en realidad los científicos no la consideran ave nidificante en Canarias, sino migratorio.
Su longitud es de unos 90cm. con una envergadura alar de 1.70cm, un peso de 2kg. Característico es su plumaje gris con lasartes inferiores más blanquecinas. Tras la nuca, y hasta los ojos, tiene una especie de cresta azul muy oscuro, medio caida y formada por dos plumas muy largas. Pico marrón amarillento aclarando en la mandíbula inferior.

avesencanarias.blogspot.com
Muchos viajeros en nuestras excursiones se han sorpendido al verlas sobrepasarnos con un vuelo tan característico e inconfundible, ya que son de gran tamaño con el cuello doblado en curva, larguísimas patas (marrones), con un vuelo tranquilo; además cuando vuelan graznan, ronca y ásperamente.
En nuestras isla tienen alimento de sobra ya que su dieta favorita son peces y crustáceos pequeños, insectos,… también puede cazar ratones e incluso reptiles.

Zarapito Trinador

Muy pero que muy habitual en todo el archipiélago. Su paso, tanto por península como por Canarias, es entre Julio y Septiembre hasta marzo, que vuelve al norte de Europa a criar. En su época migratoria (invernada) se comporta como un ave costera, no lo hace así en su época de cría en lugares más fríos.

La puesta empieza en mayo hasta junio, 3 o 4 huevos moteados de color pardo. Incuban 27 o 28 días y los pollos, precoces como los de todas las limícolas, se desarrollan en unos 35-40 días.
Mide unos 40cm, su peso oscila entre los 200 y 400gr. Son características sus patas, zancudas, y su puntiagudo pico curvado. La vemos habitualmente desde finales del verano tanto sola como en grupo, en las playas de Fuertevetura y de Lobos y en las zonas rocosas del litoral. Su alimentación es tanto de invertebrados como de materia vegetal, en diferente cuantía según la estación y los hábitats que ocupe.
Este es otro habitual en nuestras excursiones desde Corralejo.

Aquí dejamos esta pequeña guía de tres de las aves migratorias que, huyendo del frio, eligen, como nosotros, estas tierras paradisíacas para pasar unos meses. Tenemos que apuntar la importancia de Fuerteventura en lo que a aves se refiere, importancia que empiezó a conocerse en los últimos años, ya somos destino turístico para muchos amantes de la observación de aves. Es, además, uno de los motivos que llevó a la protección de Isla de Lobos.

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