Plenty of websites mix up these two names, but they're two different companies. The "Eco No-Chase Respectful Whale & Dolphin Encounter", one of the most-reviewed trips in Tenerife on GetYourGuide, is run by Mar de Ons (trading company Mar Borondon S.L.) on a catamaran with underwater viewing that leaves from the Excursions Area of Los Cristianos harbour. Bonadea II–Diomedea has nothing to do with that trip: it's a small company at Pontoon 4 in Puerto Colón, in Costa Adeje, with a 7 m RIB for six passengers at most.
| Mar de Ons ("Eco No-Chase") | Bonadea II–Diomedea | |
|---|---|---|
| Harbour | Los Cristianos, Zone A | Puerto Colón, Pontoon 4 |
| Boat | catamaran with underwater viewing areas | 7 m RIB with a hydrophone |
| Places | not published | 6 maximum |
| Swimming | not allowed | only on private trips over 2 h |
| Adult price | €25 online; from €28 on GetYourGuide | not published |
| Toilet on board | not stated | none |
Mar de Ons: the company behind the "Eco No-Chase"
The company is Mar Borondon S.L., with an office at Rincón del Puerto de Los Cristianos no. 6 (+34 922 751 576) and a website at whalesdolphinstenerife.com. On GetYourGuide the provider is listed as "Vision Submarine 100% No Chase, Respectful Tours Guaranteed", and on Tenerife Tourism's Sustainability Charter as "Bahriyeli Experiencia (Mar de Ons)".
The trip is on a catamaran with underwater viewing areas and glass-bottomed sections: a surface boat, not a submarine. It lasts 1.5 hours according to GetYourGuide and 2 according to its own website, passes the Cueva del Amor (Love Cave) and doesn't allow swimming or snorkelling. It isn't suitable for wheelchairs. The company says it has a marine biologist guide on board.
It donates part of every ticket to Captain Paul Watson's foundation (Neptune's Pirates), a private arrangement that doesn't make it any more lawful than anyone else. And "no-chase" isn't an official category: chasing whales and dolphins is banned for all boats under Decree 178/2000.
Price and terms
The website shows a list price of €50, but online it costs €25, €12 for children aged 1 to 10 and €5 for infants. On GetYourGuide it's from €28, with the same crossed-out €50, which is the operator's own promotion. You pay €3 more to book on the platform, where the general rule is free cancellation up to 24 hours beforehand; if you're sure of your date, the website is cheaper.
If it's called off because of the sea, you're given another date or a full refund. Its terms allow it to change the trip if there are fewer than 25 passengers. And it acknowledges that sightings can't be guaranteed.
See "Eco No-Chase" datesfrom €28Affiliate link: it costs you nothing extra.
Bonadea II–Diomedea: the six-seat RIB
This one really is Bonadea. It leaves from Pontoon 4 in Puerto Colón (Adeje) on 2-hour trips, shared or private, for a maximum of 6 passengers. Tenerife Tourism describes it as a 7-metre RIB with a hydrophone for listening to the whales and dolphins. The skipper and guide, Sergio, has more than 27 years at sea, and the company says it has been operating since 1990.
The official register lists three of its boats based in Puerto Colón (Bonadea II, Bonadea Segundo and Diomedea), and Bonadea II is on the Sustainability Charter. It says it holds authorisation from the Canary Islands Government and from Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition.
What it doesn't have: a toilet on board and a public price. The rate appears in the booking system on bonadea2catamaran.com; you can also email info@bonadea2catamaran.com or call +34 618 132 729. If the sea isn't playing ball, they reschedule or refund you. Swimming is only included on private trips of more than 2 hours.
What the ratings say
Mar de Ons' "Eco No-Chase" is rated 4.6 out of 5 on GetYourGuide from about 15,000 reviews, slightly below Travelin' Lady, its neighbour on the harbour. What might catch you out: there's no swim, the "crossed-out" €50 is a list price you don't pay online and the provider's name doesn't match the company's.
Don't expect thousands of reviews for a six-seat RIB. Judge it on what can be checked: a licence in order, the Sustainability Charter and a skipper with decades at sea.
Mar de Ons ("Eco No-Chase")
- Respect for the animals
- 4.5/5On the Sustainability Charter; marine biologist guide on board, according to the company.
- Boat and comfort
- 3.5/5Catamaran advertised as stable, with underwater viewing; not suitable for wheelchairs.
- Price
- 4.5/5€25 online, the cheapest of the big-boat trips from Los Cristianos.
- Guide and commentary
- 4/5Biologist guide advertised; the provider name on the platforms is confusing.
- Booking and cancellation
- 4/5Another date or a full refund for bad weather; may change the trip with fewer than 25 passengers.
Bonadea II–Diomedea
- Respect for the animals
- 5/5Six places, a hydrophone and a member of the Sustainability Charter.
- Boat and comfort
- 3/57 m RIB: very close to the water, but no toilet on board.
- Price
- 3/5Doesn't publish rates; only in its booking system.
- Guide and commentary
- 4.5/5Skipper and guide with more than 27 years at sea.
- Booking and cancellation
- 3/5Book on its website, by email or phone; reschedules or refunds if the sea isn't playing ball.
The good
- Mar de Ons: the cheapest big-boat trip from Los Cristianos, on a catamaran advertised as stable.
- Mar de Ons: underwater viewing without getting wet.
- Bonadea: a group of six, one of the smallest shared trips on the island.
- Both are on Tenerife Tourism's Sustainability Charter.
The not so good
- Mar de Ons: no swimming or snorkelling.
- Mar de Ons: an inflated list price and a provider with a different name on the platforms.
- Bonadea: no toilet on board and no public price.
- Bonadea: a RIB isn't for anyone after comfort.
Which one suits you
Mar de Ons is for people who get seasick, don't want to swim or are travelling with young children: a catamaran advertised as stable, an hour and a half and €12 for a child's ticket. Bonadea II–Diomedea is for couples or friends who want a small group and to listen to the pilot whales on the hydrophone, and don't mind a RIB with no toilet.
If you wanted a swim, look at Travelin' Lady or the Peter Pan in Los Cristianos. If you're staying in Costa Adeje and prefer more comfort, the Freebird catamarans leave from the same harbour. Everything by harbour in Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje and the whale-watching guide.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Travelin' Lady: Eco Yacht Whale & Dolphin Safari + Swim
4.7 (19,421 reviews)
from €29.90Check availability
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Tenerife: Eco No-Chase Respectful Whale & Dolphin Encounter
4.6 (15,400 reviews)
from €28Check availability
GetYourGuide2 hours
Tenerife: Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise with Swim Stop
4.7 (3,717 reviews)
from €28Check availability
See all options on GetYourGuide →
Frequently asked questions
Is the Tenerife "Eco No-Chase" run by Bonadea?
No. The "Eco No-Chase" trip from Los Cristianos is run by Mar de Ons (Mar Borondon S.L.). Bonadea II–Diomedea is a different company, with a six-seat RIB in Puerto Colón.
How much does Mar de Ons' "Eco No-Chase" cost?
€25 per adult, €12 per child aged 1 to 10 and €5 per infant on its website. On GetYourGuide it's from €28. The crossed-out €50 is its list price, not what you pay online.
Where does Bonadea II leave from?
From Pontoon 4 in Puerto Colón, Costa Adeje. It takes a maximum of six passengers on 2-hour shared or private trips.
Does either of them guarantee you'll see whales or dolphins?
No. Mar de Ons acknowledges that sightings can't be guaranteed, and no operator on the island offers a written money-back guarantee.
