Wildlife of Gibraltar

Dolphin spotting in Gibraltar

Gibraltar offers a lot of opportunities for those who love nature on earth, in water and in the air, too.

Barbary Macaques

Are they the first to come to mind if somebody mentions Gibraltar? Of course they are. The apes have been living on the Rock for centuries. They are the only monkey population in Europe however they are native in Africa. They are half-wild as they are fed every day. You have several options to meet them:

choose a nice walk to the top of The Rock and on your way you can be sure they will cross your path
With the Cable car you can get to the top easily while you have a nice view over the bay of Gibraltar
This destination is a part of the Official Rock Tour which guides you through Gibraltar within 3 hours. For more information you can check their website.

No matters what you choose the most important is: never forget that this is their home and you are the guest! Take care of your belongings and do not eat while you are on your tour.

Dolphins

There are 3 resident species of dolphins and 3 non-resident species of whales you can observe in the Strait of Gibraltar. As with everything in connection with nature, the most important is to be a responsible tourist, choose a responsible guide and respect. If you are in Gibraltar and you like to feel the freedom of the sea from a boat and want to get known closer to these really special animals do not miss this opportunity. Dolphin adventure provides a great experience. They started in 1994 and are always aware of and work hard to protect dolphins and promote awareness of them and their environment. Tickets are available from £25. To find out more click on here.

Birds

310 species of bird are known to have occurred in Gibraltar. So Gibraltar is definitely a paradise for you if you love to bird watch as the Strait of Gibraltar is the narrowest crossing point for birds migration to and from Europe and Africa. You can observe a lot of bird during migration in spring as they usually stop to rest and feed before continuing their journey. All year round you can see Barbary Partridges, Peregrines Falcon, Common & Lesser Kestrels, Common, Pallid & Alpine Swifts just to mention a few without limitation. Also you can observe smaller songbirds like: Spotted Flycatcher, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, and Blackbird. For more information visit the website of The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society as they have several interesting programmes through the year such as assisting in bird ringing or seabird monitoring.