'Canarian Cousteau' Sergio Hanquet Found Dead Off Tenerife

The Canary Islands' conservation community is saddened by the death of Sergio Hanquet, a key figure in sharing knowledge about and protecting the islands' marine life. His body was found last Monday near the Cueva de Los Camarones in El Palm-Mar, Tenerife, according to reports. Hanquet, 63, dedicated his life to the ocean. He explored and documented it with infectious passion, earning him the nickname "the Canarian Cousteau."

Hanquet was known for his enthusiasm and his knack for showing people the beauty and fragility of underwater worlds. He spent his life taking photos and exploring. With his Nikon camera and boat, the "Chaxiraxi," he photographed everything from tiny sea creatures to magnificent whales. His deep understanding of the Canary Islands' seabed helped him showcase the unique marine life around each island: abundant rays and turtles in Tenerife, shipwrecks off Gran Canaria, deep drop-offs near La Palma, manta rays and groupers around El Hierro, large octopuses in La Gomera, sandy seabed life in Fuerteventura, and the stunning underwater scenery of Lanzarote and the Chinijo Archipelago.

His dedication to sharing his discoveries went beyond the Canary Islands. He had unforgettable experiences, like documenting a five-meter tiger shark just meters away in the Maldives, or diving in the Savage Islands – a nature reserve 20 hours by boat from Santa Cruz de Tenerife – to explore its extraordinary marine biodiversity. He also joined challenging expeditions, including one from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Antarctica, where he studied old whaling sites.

Hanquet's courage and skill weren't just for exploration; they also shone in dangerous situations. In 1995, after the fishing boat Cita en el Mar sank off Punta de Rasca (Arona), he dived into the recently sunken wreck to retrieve important documents from the cabin. Later, he documented how the wreck slowly deteriorated. More recently, in 2021, he helped install an 80-kilogram cross at the entrance of the Cueva de Los Camarones. This underwater cave, 700 meters from the coast and 30 meters deep, is known for its danger due to sediments that can quickly reduce visibility, and four divers have died there. Tragically, it was near this very cave that his body and his boat were found.

Among his recent accomplishments were two books, "Ballenas Piloto" (Pilot Whales) and "Mar Abierto" (Open Sea). These volumes featured 300 photographs and fulfilled a long-held dream of publishing a book about whales. Sergio Hanquet's death leaves a big gap in marine conservation and underwater photography. He will be remembered for his tireless efforts to protect and share the natural wonders of the Canary Islands.