Key Aspects:
- A massive wave struck a pier in Tenerife on November 8, 2025, killing a Dutch cruise passenger.
- Several other visitors suffered injuries and were transferred to the hospital.
- Authorities are investigating why the pier lacked barriers or warnings during a red coastal alert.
A shore excursion for cruise passengers visiting Tenerife turned tragic on Saturday, November 8, 2025, when a massive wave slammed into a pier in Puerto de la Cruz, sending a group of tourists into the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the victims, a Dutch woman, died after suffering cardiac arrest during the incident that affected at least 10 guests from a cruise ship docked earlier that day, as well as locals.
A spokesperson for the coastal safety platform Canarias, 1,500 km of Coastline, Sebastian Quintana, said, no one was swimming but all simply observing the sea.
Officials confirmed that the victims had arrived that morning on a cruise ship at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and were touring the island when the wave hit. The region was under a red alert for coastal phenomena, with waves reaching up to 15 feet in height.
Despite the warnings, the pier area where the group stood reportedly had no visible cordon or safety tape at the time, and the woman, swept into the sea, was rescued but died before reaching the hospital.
Additionally, six French tourists were swept away by a wave on Playa del Roque de Las Bodegas, with emergency teams rescuing the visitors.
One woman was airlifted to the hospital with moderate injuries, and four additional people were taken by ambulance. The tourists had reportedly ignored a warning beacon.
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Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident on the pier to determine whether proper safety measures were in place and whether local alerts were adequately communicated to visiting tour groups.
In total, three people passed away and 15 were injured in just five hours in what Quintana called, “the most tragic day.”
No further details have been released about the woman who succumbed to her injuries or which ship passengers were sailing with but both Silversea’s Silver Dawn and TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3 were docked in Tenerife on November 8.
Silver Dawn had been sailing a 24-night sailing from Southampton, England, to Lisbon, Portugal, and Mein Schiff 3 was on a 21-night roundtrip voyage from Bremerhaven, Germany.
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P&O Cruises’ Azura is currently homeporting in Tenerife and returned to port on November 7 with passengers and was awaiting to depart on a subsequent 14-night cruise on November 8.
Coastal Safety Under Scrutiny
The tragedy has raised renewed concern about coastal safety and warning enforcement across the Canary Islands, particularly as they remain a hub for international cruise traffic.
In 2024, more than 4 million cruise passengers visited Spain’s Cruise Atlantic Islands, which includes the Canary Islands.
Tenerife regularly experiences strong surf and “mar de fondo,” swells that can generate unexpectedly large waves even in calm weather.
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Officials routinely advise locals and visitors to stay clear of piers, breakwaters, and rocky promenades during high-wave alerts. However, the area where the cruise passengers were standing was reportedly accessible and unguarded, despite the formal warning being in effect.
Incidents like this are not rare in the Canary Islands. Canarias 1,500 km de Costa reported 54 drowning deaths in the Canary Islands between January and October 2025, when strong wave warnings had been released.
