Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

Video Credit: CEN/@CanariasAhora

This incredible footage shows a huge water tornado speeding towards the coast of the popular tourist island Gran Canaria.

The incident took place off the coast of Mogan in the south of Gran Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands and was shared online by stunned residents.

In the first video taken from a passing aircraft, the huge brooding waterspout is seen twisting towards the island’s southern coast at considerable speed.

Picture Credits: CEN & CEN/@victor.sarmientoelmananero & CEN/@CanariasAhora & CEN/@GranCanariaTV

Another clip that has been viewed over 51,000 times shows a group of drivers whizzing close to the waterspout in a motorised dinghy.

Video Credit: CEN/@GranCanariaTV

The columnar vortex is seen spinning towards the port of Mogan in a third video taken from an apartment balcony.

Video Credit: CEN/@victor.sarmientoelmananero

Waterspouts have a five-part cycle starting with the formation of a dark spot on the water surface, then a spiral pattern. This is followed by the formation of a spray ring and then the funnel, before finally disappearing.

While they are often weaker than their land counterparts such as tornadoes, stronger versions spawned by mesocyclones do occur.

According to experts, most waterspouts do not suck up water, as is commonly believed. They are small and weak rotating columns of air over a body of water connected that are connected to a cumulus congestus cloud, a cumuliform cloud or a cumulonimbus cloud

The velocity of the wind in a waterspout can be between 50 kph (31 mph) to 150 kph (93 mph).