WATCH: Hundreds of surfers ignore social distancing and pack a beach in Spain’s Gran Canaria

Social media is awash with videos showing a beach in Gran Canaria full of hundreds of surfers today making the most of waves despite State of Alarm.

TODAY is the first day expats and Spaniards have been able to go out for a walk or play individual sports after almost 50 days in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, as many have predicted, some of the images doing the rounds are not exactly positive, in particular on a beach at Las Canteras, in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

Several videos show hundreds of surfers both in the sea and packed together at a sports area of the beach called La Cícer, this morning, “seemingly with no respect for social distancing”, say tweeters.

Other videos show people strolling along the beach and a busy promenade at the Spanish holiday resort.

The images have been met with criticism, even from lovers of the sport.

One surfer, known as Checkinreverse, tweeted: “I think it’s irresponsible to go in the water with so many people, I’d turn around. I’ve been surfing at a good level for 15 years and this is not the way. The way back to the water has to be slow, otherwise we will be banned from surfing for a long time.”