A photo of a baby born at sea during a perilous crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by migrants from Africa has been made public by Spain’s maritime rescue service.

A baby was born on a crowded migrant dinghy which travelled from Africa to the Canary Islands this week, Spanish coast guards say. They have published a picture of the baby boy who was rescued on alongside his mother and scores of other migrants. The crowded inflatable raft was first spotted on 6 January off the island of Lanzarote.

Moment newborn baby is found on migrant boat off coast of Canary Islands - Mother gave birth to a baby boy while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, rescue teams say

A migrant holds a newborn baby as a woman lies inside a rubber boat with other migrants who were rescued off the island off the Canary Island of Lanzarote in Spain, in this handout picture obtained on January 8, 2025. SALVAMENTO MARITIMO/Handout via REUTERS

The number beats the previous record, set in 2023, as a recent report also points at a peak in the number of deaths recorded in the dangerous Atlantic migration route.

Last year, more than 43,000 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, a record-breaking figure that exceeds that of 2006, during the so-called 'Cayuco crisis'.

In 2024, a total of 9,757 people died attempting to reach the Canary Islands in small boats, equating to an average of 28 deaths per day.

After a record-breaking year of migrant arrivals, the president of Spain’s Canary Islands called the situation on the islands “unsustainable” on Monday.