Of the 80 species of whale in the world, 21 can be found in the azores. Dolphins in the channel between pico and sao jorge image courtesy of marinhera fernanda. Daytime temperatures normally fluctuate between 16 c 61 f and 25 c 77 f depending on season. There are 80 species of whales in the world and 24 can be found in. Although whale season is almost over in october we went out on the. This is a list of the mammal species recorded in the azores islands, portugal.
Whalewatching tours are available from the larger islands such as sao miguel, terceira, sao jorge, pico and faial, making it a popular activity for visitors to these. That said, sea conditions can get rougher during the winter season so the best time to visit the azores for boat trips is. The azores is one of the best places in the world to see whales and dolphins. Azores whale watching and dolphins is known to be among the best in the world. Choose from the privacy of a chauffeured vehicle or the fun of joining others in motorcoach rides while exploring the beautiful azores islands. In addition to resident species, such as common dolphins and common bottlenose dolphins, with which you can swim, there are also the whales that pass through the azores in their migration routes. The most sighted are the sperm whale, sei whale, fin whale, pilot whale, mink whale, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, atlantic spotted dolphin, striped dolphin, and rissos dolphin. Lying about a third of way across the atlantic between portugal and north america, its the permanent or temporary home of more than a quarter of all known cetacean species mark carwardine, whale watching specialist. In may and june, baleen whales including blue, sei, fin and humpback whales pass through these waters on their annual migration to their summer feeding grounds in the north. Fin whales, humpback whales, sperm whales and dolphins are just some of the wonderful cetaceans that youll be watching out for on this magical wildlife holiday in the unspoilt islands of the azores set off with your expert host for three halfday whale watching trips in the waters of three of the islands that make up this. Whales and whaling play an important part in the history and culture of the azores.
Nine green dots in the vastness of the atlantic ocean, the azores are currently considered one of the best places for whalewatching in the world. Set in the middle of the atlantic ocean, sperm whales, whales and dolphins are found in great abundance in these waters, which are also rich in fish. At the twelve pico stone cottages from bedrooms each, guests enjoy the hospitality of maria and jose and the feeling of the traditional azorean village. The azores is one of the premier whale and dolphin watching sites in the world. Watch for whales and dolphins on this special holiday in the azores. More information here whale watching in the azores in the early summer months is the best time to see the baleen whales largest whales on their migration routes to the feeding grounds of the northern atlantic passing close to the. Remember that in the azores the time of whale watching is dictated not by migratory rhythms of cetaceans but by atmospheric conditions.
Over that period, the island archipelago of the azores is among the best places in the world to go whale watching. The best whales, 2 5 hours away from eu, can, and the us. Includes information about the area and the cetaceans living there, research project details, environmental policy, newsletter, and photos. You can spot whales on the azores from the biggest islands. Join an exciting marine wildlife tour with biologists and naturalist guides, to see and learn more about whales, dolphins, turtles, fish, birds, and the season s marine biodiversity of the azores islands. There are 80 species of whales in the world and 24 can be found in the waters around the azores. Prevailing westerly winds, the northeasterly flowing gulf stream, and a location in the middle of deep water sperm whale habitat made the islands perfect to serve the needs of whalers. With 30 years of experience, futurismo is a pioneer and leader in whale and dolphin watching. If youre in the azores and want to see whales and dolphins, then you have different options. Before leaving for the sea, a brief explanation is given by a marine biologist on how species can be spotted, safety measures and codes of conduct for cetacean observation. Whale watching in the azores islands with terra azul the. There are 80 species of whales and dolphins on the planet and 2425 of them have been sighted off the coast of the azores depending on the source of information. The best whale watching and swimming with dolphins location in europe, and a beautiful adventure playground in a very top sustainable islands holidays destination. Mobydicktours is a company that allows you to enjoy our beautiful sea landscape of the azores and enjoy the best that we have to offer.
The azores are currently one of the worlds largest whale sanctuaries. Air temperatures range from 1726c during the season with mainly sunshine but occasional rainy days should be expected throughout the summer. Whale and dolphin watching holidays in azores vacations in. So the whale watching is reserved for the period between the months may and october. Swimming with dolphins imagine yourself immersed in the deep blue sea with the dolphins kayaking and sup this is definitely the best way to enjoy the magical nature of the azores. Dolphin and whale connection whale watching swimming. We are based in lajes do pico, recognised as one of the top 10 best spots for whale watching in the world. In 1987 the international fund for animal welfare ifaw and the european community supported feasibility studies to investigate the potential for whale watching in the azores. All tours are preceded by a briefing in which one of our. The islands of sao miguel, and pico are two of the best places for dolphin and whale watching, so we did our research and chose futurismo, one of the first companies responsible for transitioning from whale hunting, to whale watching in the azores.
In recent years there has been a great development of the whale watching industry. The azores islands are considered to be one of the 10 best destinations in the world to see whales and dolphins collectively known as cetaceans. Except for marine mammals and two species of bats, the azores were completely devoid. Peak season is from april through to october whilst in the spring, the larger migratory species are passing through. Best month for whale watching azores forum tripadvisor. Spotted dolphins are more common during the summer, while blue whales can be easily spotted at the end of the winter. Jan 07, 2014 futurismo azores whale watching operates whale watching and swimming with dolphins tours yearround from sao miguel island in the azores. All other mammals in the islands are therefore introduced species the following tags are used to highlight each species conservation status as assessed by the. As well as tourists and scientists, the whales and other sealife have attracted film crews from the bbc and the national geographic. Whaling ships took on both provisions and crew in the azores, laying the foundation for a long and deep relationship between the islands and american whaling. The skipper, tiago batista, was in constant contact with terra azuls whale lookout vigia da furada which is also located in vila franca do campo. The azores are located about 850 miles 1,360 km off the coast of portugal. Whats the best season for watching cetaceans in europe.
Whale watching in the azores special interestportugal. Join us on one of our exciting whale watching holidays. Located in prainha on the north coast of pico, with its volcanic peak, green fields, cliffs and renowned whale watching excursions, the cottages are an ideal base for exploring the island. April to september is peak whale watching season in the azores, with spring and early summer the best time to spot the blue whale the mightiest mammal on the planet. Azorean whaleman gallery new bedford whaling museum. Except for marine mammals and two species of bats, the azores were completely devoid of mammals prior to their discovery in the early 15th century. Our tours of around 3 hours operate daily, depending on weather conditions. The commondolphin, the bottlenose dolphin, the riso s dolphin and the sperm whale. Classic whale watching trip in the azores archipelago, from. By 1998 eight tour operators were running tours from the village of only 400 permanent inhabitants, with some running two boats, each making up to two trips per. Serge left in front of his whale watching base on pico. The azores are north of the canary islands and madeira, on roughly the same latitude as lisbon and washington dc.
The azores are europes leading whale watching destination, home to sperm and pilot whales, beaked whales and false killer whales, and bottlenose, common and northatlantic spotted dolphins. Whale conservation project in the azores the great projects. Best time to visit the azores responsible vacation. Whale watching in the azores, check our programs futurismo. Freed from the pressure of the whalers, taking benefits of the clean waters and abundant food, the whales remain near the islands throughout the year, being easily sighted and making the archipelago one of the best observation points of sperm whales in the world. Whale watching from ponta delgada sao miguel azores. Some of the greatest migratory cycles of the natural world come to the protected atlantic islands of the azores every year, in late spring and early summer. More than 30% of all the worlds types of whales and dolphins pass the azores on their annual travels between arctic and tropical waters.
The climate of the azores is very mild for such a northerly location, being influenced by its distance from the continents and by the passing gulf stream. Whale watching and dolphins swimming in the azores islands, portugal. Onboard the rib was a marine biologist and also our guide for the day, milou, who shared her knowledge about the cetaceans right from the different species found in the azores, to their feeding habits and other fun trivia. During 9 night tours we average 67 species 46 on the short break tours of whale and dolphin, including sperm whales and several species of dolphin. Actually, there are whales around each and every island, but not all of the islands offer whale watching trips.
Blue whales, sperm whales and several dolphin species are some examples. It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the macaronesia region of the north atlantic ocean, about 1,360 km 850. Jul 29, 20 whale watching from ponta delgada sao miguel azores. The atlantic ocean, the archipelago of the azores, is on a migration route for many species of cetaceans, making it one of the best places in the world for whale and dolphin watching activity. Join an exciting marine wildlife tour with biologists and naturalist guides, to see and learn more about whales, dolphins, turtles, fish, birds, and the season. The azores, in the middle of the atlantic ocean, is an archipelago of nine islands showing nature in its purest state, and one of the largest whale sanctuaries in the world. It is the largest and most comfortable whale watching boat operating on sao miguel island. Whale watching futurismo azores adventures, ponta delgada.
Peak season is from april through to october whilst in the spring, the larger migratory species are passing thr. The ease of finding whales and dolphins in these parts was accompanied by the development of dynamic tour operators respectful of animal life. Temperatures are rarely lower than 14c, and they dont tend to get much higher than 25c, which makes it perfectly pleasant all year round. Dolphin and whale connection whale watching swimming with. From the biggest and in my opinion, also the most beautiful island. Sperm whale the azores are known, in particular, because of its constant presence of sperm whales. The daytime temperature across these months tends to average between 17c 5563f. An important thing to remember about the area is that in the azores the whalewatching season mayoctober is dictated by the weather and not by the migrations of the whales and dolphins, which are seen year round.
The endemic azores noctule nyctalus azoreum is, along with the greater mouseeared bat myotis myotis, the only current native mammal of the azores that is not a marine mammal. The best whale watching in europe cetacean habitat. In fact, you can see whales in the azores year round, but the best time to spot them is probably around spring and summer april, may, june and july. Whale watching in the azores is unique and offers some of the best sightings in the world as we are assisted by the vigia, local land based lookouts. More than a third of all cetaceans species can be sighted here throughout the year. The commondolphin, the bottlenose dolphin, the risos dolphin and the sperm whale. Accommodations type all types youth hostels local lodging camping parks hotels rural tourism island all islands santa maria sao miguel terceira graciosa sao jorge pico faial flores corvo. Whale watching in the azores futurismo is one of the most experienced whale watching companies in the azores, offering yearround responsible whale and dolphin watching tours and swimming with dolphins tours. Serge viallelle is the cofounder of espaco talassa, the azorean whale watching base dedicated to the observation and research of cetaceans on pico, and we work closely with him on our whale watching in the azores holidays. Among resident and migrant species, common or rare, more than 20 different types of cetaceans can be spotted in the azores. We use small and efficient boats with limited size groups in order to limit the impact on wildlife. Our whale watching trips have a strong educational element with multimedia briefings before each trip and debriefings on return to shore.
This video is a collection of some of our best moments. Volunteers wishing to see a wider variety of whale species may wish to visit the azores during the spring, as blue, fin, sei and humpback whales tend to be spotted in the area at this time of year. Among the resident and migratory species, some common, some rarer, you can see more than 24 different types of cetaceans in the waters of the azores. It is an impressive figure and it corresponds to a third of the total number of existing species. Whale watching holidays the azores the azores holidays. The azores are widely recognized as one of the top destinations in the world for whale spotting. These animals can be seen in many places around the azores but the waters around the islands of pico and sao jorge harbour some of my favourite spots.
Due to the marine influence, temperatures remain mild yearround. The best periode to see whales in the azores is from spring or better may to september there is no ship or boat from lisbon to the azores, only the ferry durng may to the begginig of october between the islands, and the interislands beetween faial, pico and s. Dolphin and whale connection whale watching swimming with dolphins ethical dolphin and whale watching holidays. The best time for whale watching is the summer from april to october, though. Located about halfway between lisbon and new york, the azores are a volcanic group of islands that belong to portugal. Whale watching in august azores message board tripadvisor. When is the best time to see whales and dolphins in the azores. Whale watching and swimming with dolphins tours in azores islands near ponta delgada, in sao miguel. The azores islands, owing to their geographic position, in the middle of the atlantic ocean, a mild climate and natural beauty of the bottom of its sea are undoubtedly one of the best paces for diving in europe, allowing in its crystal clear waters the observation of an amazing diversity of underwater fauna and flora. Join us during your holidays in sao miguel and pico islands. This is an an ecosystem with unique characteristics. The daytime temperature across these months tends to. Whale watching in the azores islands is unquestionably one of the most exciting and unforgettable adventures. Whale watching in the azores gives you a good chance to see the blue whale, the biggest mammal on earth.
Includes information about the area and the cetaceans living there, research project details, environmental policy, newsletter, and. Their geographic location in the atlantic between europe and the americas puts the azores in the unique position to enjoy a perfect balance of seclusion and visitation from transatlantic explorers. Whaletrips azores best tips for whale watching on azores. There 80 species of whales in the world and in the azores may be observed 21 and it is normal to find them throughout the year, including the blue whale.
Yachtbased whale and dolphin research holidays to the azores archipelago. Enjoy your whale and dolphin watching holidays in the azores, portugal. Whale watching in the azores espaco talassa pico island. The best time to visit the azores is quite simply whenever you get the chance. In may and june, baleen whales including blue, sei, fin and humpback whales pass through these waters on their annual migration to their summer feeding grounds in the north atlantic. There are four animals that swim in these waters all year long. Before the ban on whale hunting, these look outs were used to hunt the whales. This practice involves the use of a lookout vigia, a person who searches for whales and dolphins from a high point on land with a longrange binoculars and passes this information to. March in the azores is one of the most exciting months since we consider it as the beginning read more. Whalewatching in the azores which whales to see and when. Swimming with the wild dolpins of the azores archipelago is a life changing experience. There are variations from year to year, for example the season of the baleen whales mostly fin whales, blue whales and sei whales can begin. At futurismo, we offer responsible whale watching and adventure tours in the azores. The azores changed from hunting whales, to whale watching and researching the cetaceans.
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