I went on boat trip with fiturismo azores adventure to see whales and dolphins we didnt see any whales but we saw lots of dolphins it was exciting to see the dolphins coming. The islands of the azores are also a geopark a nationally protected area which works closely with unesco and recognised as an important area for whale and dolphin watching with some 25 different species. The surrounding waters are one of the worlds largest whale and dolphin sanctuaries, where more than 20 different species can be spotted. But volcanic hot spots, wild swimming, and many dramatic cycling trails and ancient hiking paths, especially on faial and pico, are pretty hard to beat. Whale watching in the azores special interestportugal. The sea colors azores has a very friendly and professional team. A whale and dolphin watching tour is definitely on my list of top 5 things to do in the azores.
I was born in flores and have planned a vacation in july. Serge left in front of his whale watching base on pico. Whalewatching in the azores which whales to see and when. Join marine eco expeditions to wildlife and nature in the heart of the atlantic ocean. It seems currently there is a 14 day quarantine for anyone arriving in ponta delgada. How to go whale watching in the azores wapiti travel. The area now has a great natural swimming area that you can see in the next picture. Sao miguel is a truly beautiful island and is located in the azores archipelago in. Whale conservation project in the azores the great projects. Futurismo azores adventures ponta delgada all you need to. Youll also visit pico islands whaling museum and cetaceans observation base, and discover the island of terceira on a fullday tour.
Here at the terra azul base in sao miguel island, we provide unique and interactive holiday experiences in the marine wildlife oasis of the azores islands. Whale watching futurismo azores adventures, ponta delgada. They really love marine wildlife and the ocean, doing professional research and marine conservation sin. They have an obvious interest in the preservation of nature and the respect for animals and people, they provide.
The azores are home to all kinds of whales and marine life. The lince azores ponta delgada, sao miguel island, azores a 15 minutes walk from our boat base, the lince azores has all the convenient amenities you would expect from a hotel of this standard. Black sand beaches around the island as well as thermal areas where you can bathe. Our whale watching trips have a strong educational element with multimedia briefings before each trip and debriefings on return to shore. 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 islands of the azores. 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. The daytime temperature across these months tends to. Choose from the privacy of a chauffeured vehicle or the fun of joining others in motorcoach rides while exploring the beautiful azores islands. Although we have set departure dates, these are not group tours.
If youre in the azores and want to see whales and dolphins, then you have different options. 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. A 15 minutes walk from our boat base, the lince azores has all the convenient amenities you would expect from a hotel of this standard. Whale watching holidays the azores the azores holidays. Everything in lajes, which is the oldest and probably the most charming of picos three municipalities, reminds of glorious. With 30 years of experience, futurismo is a pioneer and leader in whale and dolphin watching. Whale watching in the azores, check our programs futurismo. Among the resident and migratory species, some common, some rarer, you can see more than 24 different types of cetaceans in. Azores whale watching and dolphins is known to be among the best in the world.
Dolphin whale watching do the boats only set out from sao miguel, or other islands from which i can depart. Whale watching in the azores special interestportugal saga. Oceanemotion is a company specialized on whale watching and others sea activities, operating on terceira island, azores, portugal, with an office in angra do heroismo marina. Which azores islands offer the best dolphin and whale watching opportunities.
The baleen whales like blue whales, fin whales, sei whales, minke whales and humpback whales passes by azores during springtime march to early june on their way to the arctic waters to feed. The area has changed in the past thirty years, now that whaling is no longer practiced in the azores. It is possible to observe sei, fin and blue whales, at this time, as well as short finned pilot whales, orca. The azores are currently one of the worlds largest whale sanctuaries. The azores archipelago is a group of nine distinct islands, lying on the same latitude as new york and lisbon, around 950 miles from the portuguese capital. It is an impressive figure and it corresponds to a third of the total number of existing species.
Among resident and migrant species, common or rare, more than 20 different types of cetaceans can be spotted in the azores. You can spot whales on the azores from the biggest islands. Actually, there are whales around each and every island, but not all of the islands offer whale watching trips. Watch for whales and dolphins on this special holiday in the azores. Even if every time we are at sea we are used to meeting 2 or 3 different species on average, every day is a new one. Whale and dolphin watching is naturally right up there in the best things to do in the azores. Whale watching tours have been organized since 1990 by futurismo, which is one of the most experienced companies operating in azores.
Whale watching and dolphin watching outside sao miguel. Whales and whaling play an important part in the history and culture of the azores. 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. This is an an ecosystem with unique characteristics. Between march and may, the largest animals on the planet arrive in the azores on their annual migration to feast on the spring bloom of plankton around the islands. Peak season is from april through to october whilst in the spring, the larger migratory species are passing through. 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. Is there a beekeeping supply store source on sao miguel.
Whale watching and dolphin watching outside sao miguel island. The lince azores ponta delgada, sao miguel island, azores. Between 2008 and 2017 we have registered more than 11 thousand sightings in a universe of more than 20 different whale and dolphin species. Futurismo is a big reference in the whale watching in the azores with about 30 years of knowledge. Over that period, the island archipelago of the azores is among the best places in the world to go whale watching. Whale watching in pico, terceira and sao miguel is typically. Futurismo azores adventures ponta delgada all you need. Whale watching in the azores, terceira island oceanemotion. Mesoplodon mirus, trues beaked whale kogia simus, dwarf sperm whale eubalaena glacialis, northern right whale. Whale watching in the azores espaco talassa pico island. 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.
Peak season is from april through to october whilst in the spring, the larger migratory species are passing thr. The azores are located about 850 miles 1,360 km off the coast of 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. Whale and dolphin watching outside sao miguel island.
The azores changed from hunting whales, to whale watching and researching the cetaceans. No two tours have the same itinerary since we go where the whales and dolphins are. This will probably be the most expensive activity youd do in the azores but is absolutely worth it. Join a marine wildlife expedition to find out more about whales, dolphins, and sea life in the heart of the atlantic. Whaletrips azores best tips for whale watching on azores. From the biggest and in my opinion, also the most beautiful island. This location, in the middle of the atlantic, made it an important starting point for whalers in former times.
Thermal bath terra nostra sao miguel seems like most of these can be done on sao miguel, but i have also heard from a friend that if i wanna make the best of. Join an exciting marine wildlife tour with biologists and naturalist guides, to see and learn more about whales, dolphins, turtles, fish, birds, and the. Last summer i and some friends did some whale watching in the azores, loots and loots of fun. Lajes do pico going south following the coastal road that runs all around the island, the next major point of interest is the town of lajes, probably the synonym for the art of whale fishing of former times replaced by todays whalewatching in the azores. Whale and dolphin watching from sao miguel island halfday tour. However, in the vicinity of sao miguel island, the highest available values 45 cm2s2 were preferred.
The village of capelas was once the site of a whaling factory in sao miguel azores. 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. Tours operate from march to october and are of either 5, 7 or 9 nights duration. We are based in lajes do pico, recognised as one of the top 10 best spots for whale watching in the world. Whale and dolphin watching in azores aye wanderful. 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. 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. 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.
Many whales and dolphins pass through the region as part of their migration routes while some are resident species. Tea factories in the town of gorreana and porto formoso. Our tours whale watching in the azores can be done on the main island of sao miguel direct flights from the uk or the remote islands transit via lisbon, and you can choose to take three or more dolphin and whale watching boat tours during your holiday. Whale watching in the azores islands is unquestionably one of the most exciting and unforgettable adventures. Today, you can spot about 30% of all types of whales from all over the world from here, including blue whales, finbacks and sperm whales. Multiscale habitat preference analyses for azorean blue whales. Sperm whale the azores are known, in particular, because of its constant presence of sperm whales. Coronavirus measures in the azores regional health authority. There is a good sized outdoor pool set in well kept gardens with sun loungers for guests, a gym and sauna. Join an exciting marine wildlife tour with biologists and naturalist guides, to see and learn more about whales, dolphins, turtles, fish, birds, and the seasons marine biodiversity of the azores islands.
We use small and efficient boats with limited size groups in order to limit the impact on wildlife. Whale watching and swimming with dolphins tours in azores islands near ponta delgada, in sao miguel. 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. Azores whale watching terra azul vila franca do campo. And i must say very informative, about the dolphins as well the whales, sorry i did not get. See more ideas about azores, whale watching and whale. Some of our encounters with blue whales a few fin whales also included during the 2012 baleen whale season. Whale watching in the azores gives you a good chance to see the blue whale, the biggest mammal on earth. Expedition pour observer les baleines aux acores propose par azores whale watching terra azul. 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. It is the largest and most comfortable whale watching boat operating on sao miguel island.