Whale Watching With Dive Azores

Whale & Dolphin Watching Info:

The whale watching season, from April to October, is dictated by the weather and not by the absence of cetaceans, which are seen year round. In fact, the Azorean waters are a sanctuary in the Atlantic for whales and dolphins, with more than 27 species reported to the islands, and one of the best places in the world for observing marine mammals in the wild.

Every whale watching tour is an unique experience and the sightings vary. The impressive sperm whale is a year-round resident. Regular dolphin sightings include the common, risso's, bottlenose, atlantic spotted and striped dolphins; pilot whales are common during the summer.
Baleen whales like the fin whale, blue whale, sei whale and minke whale are best spotted between April and June when passing near Faial and Pico islands migrating north.

Snorkeling With Dolphins in Azores

In the Azores we are allowed by law to snorkel with 5 different species of dolphins and snorkeling with whales is forbidden. All the dolphins are wild and free and the encounters are always in deep waters. Thus, good snorkeling experience is mandatory and will be assessed before the trip.
Snorkeling with dolphins is possible during a regular whale and dolphin watching trip, but only if the sea conditions and the behaviour of the dolphins allow. A maximum of 4 snorkellers can join in each trip and only 2 are allowed in the water at the same time. A detailed briefing is provided prior to embark.
The skipper is in charge of assessing the conditions and coordinating the activity. A second crew member helps and keeps an eye on the snorkellers. Our first priority at all times is your safety and safety of the dolphins.
In order to minimise the impact on the dolphins we enter the water as quietly as possible and just stay floating at the surface with a mask, snorkel and fins.
In-water encounters seem to be closer and more fruitful if the snorkeller remains motionless.
The dolphins are then free to approach and satisfy their natural curiosity. Although a thrilling and unique experience, snorkeling with wild dolphins is not an activity without risks.
Touching the dolphins is NOT permitted on our expeditions. Don’t forget that these dolphins are wild; trying to touch them can only scare them away or result in a potential aggressive behaviour. You should always stay close to the boat and stick to the rules of our experienced crew members.
Not to disturb the dolphins we don’t stay more than 15 minutes with the same group of animals.
If the skipper decides that the conditions are not ideal for the activity the decision must be accepted by all.

For more information visit our site or contact us:

www.diveazores.net
info@diveazores.net

The Blue Whale Season, Faial, Azores.

In the months of, April, May, and June, blue wahles cross the atlantic going north to feed, and they pass in Azores close to Faial and Pico islands.
The sitings of blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) are frequent when the weather is good to go out.
This is the perfect time to book your whale watching holidays to observe these speacies in Azores.

If you need information about whale watching or scuba diving in Faial island, please contact Dive Azores. We can also recomend the best option of acomodation for you (roural tourism, Hotels, guest houses, bed and breackfast or rooms, you choose the tipe and budjet) and rent a car in Faial, Horta.

Just send us one email to:

info@diveazores.net

and visit,

www.diveazores.net

Photos by Dive Azores

Atlantic Spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis)

Spearm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Whales and Dolphins of the Azores

More then 20 speacies of cetaceans reported for Azorean Waters:

The most comon and possible to find all the year are,
Comon dolphin (Delphinus delphis);
Botlenose dolphin (Thrusiops truncatus);
Risos dolphin (Grampus griseus);
Sperm whale (Phiseter macrocephalus);

Some speacies migrate to the Azores in the Summer months,
Spoted dolphinn (Stenela fontalis)
Pilot whale (Globicephala machrorincus)

Some balean whales are also spoted in Azores but mainly in Spring,
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Fin whale (Balaenoptera phisalus)
Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
Mink whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

This abundunce and diversity in cetaceans makes the Azores one of the best places in the world for Whale and Dolphin Watching.
The economical importance of the activity is incrasing, and the Azorean Goverment and the Whale Watching companies are having a very important role, maintaning the activity ecologicaly sustaynable and responsible.

Some History

During the 19th and 20th centurie the american and english whale unting fleets explored the spearm whale hunting in the Azores. Many Azoreans where recruted to the crews of the factory boats.
Some Azorean companies started to apear.
The whales where spoted by lookouts on land and the whailors where called by a rocket noise. The Azorean canoes where sent to sea and the position of the spearm whale signaled with flags and smooke by the lookout.
The spearm whales killed, where trasported to land where they where proceced in the factories.

Pico and Faial island where the most important islans where whale hunting occoured, mainly because the cetaceans aproach close to the land, due to the great depths of the ocean near shore. In the mid 1980´s, whale hunting was forbiden in Azores and almost all over the world. A new activitie takes place. Whales and Dolphins Watching.

Now some of the old whailors help the new activitie with their knowledge in the lookouts and the factories where converted in museums maintaining the culture alive.