Whale Watching in Azores, Faial Island

Whale Watching Azores

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We have from April until October packages with accommodation in Horta and around Faial Island. Our packages include: transfer from/to Horta airport, accommodation and whale watching trips.
There is a very good variety of accommodations types you can choose from. Hotels, bed and breakfast, apartments, guest houses and rural tourism are the most common options.

Please feel free to visit our web site or send us an email.

We will be happy to provide any information you may need.

http://www.diveazores.net/
info@diveazores.net
Our whale watching trips are always guided by experienced skippers and biologist that provides all the information about the biology and behavior of the animals. Before each trip we conduct a detailed briefing about the trip and the cetaceans of the Azores.
We are very cautious while approaching the animals to minimize the disturbance. When our skippers feel that the animals may be disturbed they increase the observation distance.

We practice responsible whale watching!

www.diveazores.net/
info@diveazores.net

Dive Azores Location and Maps

2011-01-27T21:41:00.002-01:00

View Dive Azores in a larger map

Whale Watching Azores

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Here you can see some pictures of sperm whales and bottlenose dolphins. Two of the most common species you can see while whale watching off Faial Island.

Whale Watching in Azores, Faial island, Spring 2010. The season of the giants.

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Blue whales, baleias azuis, Balaenoptera musculus, www.diveazores.net

All these images where taken by Dive Azores staff members, www.diveazores.net,

in the whale watching trips of April and May of 2010 off Faial and Pico islands.

Fin whale, baleia comun, Balaenoptera physalus, www.diveazores.net

Sei whale, Sardinheira, Balaenoptera borealis, www.diveazores.net

The beggining of the whale watching season of 2010 was amazing. In April and May we have seen the biguest animals of the planet on a dayli basis. Bule whales, fin whales and sei whales are common off the islands of Faial and Pico in the spring, where they feed on krill, and then migrate north to their summer feeding grouds.

If you need any information about whale watching from faial island please send us an email to,

info@diveazores.net . http://www.diveazores.net/

Whale Watching With Dive Azores

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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

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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.

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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

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Atlantic Spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis)

Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Whales and Dolphins of the Azores

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More than 20 species of cetaceans reported for the Azorean Waters:

The most common and possible to find all the year are,
Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis);
Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus);
Risso´s dolphin (Grampus griseus);
Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus);
Some species migrate to the Azores during the Summer months,
Spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis)
Pilot whale (Globicephala machrorhincus)

Baleen whales are observed in Azores mainly in Spring,
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
Mink whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

This abundance 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 increasing, and the Azorean Government and the Whale Watching companies are having a very important role, maintaining the activity ecologically sustainable and responsible.

Some History

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During the 19th and 20th century the American and English whale hunting fleets explored the sperm whale hunting in the Azores. Many Azoreans where recruited to the crews of the factory boats.
Some Azorean companies started to appear.
The whales where spotted by lookouts on land and the wailers where called by a rocket noise. The Azorean canoes where sent to sea and the position of the sperm whale signaled with flags and smoke by the lookout.
The sperm whales killed, where transported to land where they where proceeded in the factories.

Pico and Faial island where the most important islands where whale hunting occurred, mainly because the cetacean’s approach close to the land, due to the great depths of the ocean near shore. In the mid 1980´s, whale hunting was forbidden in Azores and almost all over the world. A new activity takes place. Whale and Dolphin Watching.

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