Whalewatching in the azores which whales to see and when. The azores are located about 850 miles 1,360 km off the coast of portugal. The whaleplanner january a whale watching infographic. The best time for whale watching is the summer from april to october, though. Whale watching in the azores go world travel magazine. The whaleplanner april a whale watching infographic whaletrips. The azores is one of the best places in the world to see whales and dolphins. When is the best time to see whales and dolphins in the azores. 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. Air temperatures range from 1726c during the season with mainly sunshine but occasional rainy days should be expected throughout the summer. Miguel island, azores whale watching activity provides the opportunity to watch up to twenty cetacean species that can be found in the ocean waters of the azores islands. It is an impressive figure and it corresponds to a third of the total number of existing species. If you want to see our iconic whale species, the sperm whale, you could visit any time of the year, although during the summer months you have a higher chance of seeing them. 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.
Among resident and migrant species, common or rare, more than 20 different types of cetaceans can be spotted in the azores. There are 80 species of whales in the world and 24 can be found in. One year of whale watching in just one infographic. Dive with whale sharks in azores snorkeling holidays. Whale watching and swimming with dolphins in azores lying in the middle of the atlantic ocean, more than km west of portugal, the azores comprise an archipelago of nine islands.
April to september is peak whale watching season in the azores, with spring and early summer the best time. 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. Whale and dolphin watching holidays in azores vacations. Here you can find information on the cetacean sightings in our outlets to the sea.
Although whale season is almost over in october we went out on the. Whale and dolphin watching holidays in azores vacations in. Blue whale migration march 2020 cw azores whale watching. A week long whale watching holiday in the azores islands. Azores weather and climate water visibility and dive.
The azores are a sea life paradise for all nature lovers. Mother and baby sperm whales in the azores image via wikimedia commons. The azores changed from hunting whales, to whale watching and researching the cetaceans. You see, its sturdy prow carves big ripples in the sea surface, much bigger and consistent than those of the lighter and faster boats, and, judging by what we saw the dolphins do, these ripples must be so much. We have almost 30 years of experience of whale watching in the azores. Pdf past and recent sperm whales sightings in the azores based. The azores, about 1600 km 992 miles off portugals coast, are basalt tips rising thousands of meters off the midatlantic ridge. When is the best time to see whales and dolphins in the.
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. Blue whale migration 2020 is a special whale watching and research program for. 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. Nine islands in the middle of the north atlantic ocean. 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. For management purposes, the international whaling commission iwc has included the azores archipelago in the east greenland and iceland stocks, but there is little evidence to. How to go whale watching in the azores wapiti travel. Among the resident and migratory species, some common, some rarer, you can see more than 24 different types of cetaceans in. With a donation or an adoption of a whale you can help to make the world a place where whales and dolphins are free and safe. Before the ban on whale hunting, these look outs were used to hunt the whales. Tourist frequentation is still small, the quantity and diversity of the whales observed is high, theres little visual pollution and pico mountain lies in the background. Sperm whale the azores are known, in particular, because of its constant presence of sperm whales. Welcome to one of the 100 most sustainable tourism destinations in the world.
Whales and dolphins are in the ocean around the azores all day long. Similarly, the summer is also the best time to see and swim with dolphins, as during this time we have more dolphin species in the area and the groups tend to be larger. See more ideas about azores, whale watching and whale. 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. Azores is a true paradise for nature lovers with blue lakes smothered in flowers, deep verdant craters of dormant volcanoes and breathtaking landscapes from the mountains. Vacation whale watching activities in portugal expedia. 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. There are four animals that swim in these waters all year long.
Many years prior to the establishment of cw azores, we started to promote whale watching in all 6 continents antarctica is a continent. The azores, and especially lajes do pico, is undoubtedly one of the 10 best whale watching spots in the world, and for sure the best in the azores. Peter whale watching active holidays in faial visit azores. Cloudy skies and rainfall are possible throughout the year, but summer months between june and septemberoctober typically feature sunny days and higher temperatures. Females and calves live in reproduction groups of 20 to 25 individuals. Click here for further details standard accomodation. 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.
The best whale watching and swimming with dolphins location in europe, and a beautiful adventure playground in a very top sustainable islands holidays destination. The vessel is a whalewatching and scientific twohull catamaran, and for part of the year, chris and his wife lisa lead scientific expeditions into the azorean waters. 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. Influenced by the gulf stream, the islands enjoy a mild, breezy climate, with daytime temperatures rarely dipping below 14 c in winter or rising above 25 c in july, making them a good choice for an outdoorsy break in any season. To download the full whaleplanner as a graphic, please just click this link and save. Whale watching in the azores islands is unquestionably one of the most exciting and unforgettable adventures. Whale watching, swim with dolphins and scuba diving on the island of pico azores portugal. 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.
The azores are a 9island archipelago in the middle of the atlantic ocean, enriched by amazing marine wildlife. The operation areas, number of daily trips and other relevant factors are also limited. It is the largest and most comfortable whale watching boat operating on sao miguel island. 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. Located right in the course of the gulf stream, the azores are also one of the areas richest with fish worldwide.
Whens the best time to go whale watching in the azores. Trips last around 3 hours and you can choose to go out in the morning. 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. The azores are a topnotch whale watching hotspot in the world. The commondolphin, the bottlenose dolphin, the risos dolphin and the sperm whale. Peak season is from april through to october whilst in the spring, the larger migratory species are passing through. The captain of this boat, jose, and his small team are born in the azores and love the atlantic ocean and its animals his stories of whale sightings and behaviour are fascinating. For drone pilots, may to september is the best time to fly your drone, but keep in mind weather changes fast in any time of the year. Marinas all along the algarve coastline offer whale and dolphin watching trips, however, its the waters around portugals islands where the countrys best whale watching awaits.
This is an an ecosystem with unique characteristics. Over that period, the island archipelago of the azores is among the best places in the world to go whale watching. Or enjoy the colorful autumn on the azores with trillions of flowers. More than 30% of all the worlds types of whales and dolphins pass the azores on their annual travels between arctic and tropical waters. Whale watching holidays the azores the azores holidays. They represent the emerging peaks of a huge submarine mountain chain known as the midatlantic ridge that divides the entire length of the ocean from north to south. More than a third of all cetaceans species can be sighted here throughout the year. Blue whales, sperm whales and several dolphin species are some examples. 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.
The azores are north of the canary islands and madeira, on roughly the same latitude as lisbon and washington dc. 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. There is a resident sperm whale population in the azores which can be sighted throughout the year. The whaleplanner october a whale watching infographic whaletrips. Whale watching, azores costs dolphin and whale connection. 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. Best time to visit the azores responsible vacation. The azores are in the moderate zone of the northern hemisphere, which means they benefit from an all yearround moderate climate. Season ends at the north american east coast with still good chances to see. The azores island group is located in the central atlantic, 900 miles 1,450 kilometers off the portuguese mainland. Diving with whale sharks santa maria island diving with the worlds largest fish in clear waters is undoubtedly one of the best diving experiences of the azores. The azores are currently one of the worlds largest whale sanctuaries.
Experiencing a whale and dolphin watching tour is a onceina lifetime adventure that no one can. Educational whale watching holidays in the azores there are plenty of whale watching trips to choose from, but not many offer a real insight into the research, the conservation and the issues surrounding these incredible animals. The main season runs from april all the way through the summer to october and during these months different species pass by the azores on their migratory paths april and may are usually a good time to go for a chance to see the larger whales such as blue, fin and sei whales, whilst october can be a good time to spot humpbacks. Whaletrips azores best tips for whale watching on azores. There are numerous organizations that offer azores whale watching tours. Azores whale watching and dolphins is known to be among the best in the world. Whale watching and swimming with dolphins in azores. 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. The azores archipelago is one of the prime whale and dolphin hotspots in the world and around 30% of the worlds known cetacean species have been recorded there. 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. Careful with winds picking up and rain appearing from nowhere rather quickly. We are based in lajes do pico, recognised as one of the top 10 best spots for whale watching in the world we use small and efficient boats with limited size groups in order to limit the impact on wildlife.