The azores are located about 850 miles 1,360 km off the coast of portugal. Weve created a series of films showcasing the beauty and character of the amazing azores. With an experience of 14 years, mobydicktours is one of the companies in sao miguel more qualified, and certified, for the azores, whale watching. Our small group, blue whale tour in the azores is an incredible opportunity to observe these giants in their natural habitat, and sightings over the past few years have been exceptional. The azores have hydrothermal resources, which have been known and exploited for centuries. Nine green dots in the vastness of the atlantic ocean, the azores are currently considered one of the best places for whale watching in the world. Set sail around the princess ring islet of vila franca do campo on a cruise, accompanied by a marine biologist guide, and look out for sperm and pilot whales, bottlenose and rissos dolphins, sea turtles, and other marine. Ponta delgada is the cosmopolitan capital of sao miguel island which is the largest and most populated island in the archaepelago. The azores offers the best whale watching opportunities in europe, and each spring the resident sperm whales are joined by other great whales, including the largest animal thought to have ever lived, the blue whale. Join marine eco expeditions to wildlife and nature in the heart of the atlantic ocean.
When youre out at sea the species youre most likely to spot are sperm and pilot whales, beaked whales and false killer whales, together with bottlenose, common, spotted, rissos. As nossas actividades, in sea and on land, let you know the best places on the island of sao miguel, involving you in a constant interaction with nature, and all that it represents, as well as the local. Although we have set departure dates, these are not group tours. The location is a 15minute walk to our base for the boats and the citys beautiful botanical gardens are close by. If you have a dry cough and a fever or are having trouble breathing you should call the azores health line 808 24 60 24 and isolate yourself. Whale watching in sao miguel with terra azul visit azores. Discover the hiking trails of azores, a network of paths, ideal for your walking holidays in portugal, europe. 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. Most tours start at the islands of san miguel, faial and pico, and are usually done by high speedzodiacs for up to 12 persons. Our whale and dolphin watching tours in the azores take place in ponta delgada on the island of sao miguel. Peak season is from april through to october whilst in the spring, the larger migratory species are passing thr.
The azores are ideally located in the middle of the atlantic ocean and are considered one of the ten best places in the world to watch whales and dolphins. If youre in the azores and want to see whales and dolphins, then you have different options. 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. Futurismo azores adventures active holidays in sao. Whale watching tours have been organized since 1990 by futurismo, which is one of the most experienced companies operating in azores. Dolphin and whale watching in the azores dolphin and. With sightings possible all year round, the azores islands are one of the best places for whale watching in the atlantic.
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. Actually, there are whales around each and every island, but not all of the islands offer whale watching trips. 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. 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. This location, in the middle of the atlantic, made it an important starting point for whalers in former times. 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.
Azores best tips for whale watching on azores whaletrips. With majestic whales and friendly dolphins, the blue atlantic ocean becomes even more magic around these nine islands. Whale and dolphin watching from sao miguel island halfday tour. Madeira is often considered a mass tourism destination and is much more commercialized than the azores the azores are more low key, with much less tourism and development no big chain hotels. 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. A full day tour that combines the best of azores is now available for you.
This whale watching activity provides you the opportunity to watch up to twenty cetacean species that can be found in the atlantic ocean. Whether one exploits the escarpments that surround the lakes that filled the volcanic calderas or rows around the small islets to watch sea birds or even to visit caves, all these activities involve a total physical and emotional involvement with the azorean landscape. The first, based on sao miguel, involves direct flights from london to ponta delgada on sao miguel, a short transfer to a marinaside hotel and whale watching excursions focusing on fin and sperm whales with a chance of seeing a passing blue whale and other cetaceans. I know that sao jorge is also a great spot and there are opportunities from terceira and faial as well. You can spot whales on the azores from the biggest islands. See more ideas about azores, whale watching and whale. Whale watching ponta delgada sao miguel azores on travel. 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. Nov 28, 2017 in the azores we booked whale watching from sao miguel. We have received the exciting news that one of these two whales was seen of northeast iceland in. The azores are a topnotch whale watching destination. And i must say very informative, about the dolphins as well the whales, sorry i did not get. Last summer i and some friends did some whale watching in the azores, loots and loots of fun. 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.
In the azores we booked whale watching from sao miguel. Whale and dolphin watching holidays in azores vacations in. More than a third of all cetaceans species can be sighted here throughout the year. It was the peak of whale watching season when we visited the azores. Embark on a once in a lifetime experience with an unbeatable dolphin and whale watching excursion in the azores islands highlights gaze at the expanse of the atlantic ocean spot whales and dolphins in their natural environment admire the unparalleled beauty of. Blue whales, sperm whales and several dolphin species are some examples. Whale watching in the azores, check our programs futurismo. To maximize our chance to see whales, we decided to try on sao miguel first and see how things went. 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. Watch the whales and dolphins in any vessel at your choice. Pico is the best place to see these amazing creatures. Although nature offers no guarantee, whales and dolphins are regularly see during ours trips, along with turtles, seabirds and other marine life.
Whale watching and dolphins swimming in the azores islands, portugal. The portuguese islands of the azores sit conveniently in the middle of the midatlantic feeding grounds of the worlds largest animal. Multiscale habitat preference analyses for azorean blue whales. 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. Sao miguel park hotel ponta delgada, sao miguel island, azores we have chosen this beautiful 4star hotel as our guest accommodation because of its excellent location and facilities. The azores are currently one of the worlds largest whale sanctuaries. An assessment of sperm whale occurrence and social. Go whale watching from sao miguel in the azores retired.
Location of our whale and dolphin watching tours in the azores. In the afternoon proceed for a fantastic big truck tour through the most incredible places on the island. Start with an amazing whale and dolphin watching in the sea of azores and after that enjoy a delicious lunch in a traditional restaurant. 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. Get up close and personal with them on this boat trip along the coast of sao miguel. Swimming with dolphins in sao miguel, azores whale watching. Sao miguel and pico have the best whale watching opportunities. Located about halfway between lisbon and new york, the azores are a volcanic group of islands that belong to portugal. 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. I want to go on a whale watching tour but im not sure what tour operator offers the best service. Whaletrips azores best tips for whale watching on azores.
However, in the vicinity of sao miguel island, the highest available values 45 cm2s2 were preferred. 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. It is an impressive figure and it corresponds to a third of the total number of existing species. More than 30% of all the worlds types of whales and dolphins pass the azores on their annual travels between arctic and tropical waters. Watch amazing hd underwater and drone footage of sperm whales in the azores. These sports can be practised in the azores both in internal waters on open sea. The azores are home to all kinds of whales and marine life. Azores big truck and dolphins watching in sao miguel island. Are you looking for a responsible whale watching tour in the azores. Sao miguel park hotel ponta delgada, sao miguel island.
How to plan the perfect trip to portugals azores en route. Azores airlines has information on stopovers, and i also wrote an article about planning a stopover. I can not say with confidence or experience that there are opportunities from the other islands. Among resident and migrant species, common or rare, more than 20 different types of cetaceans can be spotted in the azores. 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. If you book a whale and dolphin watching holiday to the main azorean island of sao miguel with archipelago choice the chances are that your trips will start either from the marina in ponta delgada, the capital, or from vila franca which was the capital until it was destroyed by an earthquake back in. One such area is the azores archipelago, where details of their year. We try to visit different areas around the coasts of the islands during the tour and would expect 3, 4 or 6 full days whale watching and 1 to 2 shore days, depending on the tour.
Azores archipelago lie in an arc along the midatlantic ridge, rising to just over 2,347 metres at their highest point, mount pico. Dolphins in the channel between pico and sao jorge image courtesy of marinhera fernanda. There are 3 groups of islands, the eastern group sao miguel, santa maria, the central group faial, pico, sao jorge, teceira and graciosa and the western group corvo and. The azores archipelago is situated in the atlantic ocean miles west of portugal. Located right in the course of the gulf stream, the azores are also one of the areas richest with fish worldwide. Nov 01, 2016 how to plan the perfect trip to portugals azores whale watch, hike a volcano and embrace rugged landscapes with an actionpacked trip to the archipelago. There are various springs of natural carbonic water, waterfalls and iron water pools, which have been used since the sixteenth century.
I am visiting sao miguel in the last week of august. Whale and dolphin watching is possible throughout the whole year due to the great number of species existing in the waters of the archipelago. Join a marine wildlife expedition to find out more about whales, dolphins, and sea life in the heart of the atlantic. 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. Go whale watching from sao miguel in the azores retired and. However, the south coast is quite built up, namely around the capital funchal. Swim with dolphins in azores couldnt ask for a better experience enjoying nature and conservation efforts to protect and respect these ocean creatures.
We left the marina in ponta delgada and took a 45 min ride to where the spotters had seen some whales. Before the whale watching trip a briefing is given to go over the characteristics of the species to be observed as well as safety measures, procedures of protection of species and some historical facts. Whalewatching in the azores which whales to see and when. We debated whether to go whale watching from sao miguel at the beginning of our visit or wait until we visited faial later in the trip. The best time for whale watching is the summer from april to october, though. 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. The baleen whales like blue whales, fin whales, sei whales, minke whales and humpback whales passes by azores during springtime march to early. It is the largest and most comfortable whale watching boat operating on sao miguel island. Whale watching ponta delgada sao miguel island azores. Whale watching from ponta delgada sao miguel azores. During this activity you will have the opportunity to watch some of more than 25 cetacean species that can be found in the azores.
Choose the best time to go to increase the chances of seeing more species. Top 12 things to do on sao miguel island, the azores at sao miguel you can go whale watching from delgada, relax in terra nostra park, dine next to a volcano, or cool off at the. This is an an ecosystem with unique characteristics. Walbeobachtung in sao miguel mit terra azul visit azores. Apr 22, 2016 during the last two days we have enjoyed the company of two humpback whales off sao miguel island. For this new whale watching holiday to the azores we are offering two separate itineraries. Whale and dolphin watching holidays in azores vacations. Whens the best time to go whale watching in the azores.
Join us on one of our exciting whale watching holidays. If you book a whale and dolphin watching holiday to the main azorean island of sao miguel with archipelago choice the chances are that your trips will start either from the marina in ponta delgada, the capital, or from vila franca which was the capital until it was destroyed by an earthquake back in the early 1500s. During the last two days we have enjoyed the company of two humpback whales off sao miguel island. No two tours have the same itinerary since we go where the whales and dolphins are. There are 3 groups of islands, the eastern group sao miguel, santa maria, the central group faial, pico, sao jorge, teceira and graciosa and the western group corvo and flores it is the only land between america and europe. Azores whale watching beauty of the azores, episode 1. From the biggest and in my opinion, also the most beautiful island. Plan your trip and enjoy these walking tours through nature. Swimming with dolphins in sao miguel, azores dolphin and.
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