Whale watching in the Azores

Sample tailor-made journey, fully customisable

Country

Açores

Suggested duration

8 days / 7 nights

The spirit of the journey

The Azores... small volcanic islands isolated some 1,600 kilometres from the nearest coast, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Here, more than 27 cetacean species have been recorded in the Azores: in other words, one of the best observation hubs in the northern hemisphere.
We invite you to go out and meet them, to observe them, to approach them to take photographs, and to listen to them.
It is on a small volcanic island, the island of Pico, home to a scientific observation base equipped with an excellent lookout point, that you will head out to sea every day aboard a zodiac.
You will be accompanied by a team of enthusiasts and scientists with whom you will share these remarkable moments, in strict accordance with the observation code of ethics.

Day by day

Sample tailor-made journey, fully customisable

You will fly in to the small island of Pico, a small volcanic island in the Azores, set within a peaceful environment.
The team from the observation base will be there to welcome you on arrival and take you to the small village of Lajes do Pico, a whale sanctuary in the Azores.

You will stay 7 nights in a typical guesthouse-style hotel next to the harbour. The team will welcome you in a warm, informal atmosphere.

From the harbour, every morning you will head out to sea to encounter one of the 27 marine mammal species recorded in the Azores.
Once in the presence of the whales, you will be able to observe, listen to, and approach them to take photographs. In doing so, you actively contribute to their study and protection.
At sea, the observation code of ethics is strictly followed. It will also be an opportunity to help gather scientific data: underwater recordings, species observed.

You organise your afternoons at your own pace, according to how you wish to spend your holiday.

A few sample excursions:
– visit to the whalers’ museum, which houses an important collection of scrimshaw (sperm whale ivory carving)
– hike to the Queimada lookout, with sweeping views over the ocean
– ascent on foot of Mount Pico volcano (by day or night)
– various hikes of 1 to 4 hours through vineyards, along the coast…
– sea kayak outing to the tide line, followed by a swim in solitude
– horseback ride towards the island’s point
– mountain biking along the island’s trails
… or simply enjoy the cool Azorean air by the ocean, which, in the end, is never very far from your hotel.

Ambiance des Açores

Whale watching à Pico

À la limite des “eaux chaudes” et des “eaux froides” de l’Atlantique nord, l’archipel des Açores est sans nul doute l’un des meilleurs pôles d’observation de cétacés dans l’hémisphère nord, parce que les îles sont à l’écart des grandes routes de la marine marchande, que la navigation de plaisance n’a pas encore fait les ravages que nous connaissons en Europe continentale, et que les gros émetteurs de polluants sont relativement éloignés.