Azores whale watching and walking holiday

Planet

The way the boats approach the whales follow local regulations to protect the marine life. We only use licensed boat operators who are very sensitive to the well-being of the dolphins and whales. There is a good spirit of cooperation amongst the boat companies and agreements to respect the animals as a priority.

Research is ongoing on the boats, so these trips are helping to build our knowledge of these fantastic animals. Many of the skippers are professional photographers and maintain a comprehensive photo ID database, in particular sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales. The more we can learn about the whales and dolphins of the Azores the better we can understand things like their migrations and social structures. All this moves us closer to protecting them and the marine environment in a more knowledgeable, effective way.

Guests are encouraged to send in any photos they have taken on the whale watching trips that can be used in the ongoing photo identification projects. Every trip has a huge emphasis on conservation and sustaining the marine environment so future generations may also have the privilege of seeing marine mammals in the wild.

Walking is low impact and our guides educate our guests on the incredible biodiversity found on the islands and the dangers of climate change. There are many endemic plant and wildlife species that our guests will learn about.
We encourage our guests to bring their own re-usable water bottle from home and reduce their water use on the islands. We hope that our guests, having learnt about the Azores use of renewable energy, consider their usage when they return home.

Much of the Azores, including it’s surrounding ocean, is protected and our walks take our guests through magnificent untouched nature reserves.

The accommodations we provide reduce, reuse and recycle - for example they use a water bottle refill scheme and are committed to using up to 25% renewable energy in their new projects.