Orcas, Whales & More in the Azores

In the cetacean world, six tonnes of animal is barely a drop in the ocean (if you’ll excuse the pun), but when it surfaces literally metres away from you, it is breathtaking. The exhalation of air alerted us to the presence of a large male just over my right shoulder, his saddle patch glowing like the Milky Way against his jet-black back. As he continued to surface, his huge dorsal fin always evident and his white eye patch a stark contrast to the rest of his body, all I could think of was that this lithe, apex predator, cutting smoothly through the swell effortlessly next to me, was heavier than a large African elephant! Quite simply, Mother Nature never fails to astound and delight me.

Little is known about the orca frequenting the Azores. Sightings appear to be increasing in spring especially, although they are still considered a rare species here. Predating on fin whale calves, rays, turtles, tuna and more besides in these rich waters, one match has now been made with an individual more regularly sighted off the Portuguese coast. As such, they are potentially seasonal visitors to the archipelago but could also be oceanic. 

Wherever they are from, we were fortunate to see them twice during our week-long stay. They bookmarked the start and end of what had proved to be a fantastically fruitful week of wildlife watching. We had racked up humpback, sei and sperm whales and bottlenose, short-beaked common and remarkably agile and acrobatic striped dolphins ... not to mention an unexpected crowd pleaser, Atlantic flying fish! 

The weather had played its part, too, enabling us to view the lush and verdant interior of Sao Miguel, complete with its volcanic crater lakes, thermal springs, giant fern-lined valleys and black sand beaches awash with Portuguese man-of-war.

We had been lucky, and we knew it. What better way to celebrate than with piña coladas drunk from locally grown pineapples overlooking the ocean? They were simply the icing on the cake!

Contact our team to find out more or to book your place on our Whales & Dolphins of the Azores holiday.