From whale watching and scuba-diving to swimming with dolphins in the Azores, we offer you the opportunity to observe some of the world's most beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.

From your base amongst the spectacular scenery of Pico Island in the mid-Atlantic ocean you can swim with dolphins, go dolphin and whale watching, scuba diving or explore the countryside. You can find out more details and prices of trips and accommodation and contact us here.

Swimming with Dolphins in the Azores

Take a moment to relax – imagine diving into the deep blue ocean. As you open your eyes you find yourself in a new world: the underwater kingdom of the dolphins. We can make this dream come true...

Once in the water discover an overwhelming sensation of freedom and peace with the sonar sounds of the dolphins echoing through your body and the deep and endless blue around you.

While swimming with dolphins in the Azores you can observe them in their natural habitat feeding, mating, jumping, communicating or bow riding in front of our boat. You will discover how they protect their babies and how they behave as a social group.

After years of running this programme we know the Azorean waters well and know where to find the dolphins. We always treat the dolphins with utmost respect and use the conditions at sea and their behaviour to identify the best time to join them.

Our experienced guides will prepare you for the trip, teaching you how to behave appropriately around the dolphins so that you have the very best experience possible. Every day out at sea is different and every experience is unique. So if you want a deeper understanding of the dolphins' way of life we suggest that you join us on a minimum of 6 excursions.

On our boat rides, as well as the dolphins, we often meet whales and turtles, and sometimes large fish such as Sun-fish and Blue Marlin. Who knows what you might spot– we have seen it all!

So be our guest and join us on our trips into the other world – the blue kingdom of the dolphins.

In the Azores there are laws in place to protect the dolphins and whales. You may only swim with the small dolphin species and it is strictly forbidden to touch the mammals or use scuba gear by them. We observe the dolphins from the water surface using only snorkels, masks and fins. If you have never been snorkeling before we offer a short beginner's course so that you can confidently swim with the dolphins.

Contact us for more information about swimming with dolphins in the Azores

Whale and Dolphin Watching

During our daily (3 hour) tours to the whales and dolphins we may encounter up to 5 different species of cetaceans. We approach all the animals very cautiously, taking care not to disturb them. This is the key to a successful encounter. It is up to the animals to decide whether they want to come close to the boats or not. Sometimes we only get a glimpse of a blow, a fluke or a fin. With a little luck however, a whale might peek out of the water (“spyhop”) or even breach. Seeing these majestic creatures in real life is an experience you'll never forget. Since 1999 we have spotted dolphins or whales on 99% of trips. We also offer week-long dolphin and whale safaris.

Scuba-diving

Scuba diving is among the best in the world, despite (or because of!) the cold Atlantic conditions. Most diving locations guarantee an encounter with the big fishes of the Atlantic and spectacular lava formations. We frequently observe large schools of mackerel (e.g. Trachinotus ovatus, Trachurus picturatus), barracudas (Sphyraena viridensis), yellow-fin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and trigger fish (Balister carolinensis). Common sting rays (Taeniura grabata) grow to an enormous size in these waters and even spectacular encounters with large mantas (Manta birostris) are not uncommon.

The underwater scenery alters between basaltic rock formations with canyons and caves and open sand flats. Each little cave or rock can be home to a variety of large and small marine animals, such as moray eels, octopus, lobster, spiral tube worms, sea urchins and sea spiders.

Night diving is spectacular and amazingly easy at selected sheltered spots along the coast. During night dives we have been fascinated by the dazzling colours of huge swarms of small shrimps, as well as nudibranchs, alicia mirabilis anemonees, and, depending on the time of the year, also biolumines- cent plankton (causing the so-called ocean glow).

Details and Booking

Location:Madalena, Pico, Azores. There are direct flights from Portugal, the UK, Germany and some other European countries

Activities and Prices:
Swimming with dolphins in the Azores from €55 per person
Introduction to Snorkelling €70 per person.
Whale and Dolphin Watching from €50 per person
Scuba-diving from €28 per person
Sailing Trips, €60 for five hours incl refreshments.
In addition to our in-, on- and under water activities we organise a variety of land-based tours. These include island tours by car to explore Pico, climbing the volcano Pico, exploring the biggest Lava cave of Europe, cultural excursions and visits to distilleries and cheese factories (depending on the season), as well as day-trips to the neighbouring islands of Sao Jorge and Faial. We also rent bikes.

Accommodation offered? Yes, we can arrange accommodation in holiday homes, apartments, hotels and guest houses around Madalena and Piedade.

Languages spoken: English, Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish.

Professionals We have worked with world class photographers from organisations such as the National Geographic and Getty Images. Contact us for more information

Beginners are welcome.
Children are welcome on our trips. We also offer a baby sitter service for all babies up to 3 years old. During your diving, whale watching or mountain climbing the baby will stay with Fatima, our experienced baby sitter. In her house there are beds, toys and everything the little ones might need. €2.50 per hour.

Please us the form below to book your trip or request more information about diving or swimming with dolphins in the Azores

Thank-you for your interest in all our trips: whale watching, scuba diving and swimming with dolphins in the Azores. We hope to see you soon


whale watching and swimming with dolphins in the Azores photos copyrighted