Whale Watching in the Azores

Whale watching in the Azores: photos and review by Alain Debord

Over twenty species of cetaceans live in the Azeorean sea. The majesty of the spermwhale, the grace of the dolphins, the sudden shiver of a group of passing killer whales, or the rare sight of a blue whale are the basic features of this marine beauty.

A whalewatching tour is really an exciting experience with a comfortable boat (a motorized catamaran) and an experienced crew. There are from 4 to 10 people in the boat, which allows each whalewatcher a good view. I have done 4 tours with Peter from Peter's Bar, and I really enjoyed the marine spectacle, with some incredible moments of emotion.

The first time, we spotted some fin whales (20 m long, the second largest whale in the world). You could see only the back, the breathing, and if you are lucky the tail or the head of the whale. Believe me, it is really a big animal, and you wonder how men could have hunted them, as they are very quiet and nice animals.

Dolphins are also a funny entertainment. They swim very quickly and surf on the front of the boat. Some could do spectacular jumps. Common dolphins with their yellow strip along their body are the best acrobats. Bottlenose dolphins are biggest and their face is very expressive and friendly (remember Flipper the dolphin).

Nevertheless the biggest emotion came when we saw two blue whales. There are very rare, only 200 in the northern Atlantic. It was a privilege to spot them. They are so huge, imagine, they are the biggest animals that have been created on earth (including dinosaurs!). At 30 m long, their bodies are incredibly large. Their breath is 15 m high. I will remember all my life this whale show! And last but not least we saw their tail! To finish the last day, we spent about one hour with three killer whales! With their black and white body they are very elegant whales (similar to "Free Willy" movie).