Blue whale watching in the Azores, Pico Island

Planet

WHALE WATCHING, ANIMAL WELFARE AND RESEARCH

The five whale and dolphin watching expeditions are operated by a long-established local company with a strong marine biology and research programme. Wildlife welfare is central to the way trips operate, not simply a regulatory requirement.
Whales and dolphins are never fed, trained or artificially attracted to the boats. Traditional land-based lookouts locate naturally occurring wildlife offshore, and crews follow local approach distances and operating rules. The team will also go beyond the minimum required where they believe an animal is becoming crowded. If several boats begin gathering around the same whale or dolphin group, the skipper may choose to leave the encounter — even if their boat arrived first and guests would prefer to remain — rather than add further pressure to the animal.
Research is integrated into the operation, with marine biologists and researchers collecting photographs, species records, locations and behavioural observations that contribute to long-term monitoring and photo-identification work around the Azores.
The company also supports students and researchers, including postgraduate and PhD-level projects and scientific collaborations.

MARINE EDUCATION AND PRACTICAL CONSERVATION

The local marine team is involved in education and community outreach, including work with schools and young people to increase awareness of whales, dolphins and the wider marine environment.
They also take part in practical initiatives such as beach and coastal clean-ups and marine-litter projects. These sit alongside scientific research and public education, helping connect tourism with conservation work taking place locally.

People

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND SMALL-SCALE TOURISM

The vacation is centerd on Lajes do Pico and works with locally based whale-watching teams, guides and accommodation providers.
The traditional land-based vigias, once associated with the islands’ whaling industry, now use their detailed knowledge of the ocean to help locate whales and dolphins for wildlife observation. This transformation is an important part of Pico’s modern relationship with cetaceans and marine tourism.
Guests stay at a family-run hotel in Lajes, close to the harbour, while the included island tour and vineyard walk introduce them to local communities, landscapes and traditions away from the whale-watching programme.

EDUCATION AND THE NEXT GENERATION

The specialist talks included during the week give guests direct access to marine science and encourage a deeper understanding of cetaceans, their behaviour, migration and the research used to study them.
By combining repeated wildlife encounters with interpretation and learning, the programme aims to leave guests with a greater understanding of the animals and the wider Atlantic environment rather than treating whale watching as a standalone sightseeing activity.

CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT

We favour local partners whose approach is based on experienced wildlife observation, specialist knowledge and meaningful interpretation.
We regularly review the vacations we offer and work with our local partners to keep the programme accurate, responsible and flexible around the realities of wildlife and North Atlantic weather.