From the 3rd to the 24th of October we sighted 6 different species of Cetaceans!
One Species of Baleen Whale: Fin Whale.
Two Species of Toothed Whales: Sperm Whales and Beaked Whales.
Four Species of Dolphins: Bottlenose, Common, Striped, Risso’s and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins.
Weather is again giving us a hard time… Waves are perfect for the Dolphins to surf but not so good for us the Whale Watchers…
But on the days that we were able to go out (on some days with a high amount of adrenaline and excitement running through us – but always safe of course! Safety first!) we had great encounters.
From playful Dolphins, to calm and giant gentle mother Sperm Whales with their calves swimming peacefully, to two very fast travelling Fin Whales!
On the 23rd of October we shared a very lucky adventure with our Whale Watchers. At some point it was raining a lot! Rain that was not supposed to happen, according to the weather forecast. But here in the Azores we never know. The weather is a constant surprise!
Rain interferes with Filipe’s (our lookout) visibility. With rain it becomes more difficult to spot the Whales and the Dolphins.
So there we were, enjoying to observe a nice group of about 10 to 12 Common Dolphins socializing… But eventually the Whale Watchers on board decided to take a risk. To go further out in the ocean and look for other species ourselves… And guess what?! It worked out! We ended up coming across with 4 Beaked Whales!
Also due to their behavior, to identify the exact species on this tour was impossible. But from their body shape and size (5 to 7 meters), these 4 individuals could be of the following species – Sowerby’s Beaked Whales, Cuvier’s Beaked Whale, Blainville’s Beaked Whales, True’s Beaked Whales or Gervais Beaked Whales.
In conclusion, we can never forget that we are in the Atlantic Ocean. Whale Watching is conditioned by weather all the time. From the safety for the boats to navigate to Filipe’s visibility.
But sometimes taking a risk, and going on the tour with a bit of an adventurous and hopeful spirit can do wonders!
We never know what we will find. Each tour is different and precious at the same time in their own way!
Please stay tuned for more updates!
PS.: Sorry for the lack of pictures of the 4 Beaked Whales but cameras don’t really like rain… 🙂
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