Introduction and a Brief History of the Azores Archipelago

The Azores Archipelago is a region of Portugal which is comprised of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. They lie around 930 miles (1500 km) west of Lisbon in Portugal, and 2400 miles (3900 km) from North America.

The nine islands were formed through seismic and volcanic activity in the Tertiary geological period, and geologists believe that the first island broke the surface of the water some eight million years ago. Santa Maria is believed to be the first island to form, and Pico the last.

In recorded history, there have been 28 volcanic eruptions, 15 terrestrial and 13 submarine. The last significant volcanic eruption was in 1957 and occurred off the coast of Faial. Though the region was formed through volcanic activity, some of the islands such as Santa Maria have never experienced a volcanic eruption.

The Azores region is unique in many ways. It is not just its geological formation and structure which provides interest. Tourism, together with fishing and farming is a vital and key industry to the region and as a result, the islands have a good mix of activities, site seeing, and adventure.

Whale Watching

Whales and the Azores have a long and well established connection. Industrial whaling was a key industry and started around the 13thcentury and ran to 1984 in the twentieth. There are good museums that show the history and importance of industrial whaling to this part of Portugal, which is now happily extinct in the region. The Azores people have a much better relationship with whales, and offer some of the best way to see a whale in the world.

Whales are naturally attracted to the Azores Archipelago as it provides a natural source of food for these wonderful and mighty animals. Whale watch organisations have seen over 20 different species in the Azores region and this is around 25% of the total number of known species of whale. Sperm whales together with short finned pilot whales are regularly seen, and bottlenose, common, spotted, and striped dolphins are also regular visitors. Blue whales, the largest animal on the planet have also been seen.

The whale watching season runs from May - October though whales are regularly spotted all year round. Whale watching tours are a strong industry in the Azores and finding and booking a tour is straight forward and easy, and many tour organisers state that a traveller or tourist will see 6-7 species per tour. It is not uncommon to spot other exotic creatures such as turtles and sharks.

The Azores region is rated in the top three whale watching destinations in the world.

Swimming with Dolphins

In much of Europe swimming with dolphins in captivity is illegal. The Azores region however, has dedicated companies that will take you out to the ocean where wild dolphins are known to swim. They claim that 97% of the time people that sign up to the tour will have a chance to swim with dolphins. If this is a dream of yours, swimming with dolphins in the wild will be an authentic, unforgettable experience.

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