The Azores – Monday 26th June 2023

This morning’s trip is with Norberto’s, where along with the ubiquitous Common and Bottlenose Dolphins we also see first Long Finned then Short Finned Pilot Whales. (One of the Long Finned obligingly rolls over to show us his fins, but sadly I don’t manage to get a photo).

Norberto doesn’t have a trip this afternoon, so I am out with another different company. This time it is Dive Azores. One of the spotters on Pico has seen Sperm Whales quite a long way off, but heading towards Faial, so the plan is to head off in that direction, stopping for anything we see on the way, and hopefully intercept them en route.
It is little surprise that we encounter Common and Bottlenose Dolphins, probably the same ones we saw this morning, but other than a passing flying fish, we don’t encounter anything else until we reach the Whales. There are initially four of them, but eventually seven individuals, a mix of females and juveniles socialising on the surface with the occasional shallow dive. The start to disperse, and, just as we are preparing to leave one of the females finally dives and shows us her tail.

Dinner tonight, as for the last night of my last trip, is at the “hot stones” restaurant, where you are given a selection of meat and fish to cook yourself on slabs of hot stone. Very tasty, and I can recommend the chef!