The Azores
Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba)
I spent a week on Pico Island in August 2024.
Pico Island
Sowerby’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens) surfacing and raising its beak. Photo Jonas Livet.
Whalewatching off of Lajes do Pico in perfect conditions produced 12 species over 6 trips in August 2024. Common, Bottlenose, Atlantic Spotted and Risso’s Dolphins were all common, and we had one pod of Striped Dolphin.
Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)
Short-finned Pilot Whales and Sperm Whales were common, and we saw a Sei and two Bryde’s Whales.
Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps)
I was very lucky to see Pygmy Sperm Whales twice, Sowerby’s Beaked Whales twice and Cuvier’s Beaked Whales once.
The endemic Azores Noctule was easy to see around the village at dusk.
Azores Noctule (Nyctalus azoreum)
Community Reports
Pico Island, 2024: Jon Hall, 6 days & 13 species including Sowerby’s and Cuvier’s Beaked Whales and Pygmy Sperm Whales.
The Azores, 2020: Sjef Ollers, 13 days & 14 species including Sei and Sperm Whales and Azorean Noctule (and a Whale Shark!).
Azores, 2018: John Wright, 1 week & 7 species including Blue & Sperm Whales and an Azorean Noctule.
Azores, 2017: Michael Kessler, 2 weeks (and 5 boat trips) with 12 species including Sei, Bryde’s and Sperm Whales, Sowerby’s Beaked Whale and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins.
Azores, 2017: Tom Gibson, 1 week & 15 species including Sei, Sperm and Blue Whales and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins.
Azores, 2017: Steve Morgan, 1 week & 5 cetaceans including Sei, Blue and Sowerby’s Beaked Whales.
The Azores, 2016: Ben Balmford, 5 days & 13 species including Blue Whales, False Killer Whales and Blainville’s Beaked Whales.
The Azores, 2010: Steve Morgan, 4 days & 9 species including Sperm and Fin Whales and Azorean Noctules.
Also See
Here’s a useful link to the sightings log for an Azorean Whale Watching Company. Looks like July is a good month for beaked whales.
Some notes on seeing Azores Noctule, September 2024
Dolphin ID (Common, Clymene or Spotted? July, 2019
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