Pilot whales in São Miguel and Sei whales in Pico!

In São Miguel it was a Pilot whales day. They are among the largest of the oceanic dolphins, exceeded in size only by the killer whale. 

In the Azores, Pilot whales are frequently sighted from April to October. They are usually seen in deeper water where they can dive over 500m deep for cephalopods (squid and octopus). They are frequently seen near Sperm whales and Risso's dolphins.

Photos by Rafael Martins, David Rodrigues and Laura Gonzalez

In Pico Island we saw a group of Risso’s dolphins very near to the coast and after we also encountered two Sei whales and a Male sperm whale. 

In the Azores the Sei whales are encountered during the spring months (April and May) on a fairly regular basis, as they complete their northerly migration but our statistics shows that it's one of the baleen whales that is possible to see in June, and sometimes further along in summer.

Photos by Rui Santos

Sei whale

Risso's dolphin