The Azores archipelago is a hotspot for whale and dolphin watching. In this area we can see at least 27 cetacean species. What are cetaceans? Cetaceans are whales, dolphins and porpoises. In the Azores we classify cetaceans as being either resident (sighted year-round), seasonal (staying around the Azores during a specific time of the year), migratory (passing through the Azores on their way to another location) and rare (sporadic visitors which can appear anytime). Following is a list of cetaceans that can be sighted in the Azores. More information and images can be seen by following the links associated with each species.
RESIDENT SPECIES OF THE AZORES
Tursiops truncatus | Bottlenose dolphin
Delphinus delphis | Common dolphin
Grampus griseus | Rissos dolphin
BALEEN WHALES, THE GREAT OCEAN VOYAGERS
Balaenoptera musculus | Blue whale
Balaenoptera physalus | Fin whale
Balaenoptera borealis | Sei whale
Balaenoptera
acutorostrata | Minke whale
Megaptera novaeangliae | Humpback whale
SEASONAL SPECIES WHO PREFER WARM WATERS
Stenella frontalis | Atlantic spotted dolphin
Stenella coeruleoalba | Striped dolphin
Globicephala spp. | Pilot whale spp. (short and long finned)
Balaenoptera edeni | Bryde's whale
BEAKED WHALES, THE SHY ONES OF THE DEEP
Mesoplodon densirostris | Blainville's beaked whale
Mesoplodon bidens | Sowerby's beaked whale
Mesoplodon mirus | True's beaked whale
Mesoplodon
europaeus | Gervais' beaked whale
OTHER SPECIES, THE RARE VISITORS
Orcinus orca | Orca/Killer whale
Pseudorca crassidens | False Orca/False killer whale/Pseudorca
Steno bredanensis | Rough-toothed dolphin
Kogia breviceps | Pygmy sperm whale
Kogia simus | Dwarf sperm whale
Eubalaena glacialis | North Atlantic right whale
Lagenodelphis hosei | Fraser's dolphin
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