Azores Whale Watching Tour – Ponta Delgada
Description
Biologist-Guided Experience – Our tours are always accompanied by professional marine biologists who provide live commentary, species identification, and fascinating insights into whale behavior and marine conservation. Land-Based Lookouts (Vigias) – We use traditional lookout points on land to spot whales and dolphins before the boats even leave the marina. This local method dramatically increases our chances of successful sightings. Ethical Wildlife Observation – At Picos de Aventura, we prioritize respectful and non-invasive approaches to wildlife, ensuring that our encounters do not disturb the animals or their natural behaviors. Scenic Azorean Backdrop – The dramatic coastline of São Miguel and the deep blue Atlantic create a stunning setting for your adventure. Comfort & Choice – Whether you prefer the adrenaline of a rigid inflatable speedboat or the stability of a catamaran, we offer different vessels to suit your comfort level and adventure style.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meeting Point: Start your adventure at our headquarters in the Marina of Ponta Delgada. Please arrive 15–20 minutes before departure to check in and get ready for your experience. Safety Briefing & Introduction (15–20 minutes) Our team of expert marine biologists will welcome you and give a detailed safety briefing. You’ll also learn about the marine species you might encounter, local conservation efforts, and what to expect during the tour. Departure from the Marina After the briefing, we’ll board the boat and set off into the Atlantic Ocean in search of whales, dolphins, and other marine life. Our biologists will accompany you throughout the trip, offering fascinating insights and helping identify each species we encounter.
Whale & Dolphin Watching (2 to 3 hours) Spend up to 3 hours at sea, guided by our experienced crew and biologists. Sightings vary depending on the day, but you may encounter sperm whales, dolphins, and possibly even baleen whales or other migratory species. The tour combines the thrill of spotting wildlife with informative commentary and breathtaking views of the coastline. Return to the Marina After the tour, we return to our headquarters where your guides are available for any final questions or to share more about the sightings of the day.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- We offer tours on 2 different types of boats: A zodiac-style rigid inflatable speedboat (minimum age: 6), designed for speed, safety, and a thrilling close-to-the-water experience OR or a modern Catamaran with plenty of space to move around where you can relax inside the covered cabin or soak up the views from the open-air upper deck. This larger boat offers a more comfortable experience and amenities like toilets for your convenience. Perfect for families with small children.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Weather conditions may limit the participation of children due to safety concerns.
Reviews(882)
Saw some great dolphins & the dorsal fin of a few whales. There were a lot of people and not enough of the ‘good’ seats to accommodate. (Seats in the front of the boat) Great staff, very informative.
Great trip to see whales and dolphins but not for those who get sea sick. We went on the large catamaran boat and my daughter and husband both took travel sickness tablets in the morning but after the boat stopped to watch the whales they both started being sick and missed seeing the dolphins altogether as they were at the back of the boat continuing to be sick most of the way back. The staff are very helpful, but there were a lot of people not feeling well. Neither of them had ever been this sick on a boat trip before.
Wonderful to see so many dolphins and the island’s coastline. If you get travel sick, go prepared - there were a lot of people on our boat who couldn’t cope with the waves!
We were disappointed: too much time spent navigating (more than 3 hours) for very little observation of marine mammals! We have had better experiences in Canada or Madagascar
It was a great experience and an enjoyable drive on the big catamaran boat. The guides and the marine biologist Narea were full of interesting information. You could see there passion for the beautiful wildlife. We took the morning trip and were able to see a sperm whale (Dotty) and a group of spotted dolphins. The view of the island was also very nice to see.
We did the catamaran experiment for observance of cetaceans, the guide of the briefing was Alexandre, with very good disposition from the beginning. During the trip we could have a unique experience! We saw more than 100 dolphins including adorable breeds, super interactive with the boat and we also saw a sardine whale!! The guides followed the entire process giving interesting and useful information, which allowed everything to be very immersive! Thank you!
Excursion taken on July 22 at 8:30 AM. The guide was really very warm and passionate. She taught us a huge amount about marine life in São Miguel. We were lucky enough to see 5 species of dolphins (including a huge school of more than 50 dolphins) as well as a whale. An experience we will not forget. Furthermore, these excursions fund the monitoring of the animals and their protection. We appreciated the respect for their tranquility. For people complaining about having seen nothing, unfortunately, there is no guarantee, but the company had told us during the briefing about a possibility of a refund or rescheduling of an excursion.
AMAZING! Never seen wild dolphins before and their were quite literally hundreds 🙌 sadly no whales but didn’t dampen our experience at all ❤️ one thing I would suggest - even if you don’t get travel sick TAKE A PILL and wear travel bands… it’s really really bumpy and a lot of folks on our trip were quite ill - bless them 🥺
Nice tour where a lot of knowledge was shared. We were able to observe a very large group of dolphins and a sei whale. At the end there was some action with the speedboat, an all-around successful event.
We saw dolphins and a sei whale. It was a very cool experience overall. I wish we saw more but not the company’s fault! We went super far out to see the whale, so i feel like that cut our time short on exploring further. The staff were very knowledgeable and overall would recommend.
