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Whale Watching, Dolphin Swimming and Scuba Diving in the Azores

National Geographic Crittercam Project

clock May 17, 2011 19:47 by author Enrico Villa

Deploying the National Geographic Crittercam on Sperm whales



In this picture: Kyler Abernathy from National Geographic Remote Imaging.

The project aims at answering important questions about the biology and behaviour of these animals and is carried out under a scientific permit granted to local leader scientists.

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Fortune favours the brave...

clock April 7, 2011 04:45 by author Justin Hart

It's spring and sea conditions are now most variable, but fortune favours the brave and our earliest clients, often the most intrepid, are richly rewarded with some of the best the Azores has to offer. Our first trips of this seaon have been among high seas and waves jostled by a sudden wind change from south to north. Nevertheless with deft skill, our experienced skipper, Michael Costa, has been able to snake his way through the maelstrom and safely manoeuvre the boat purposely out to sea. Our vigias have been excited too, for they have had much to show us. Yesterday it was a group of baleen whales, including Blue whales and Fin whales, the day before, Sperm whales.

Common dolphins (Justin Hart/CWAzores) 

The fluke up of a Sperm whale turning tail at the start of another deep dive (Justin Hart/CWAzores). 

Our latest trip was another epic. It begun, as we headed south through the Canal do Faial, with lines of Cory's shearwaters careening over the wave tops. This was a good sign as the birds' abundance and tracking flights suggested other marine predators were also present. I took the brief pass of a Barolo shearwater as a good omen too, and shortly after, our suspicions were confirmed when hundreds of Common dolphins approached our boat. The dolphins played around the bow and we lingered with them, entralled by their presence. Amazingly, as we eventually sped ahead, more dolphins continued to pass by and their numbers astounded us. Later we also encountered a young Loggerhead turtle. Our goal, however, lay futher offshore and we were several miles from land before we caught sight of a tall blow and located our first whales.

A Fin whale; the white of lower jaw of the whale's right side is a distinctive feature of the species (Justin Hart/CWAzores). 

Initially we found ourselves in the company of two Fin whales; a great joy, but as we followed them their numbers grew and, to our amazement, we were soon part of a gang of five. An incredible and wonderful encounter but perhaps not the highlight of the trip. Guided by the vigias and within a short distance of the Fin whales, Michael soon placed the boat in the wake of perhaps every whale watchers dream animal, a Blue whale. This topped and ended another great trip and left us all eager for more.

The long arching backs of two Fin whales as they surface together (Justin Hart/CWAzores). 

The distinctive notch in the dorsal fin of this Fin whale may allow us to recognise it again in the future (Justin Hart/CWAzores). 

Although several species of cetaceans can be seen around Pico throughout the year e.g. Sperm whales, Bottlenose dolphins and Risso's dolphins, the spring passage of the baleen whales adds some real spice to the whale-watching. Every trip is different but at this time of year the greatest diversity of sightings are possible. Always an exciting time of year I cannot wait to see what's next. Watch this space.     


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Postcard from Cadiz.

clock March 31, 2011 04:23 by author Justin Hart
March 21st-23rd, Cadiz, Spain. CW Azores founder, Enrico Villa and company biologist, Justin Hart attend the European Cetacean Society Conference, presenting CW's first published piece of research; a poster entitled 'Fin whales feeding on Northern krill off Pico Island (Azores) during spring migration'. Our first steps into research, the poster represents an important milestone for the company and its research aims. It is well received, attracting comments and interest.
The CW Azores poster presentation.
The European Cetacean Society (ECS) was established in January 1987 and aims to promote and advance the scientific studies and conservation efforts of marine mammals and to gather and disseminate information about cetaceans to members of the Society and the public at large. This year's talks revolved around the theme of the conference 'Long-term datasets on marine mammals: learning from the past to manage the future'.
 
 
 
Cadiz, the location of the 2011 European Cetacean Society Conference (photos by Justin Hart/CW Azores).
Our poster contributed to the limited but increasing growth in knowledge concerning the use of the North Atlantic by the baleen whales and their movements within the ocean. Every spring baleen whales pass close to the Azores on their migration to more northerly feeding grounds. Our positive identification of the krill that was being fed upon by the whales in spring 2010 was a noteworthy first from the Azores. It also helped to highlight both the opportunistic feeding behaviour of migrating baleen whales as well as the potential importance of the Azorean archipelago as a temporary feeding ground.
 
Delegates from the ECS conference take a break inbetween talks and Enrico gets a chance to discuss CW's poster (photos by Justin Hart/CW Azores).  
2010 was a special year. Very high levels of chlorophyll-a early in spring promoted super-blooms of primary and subsequent secondary plankton (such as krill), see Blog entry May 15th 2010 'Ocean Arithmetic', and these fed many passing whales. Blue whales, Fin whales, Sei whales and Humpback whales were seen in unusually high numbers and in turn forged what was to be a spectacular whale watching season. 

Until recently local data has shown a steady warming of the oceans around the Azores and consequent decline in chlorophyll-a production each spring. However, the latest data suggests the pattern has reversed and a cooling trend now prevails. This should promote greater spring blooms of plankton and better feeding opportunities for the whales. If true, it will surely make for spectacular whale watching and let's hope another great spring passage to remember in 2011.
CW Azores Research: it's not about us it's about them; cetaceans, seabirds, marine life.

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Bryde's whale feeding off Pico

clock July 22, 2010 01:41 by author Enrico Villa

July always holds many surprises, this year the month has been truly outstanding - a feeding Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei) sighted two days in a row off the south coast of Pico. While Blue, Fin and Sei whales are often encountered in our waters during the season, the Bryde's whales is mostly found in tropical and semi-tropical waters and rarely ventures into the somewhat higher latitudes of the Azores. The excitement of the close encounter turned into a lifetime experience when the Bryde's whale started to feed on the surface, giving us a chance to see the baleen and the expanded throat grooves just a few metres away from our boat (see picture below).


Bryde's whale gulp feeding (Balaenoptera brydei)
Photo by Petra Szlama - CW Azores Staff

The Bryde's whale can grow to 15 metres long and weigh up to 15 metric tonnes. It is named after the Norwegian whaler Johan Bryde (pronounced 'broodus').


Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei)
Photo by Sara Rezk - CW Azores Staff

The Bryde's whale is not an easy one to identify, especially in waters where Fin and, most notably, Sei whales are also commonly seen. The key feature of the Bryde's is the presence of three longitudinal ridges on the top of head; the other balanopterids only have one central ridge running from the blowholes to the tip of the snout.


Bryde's whale - detail of the throat grooves that work a bit like an accordion, allowing the whale
to expand the volume ot its mouth and filter a larger amount of seawater
Photo by Petra Szlama - CW Azores Staff 

While telling apart Bryde's and Sei whale is extremely challenging, ruling out Fin whales is a bit easier. Indeed, the lower jaw of a Fin whale is peculiar in that it is white on the right side and black on the left side. Taking photos of both sides of an individual often allows us to clarify the identity of a Fin whale.


Common dolphins associated to the Bryde's whale
Photo by Sara Rezk - CW Azores Staff

We celebrate this rare sighting as a tribute to the amazing species diversity we are gifted to witness in the waters around Pico island.

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Giants of the Sea 2011 - spaces are limited

clock June 5, 2010 19:53 by author Enrico Villa

After an unprecedented number of sightings and the consequent success we have had in season 2010, subscriptions to the program Giants of the Sea 2011 are now open.

The Giants of the Sea program focuses mainly on the baleen whales that pass by the Azores in spring on their way north. Thanks to the enthusiasm and great interest shown by our guests who joined us on Pico during April and May 2010 we were able to successfully integrate our research activities and Whale Watching operations seamlessly with results well beyond expectations.  

Due to the program’s increasing popularity and our will to keep very high standards of assistance, we have decided to restrict the Giants of the Sea 2011 program to 12 participants per week. According to the very essence of the program, a high number of Whale Watching trips to sea are integrated with land-based activities such as presentations on cetacean biology, behaviour and conservation as well as museum tours and guided visits to the lookouts. 


Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Photo taken by student Veronica Rossin who joined CW Azores for an internship 

Since our research is entirely funded by the Whale Watching operations, we want to heartily thank every single person who joined us so far. By paying for the Whale Watching trips, our guests have allowed us to spend a huge number of hours at sea in the company of the whales and dolphins - a fundamental prerequisite to recording behavioural data and photo-identifying the animals.

Please find more information on the program and how to subscribe by visiting our Giants of the Sea 2011 page.

A big thank you from the CW Azores Staff di CW Azores

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Join us for an unforgettable holiday!

The Azores are one of the very top destinations in the world for whale watching and swimming with the dolphins.
The archipelago is the second best group of islands in the world for sustainable tourism, according to National Geographic Traveller.

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