Habitat and Species

In the middle of the Atlantic, nine seamounts rise out from the Azores Plateau, an oceanic platform that lies less than 2,000m below sea level, and form solid ground, the Azores islands. An oasis created by volcanic activity and a hotspot for a vast number of marine species.

 

One of the reasons that the Azores is such a hotspot for cetaceans and other aquatic life is due to the islands being pinnacles of seamounts that stretch like a mountain chain under the water, the mid Atlantic ridge. Here, underwater currents that travel across the depths of the Atlantic Ocean will meet the seamount ridge and create “upwellings” that bring vast amounts of nutrients closer to the surface. A greater concentration of nutrients leads to growing populations of plankton, fish and other animals, thus creating a great food source and attracting whales and dolphins to the Archipelago.

 

From the smallest plankton and krill to the greatest whales, our ocean contains a unique assemblage of habitats and species.

 

 

 

Cetaceans

There are almost 90 species of cetaceans in the world, and more than 20 of them have been recorded in the waters around the Azores. Some of them can be seen here all year round while sightings of others are more seasonal.

 

The top three encountered species are the common dolphin, the common bottlenose dolphin and the sperm whale, which can be encountered during the whole year but are more abundant during the warmer part. Baleen whales migrate past these waters and are usually most abundant in the spring and early summer, though, occasionally, they also come around to feed during the summer months. Other species, like the Atlantic spotted dolphin, only stay around while the water temperature is warm.

 

Observing these marine mammals in the Azores is a mix of the expected and the unexpected, making it both reliable and exciting.

Fish

About 460 fish species have been recorded in the Azores, including large pelagic fish, like the Atlantic blue marlin, swordfish, bluefin tuna, common dolphinfish, ocean sunfish, hammerhead shark, mako shark, blue shark, giant manta, devil ray and the whale shark.

 

Along the coast, we also observe a colorful range of fish, such as parrot, scorpion, damsel, cardinal and puffer fish, blennies, wrasses, moray eels, as well as eagle and sting rays.

 

Aside from fish, we can also find a plethora of fascinating invertebrates: octopuses, sea slugs, crabs and lobsters, sea stars, urchins and cucumbers can be found closer to shore while, further out at sea, we can also come across Portuguese man-o’-wars and salps.

 

 

 

Sea Turtles

Sea turtles are the most widespread marine reptiles and can be found in Azorean waters throughout the year. The most encountered turtles during our expeditions are the loggerhead, leatherback, green and, more rarely, the olive ridley sea turtles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sea Birds

The Azores are an important nesting and resting area for many species of seabirds, including the Cory’s, the Manx, the Macaronesian and the Great shearwater, the Bulwer’s petrel, the Madeiran, the Leach’s and the Monteiro’s storm-petrel, different Turns and Gulls, the Red-billed tropicbird and many more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List of Species Observed in the Azores

WHALES

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)

Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)

Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis)

Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni)

Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

Northem right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima)

Pigmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps)

Northen bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon amppulatus)

Curvier´s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris)

Gervais´beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus)

Blainville´s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densiorostris)

True´s beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus)

Sowerby´s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens)

 

DOLPHINS

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis)

Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus)

Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)

Killer whale (Orcinus orca)

False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)

Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

Long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas)

Fraser´s dolphin (Lagendelphis hosei)

Rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis)

 

SEA TURTLES

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)

Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

 

LARGE PELAGIC FISH

Whale shark (Requin baleine)

Devil fish (Mobula tarapacana)

Manta ray (Manta birostris)

Sunfish (Mola mola)

Hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena)

Mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)

Blue shark (Prionace gleuca)

Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans)

Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)

Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

 

SEA BIRDS

Cory´s shearwater (Calomectris diomedea)

Great shearwater (Puffinus gravis)

Manx shearwater (Puffinus pufinus)

Macaronesian shearwater (Puffinus baroli)

Bulwer´s petrel (Bulveria bulverii)

Madeiran storm-petrel (Oceanodroma castro)

Leach´s storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa)

Monteiro´s storm petrel (Oceanodroma monteroi)

Roseate tern (Sterna dougallii)

Common stern (Sterna hirundo)

Bridled tern (Onychoprium anaethetus)

Sooty tern (Onychoprium fuscatus)

Yellow-legged gull (Larus michaellis)