Whales Watched

This is what the boats look like. 10 people can be seated and the seats are built like saddles, you are sitting like on a horse which makes you feel quite safe. We went out with two boats, so this is the other one I photographed when starting our trip. The boats are directed from a lookout post on the cliff edge, increasing the chance to meet the whales.


And here we are. You will not see more than something grey in the water, but believe me this is a whale. In detail we were told it is a Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus).

It was not easy to find the whales. The trip lasted 3 hours, and we only spotted the whales for about 10 minutes over all. But it was great fun to look out and move around quickly to follow them.

The whale watching company Espaco Talassa is world famous for its successful tours and more important they strictly follow the ethic rules for watching the ocean's wildlife. They only approach the whales in certain distances and angles to make sure the animals are not disturbed. The team consists of biologists but not touristic managers.
for more see Espaco Talassa
Our sperm whale is now diving deep and saying Good Bye.

Maria, our pilot and guide, explained that once the whale is gone for deep diving it would take a long time until it comes back to the surface. So we made our way home.

On the 10-mile-journey back home we came across dolphins. This is a Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus) . The guide nicknamed it "Michael Jackson" because they are born coloured and get white during life.


For the first time we could see Pico mountain free of clouds today. Weatherforecast for tomorrow is not bad but it is better for Monday (mostly sunny). So I think I will leave the climb for the very last day we spend on Pico.