BLUE WHALES, SPERM WHALES & FIN WHALES AZORES OCEAN GIANTS TOUR
2013 date options: BOTH 2013 TRIPS ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED
Latest news in the Azores!
06 May 2013: - Blue and Fin Whales have begun to arrive in the Azores:
"Finally the good weather arrived to the south of Pico, with him it is the blue´s and the fin whales in great numbers!!! Full of life this little place on Earth!!!" Pedro Madruga, Skipper
To view more of Pedro Madruga's pictures (good quality images) visit his Facebook page by clicking here
2014 date options: to be announced in June 2013
Group Tours led by expert UK guides Dylan Walker and Amanda Stafford
These tours are very popular so early booking is recommended if you want to join this tour with Uk guide. However any dates in May and June have an excellent chance of sighting the Big whales as they pass the Azores on their annual migration and see the resident sperm whales at any time.
Cost £580- £640 ( 7 nights)
This tour is a unique opportunity for you to come and see these Ocean Giants in their Mid Atlantic feeding grounds where the sightings have been exceptional over the last few years. Our boat operators have the skill and respect to approach these Ocean Giant Mammals with minimum disturbance. You will be part of a small group on these unspoilt islands where tourism remains small scale and respectful benefitting the local community and maintining high standards of responsible tourism practices. Our boat company has been running trps here for over 20 yearrs and have the highest standards of expertise.
Whale Facts
Blue Whales :
- They are the largest animal to have lived on earth , EVER!
- They weigh 200 tonne and their tongue is the weight of an elephant!
- Their mouth is so big it could hold a small bus
- As few as 10, 000 survive today
Sperm Whales :
- Largest toothed whales with largest brain
- longest recorded dive (2hrs, 18 mins)
- Heart is weight of 2 humans
Why are the Blue Whales, "Ocean Giants " choosing the Azores?
For the past three years, a spring phytoplankton bloom around the Azores archipelago has resulted in a unique gathering of huge, ravenous Blue, Fin and Sei Whales baleen whales (largest whales) on their migration routes to the feeding grounds of the northern Atlantic.
We have chosen these dates as, from the statistics, this time will offer you the best chance to see these migrating whales where they spend a few days to feed on the rich food source here, something unique in the whole of Europe! Our look outs can spot them from land and direct the boats as they pass close to the volcanicislands.
The island has very deep water as the volcano cuts deep down which is why we have resident sperm whales who dive here for the squid and also the waters are conducive to the generous phytoplankton bloom , a rich food source for the big whales. We often see the large "nursery" groups of females with calves 6-20 individuals resting on the surface and socialsing.
It is also possible to observe Short Finned Pilot Whales, orca, 7 species of dolphin and of course Sea Birds, and Marine life, such as Turtles and Manta Ray
Our whale watching company has a research base offering a wealth of information and resources and it is possible to learn about the many research projects being conducted around the Azores. The Base use Rigid Hull Inflatable boats with comfortable seats to get us close to the action quickly.The boats are very sturdy and can move easily even if the sea is choppy. Lookouts, “the Vigia” on the shore guide us from the local harbour out into the ocean on the south side of the Island. They direct the boats by radio contact to locate the whales. This makes for consistently excellent sightings, the best in the world some say! Our guests are very impressed by the high standard offered by our boat company who are dedicated to offering you the best experience.
Group Tour
You will be hosted by Dylan Walker and Amanda Stafford with the local team including the resident marine biologist and be part of a group on the boats. This holiday adventure is with one of the most established whale and dolphin companies on the islands They have been taking groups to see the whales and dolphins on the Azorean Ocean for 20 years and offer a high standard of professionalism and expertise.
Costs
Prices for week package
The accommodation for these groupis in the 2** Eco-Hotel (or upgrades available)
| Whale watching | |
Standard 2** Town eco hotel double or twin ( based on 2 sharing) |
£580 Group Hotel casa do flores in twin rooms, single room supplement ( £560 pp triple or quad rooms) £620 Town Hotel on harbour £640 SEA VIEW room in Town Hotel on harbour |
Upgrade to 3/4**** Nature hotel with landscaped gardens and restaurant |
from £150 twin or £195 pp deluxe suite |
Upgrade to private house or guest house |
price on application |
Single supplement add £130 Subject to availability
Upgrade to charming 3/4***star Nature hotel with landscaped gardens, superb ocean views and an excellent restaurant:
All options are en suite with TV, Wifi and sofa chairs ( beds can be made to double beds )
Standard twin £150 pp, with one armchair and en suite
Standard Deluxe twin £160 pp,(with entrance hall, one armchair, work area and mini bar)
Studio twin £180 pp ( larger room with entrance hall, mini bar, two armchairs, tea making and work area )
Deluxe suite £195 pp (Entrance hall, master bedroom, lounge room with fullly equipped kitchen and sofas)
Group House, Casa do Flores is a 5 min walk uphill from harbour and main hotel breakfast room. It is in same style as hotel pictured with fridge and tea making facilities + outside seating and works very well for group members to be in same place. It has dramatic views of the open ocean and harbour
What is Included?
- Airport transfer to the hotel. Airport transfer ( PIco and Horta airport transfers are included in price on the Saturday arrival and departure. If you arrive or leave on a different day you will need to pay a supplement)
- Full services of local boat team who attends to all practical arrangements and any additional requests
- 7 nights Accommodation and breakfast in hotel ** Family prices and single supplements available.
- Five Whale watching trips (3 Hours) with expert skipper and guide. Snorkelling in the lagoon.
- Whaling Museum visit (5 euros). Presentation on the geology of the Island with expert Island guide
- Orientation, Marine biologist talk about the marine mammals of the Azores, audio-visual presentation and information about the migrations of dolphins and whales through the Azores. Introductory meeting. Each week there is a program of specialist presentations on marine life, conservation and photography.
Your Guide Dylan Walker
Dylan is a highly experienced and enthusiastic whale watching guide. He has many years of experience guiding around the world and has a written several books on whale watching. He is also co founder of Planet whale with Ian Rowlands which is becoming one of the leading online resources for everything you need to know about sustainable and appropriate whale watching. Planet whale are hosting Europe's biggest whale festival in Brighton , Sussex UK 27/28 Oct 2012
Dylan brings alot of information about the blue whales and is extremely excited to return for another year to the Azores where he will work closely with our marine biologists and boat team. Dylan is also hosting the world whale conference and launcing the Save the Whale Re loaded campaign
Your Guide Amanda Stafford
Amanda founded The Dolphin Conection and has organised groups in the Azores for 18 years. She has considerable expertise on Whale watching and swimming with the Dolphins in this location and actively works to improve the standards and ensures our guests enjoy the highest professional quality of whale watching practices. This ensures you will have the best encounters and a really memorable holiday with everything taken care of. Amanda is also creative director of
www.whale-fest.com In this role she has created an inside the belly of the whale immersive experience. 
Whale Watching Sample Itinerary
( You are free to plan your own free time around the boat schedule - see Other Activities around the islands)
Day1 ( Sat )
Arrivals Welcome briefing and introductions, complimentary drinks, orientation in the local area. You have time for a rest! Schedule of whale watching boat trips discussed and meeting the team.
Day 2 ( Sun)
Audio-visual briefing about The whales and dolphins of The Azores, with lots of visuals and information +history of whaling and whale watching in the Azores
PM Boat trip 1 Whale watching activity.
Day 3 ( Mon )
AM Boat trip 2 Whale watching activity
PM Visit to the Sperm whale museum ( optional - seasonal opening times ) run by marine biologist and whale expert ( €7 + transfer ). A fascinating museum with models of whales and squid and lots of in depth, fun to learn knowledge. Or extra snorkelling time in the lagoon.
Rare bottlenose Whale photo Quaresma
Day 4 ( Tues)
AM Boat trip 3- Whale watching activity
PM Optional Jeep tour of the Island (4 hours, euros 35 per person ) to see the islands geology, the volcano and caving and climbing, Visiting famous sightseeing spots revealing the Island’s history. Both tours have a visit to the vineyards with an exceptional wine tasting activity included serving local culinary delicacies, a cultural museum and activities for the children, see other activities around the islands.
Day 5 ( Wed )
PM Boat trip 4 Whale watching activity Afternoon excursion to the caves ( €7 + transfer) You are taken underground to a tolkein ‘esque land with an expert guide. ( those wanting to do a volcano climb could also fit this in to the itinerary at this time)
Day 6 ( Thurs )
AM Boat trip 5 Whale watching activity. Or possible free day
PM You can make a visit to the Vigia, the lookout who can spot the whales from 30 km, try your own spotting skills! A also to learn about the history of whaling in the Azores at local whaling museum newly built and information centre.
Nature walks, exploring the wildlife inland, nature reserve or free time relaxing.
Dinner at hotel, socialising with other group members
Day 7 ( Fri )
AM Boat trip 5 Whale watching activity. Or possible free day
Nature walks, exploring the wildlife inland, nature reserve or free time relaxing.
Dinner at hotel, socialising with other group members OR if available Evening Presentation slide show by local Nikon prize winning skipper/ photographer of beautiful marine photography taken in the Azores. Completion of holiday.
Day 8 ( Sat )
Morning departure or departures in the pm can take an opportunity of another boat trip or you can choose to add on an extra night. Boat trip 6 ( euros 50 ) or a replacement trip if any days lost due to weather.
Any other catch up activities or extra activities such as donkey rides, full cave expedition, full or part climb of the volcano for our really active guests. Souvenir shopping
Afternoon departure
Optional Extra Activities (additional cost)
- Cultural tour, Jeep tour about the geology of the Island, lakes caldeira, vineyards, wine tasting and history of the island. ( 4 hours 45 euros )
- local walks, local fauna, observation of the sea from land,
- Visit to the Sperm whale museum ( taxi transfer extra) with marine biologist) + walk to the "vigia" (expert lookout for sighting the whales)
- Exploring the underground caves ( 3 hrs, 15 euros) or climbing the volcano Optional extra excursions require additional cost
- Climbing the volcano ( 4 hour ascent, day and night climbs with specialist mountain guide 50 euros )
- Horse riding
The guide/ hosts are there to make sure everything runs smoothly and to make extra arrangements that clients require such as climbing the volcano with an expert guide if requested.
Please remember these are wild animals of the open ocean. Sightings are not guaranteed, however the Azores is one of the most abundant sightings record for dolphins and whales in the world!
To book this holiday : see Booking page
Flights
Cost £260- £350 from London and also from most european cities
Why choose us?
- Our team have 20 years experience with expert friendly skippers and marine biologist offering talks about research projects and life in the Azorean Ocean.
- You will be hosted at our base ( BOCA ) where we offer talks and audio-visual presentations. You can learn about marine conservation in the Azores. There is also a shop selling dolphin and whale souvenirs and useful items for your trip.
- Resident lookouts or vigia to locate the whales and direct boats to the action by radio contact,thus guaranteeing more sightings.
- Boats are maintained to a high standard by in house boat engineers and are never more than 3/4 years old thus we offer a very reliable service with high safety standards which is important for our guests
- English, French, Portuguese, German and Dutch spoken
To confirm booking
These trips are very popular and early booking is recommended. You can email us or call to discuss the availability and the accommodation options. Also we can send you a booking form with which you can send a deposit.
To reserve a place, send a £250 non- refundable deposit. This can be paid by credit card or cheque
Send cheque by post payable to:
The Dolphin Connection and send to: 111 Carden Hill, Hollingbury, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 8DA
Payment by credit card can be made via Paypal, please ask for details
Payment by bank transfer, credit card over phone or Cheque
Call us to pay by credit card over the phone
United Kingdom, Barclays Pounds sterling account
Account Details: The Dolphin Connection
We will send details to you on booking
United Kingdom Barclays Euro account
Account Details: The Dolphin Connection
We will send details to you on booking
On receipt of the deposit we will send you a booking confirmation and booking conditions. The balance is payable 8 weeks before departure.
Booking Conditions
Contracts
Your holiday booking is only made when The Dolphin Connection Limited has issued a confirmation invoice. This takes place after we have received a completed and signed booking form, you have read the full terms and conditions, completed health declarations and sent payment of the relevant deposit.
Deposit
An initial deposit of £250 per person is required together with the signed and completed Booking Form. If booking is made less than 8 weeks prior to departure the full amount is payable. Cheques should be made payable to Dolphin Connection Limited.
Cancellations by you
You may cancel your holiday at any time, provided that the cancellation is confirmed in writing by the person signing the booking form. The following scale will apply to cover administration charges and pre-payments for accommodation and boat charter undertaken by us:
Period before departure
- More than 70 days - Loss of deposit
- Between 69 to 43 days - 50% of the holiday cost
- Less than 42 days - 100% of the holiday cost
Cancellations by Dolphin Connection
A minimum number of 6 holiday makers is required for each holiday (unless otherwise stated) and if this minimum requirement is not reached we will, subject to 30 days warning, either cancel the departure, offer a full refund, or supply an alternative independent holiday, subject to your approval.
Holiday Details
Because of the nature of our holidays it is not possible to include all information concerning holiday details in our brochure. All arrangements for your holiday will be included in your confirmation invoice and you will be sent full terms and conditions to sign and send back to us.
Insurance
Because of the physical nature of our holidays it is an essential condition of your booking that there is adequate holiday insurance in place for each member of your party, to our reasonable satisfaction and in accordance with our recommended levels of cover. We will ask you to let us have written evidence of the insurance at least eight weeks prior to the commencement of the holiday ( or at the time of booking if made less than eight weeks before commencement) and we reserve the right to terminate any holiday if adequate insurance cover is not in place by then.
Complaints
If you have any complaint you should make it known at the earliest opportunity to our local representative. You will be asked to complete a complaint form which, must be signed and returned and you will be given a copy. If the representative is unable to resolve the problem to your satisfaction you should contact our head office as soon as possible. If at the end of your holiday you feel that your complaint has not been properly dealt with you must first notify us in writing within 15 days of your scheduled date of return and we will do our best to resolve the problem.
Financial Protection
All monies received from you are held in a Trust Fund to comply with the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Tours Regulations 1992. This means that any money paid to us is not released until your holiday is completed thus providing you with financial security in the unlikely even of our insolvency.
Health and Emergencies
Because our holidays involve travel in small boats in the open sea as well as swimming with dolphins the holidays can be physically strenuous. It is therefore vital and a condition of your booking that that you truthfully complete a medical declaration in respect of the health of each member of your party to enable us to give guidance on the advisability of taking any particular holiday or our supervision and making special arrangements for their safety and comfort while they are on holiday.If the sea conditions are too rough we will advise against entering the water or even going out on the boats. This decision is also made by the skipper and his word is final. If there are any changes to the health of any member of your party between the date of the health declaration and departure you must inform us immediately.We have the right to advise against participation in any of the activities if we consider your physical state to be unsuitable at any time during the holiday. This includes hangovers, sudden symptoms and in any way that you seem to be unwell. If you fail to comply or fail to fully inform us of the medical condition of any person we reserve the right to terminate the booking or holiday of that person without compensation.
Visas and Passports
No special requirements apply to persons travelling to the Azores on full British Passports; however, if this does not apply to you or any member of your party you must inform us.
Newsletter
Click here for out newsletter which has some interesting movie news, photos and informative stories. Learn more about dolphins and whales. Also a kids section which may keep them entertained!!
New You Tube link to see some stunning underwater footage with the dolphins
See in main body of text under unforgettable experience
We are offering an exciting new program of swimming with dolphins holidays and whale and dolphin observation. Prices range from £790 for a week. Click holidays tab above for more info
Testimonials
***** I am reborn! Simply the best holiday I have ever been on! do it and enrich your life! I returned home feeling more alive and inspired than ever before.
Dawn McClean, London
****"The Dolphin Connection team were great, the skippers had a lot of sensitivity to the animals and guided us to have some sensational encounters underwater and from the boats with so many dolphins and whales. I will be back!!" The company has a very responsible ethos and this this precious, unspoilt part of the world is being well preserved.
Howard Brown- Cheltenham
