Swimming with Dolphins

Place: The Azores

Cost: £1100 (€1530 Euros)

*with late availability 10% discount new price £990 ( €1380) ***

Dates : 1st -10th August 2008

Are you thinking about an exciting adventure holiday to discover the underwater world of the dolphins? Looking into the crystal clear ocean depths wearing a mask and snorkel you can have encounters with these very curious and playful mammals. Watching their exquisite movements and listening to a symphony of sound you feel part of their magical world.

You will be given expert guidance to develop competence and confidence in the water with the dolphins by fully trained aquatic rescue guides. We approach the dolphins in a sensitve and non intrusive way.  

Our trips are 10 day, 9 night duration, offering between 5 and 7 boat trips. You will be with a group of 18-24 with a small group of 8 people on the boats. People travel alone, with friends or family. The groups are very diverse and sociable, a great way to meet new people.  The Itinerary is arranged around the boat trips, other activities being optional with plenty of time for relaxation and reflection.

Dolphins & Whales

There are phenomenal numbers of dolphins and whales in the Azorean waters . The islands are a major meeting place for both humans and cetaceans & attract scientists, naturalists, international photographers and divers as well as some tourists. It is also a port of call for transatlantic yaughtsmen.

Whale Watching Conversations on land buzz with tales of recent adventures and discoveries. In the ocean there is a similar rich exchange of communication, as the many different resident and transient species of dolphin & whale converge at what is sometimes referred to as “The Cetacean cross-roads of the world.”  It is not uncommon to meet pods of dolphin of between 50 and 200, leaping with exuberance and vitality around the boats.

Some species display a delightful curiosity and are very sociable with us above and below the water!  Our whale and dolphin watch company is the most established on the islands and offers a wealth of experience and expertise. Sighting the dolphins and whales is easier in the Azores than many other locations due to the assistance of the Vigia. These are the men who traditionally used to act as land-based lookouts for hunting whales. Now they use their remarkable tracking skills to scan the sea, identifying and locating different species, and, through radio contact, direct our boats to them. This guarantees more opportunities to encounter the animals and spend time with them.

What do our dolphin encounters actually involve?

The emphasis is on spending a lot of time at sea free swimming with the dolphins. This requires an average level of fitness. There will be snorkelling practice and time to learn our 'in-water encounter' procedures to develop confidence, skill and sensitivity with dolphins in the open ocean.  

The trip includes 6 boat trips each of 3 hours duration. This provides plenty of opportunity for developing confidence in the water and lots of time with the dolphins. The dolphins are very curious, playful and sociable. However they are wild animals and we always respect their moods and behaviour and let that determine when and how long we stay in the water with them. Sightings of sperm whales are common.  

Contact with the dolphins involves swimming together or perhaps just floating above them witnessing their exquisite movements and sounds in the big blue as they swim beneath us. Sometimes they gesture and play with us and occasionally an inquisitive dolphin will come up close and look us in the eye!  

Audio-visual presentations about the dolphins and whales in the Azores by local experts and our guides. Talks on marine biology and conservation, trips to the sperm whale museum. There are also talks on 'the human-dolphin connection' and the experiences people have after swimming with dolphins.  

Cultural tour of the island offering a wealth of knowledge about the history and the flora and fauna  

Group sessions to prepare and deepen the experience with an optional programme of relaxation, massage, meditation and ample free time.  

There are many other activities that can be taken independently such as climbing the volcano, nature walks, snorkelling and visiting the caves and vineyards

The Location

We go to one of the 9 Azores mid-atlantic Islands. The island has an unspoilt charm and natural beauty. A seafaring culture full of wild tales of trans atlantic adventures. The Accommodation is in a lovely hotel set in a stunning location overlooking the ocean. It is set in landscaped gardens and is a haven of tranquility where you feel the island’s elemental origins and breathe the unpolluted air. The hotel restaurant under the vines serves delicious home cooked dishes of local fish and international meat and vegetarian dishes.

See locations and accommodation pages for further info

New Website

We are very excited about our newly designed web site. It is packed with beautiful new images and is very user friendly. The photo gallery is being prepared and will be with you shortly. We hope 2008 is the year you can join us for one of these exciting adventures with the dolphins.

Click here for out newsletter which has some interesting stories, information about the organiation and what we are up to. Also a kids section which may keep them entertained!! Coming soon……if you make an enquiry you will automatically be sent a copy.