Azores Whale & Dolphin Watching Research Holiday Faial – 5-9-11 nights

The Azores Archipelago is one of the premier whale and dolphin watching sites in the world, and the subject of films by the BBC and National Geographic.

Not only are our Whale & Dolphin Research Holidays a fascinating adventure, but they can make a real difference to the welfare of the Azores cetaceans, as your booking cost directly funds the important research carried out on board during your tour. This is not a working holiday though – the atmosphere on board is very relaxed but learning is on the agenda. You will get first hand knowledge of the whale and dolphins’ behaviour, a slide show, plus talks about the creatures and the research.

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Details

The trips are guided by the leading Azores cetacean biologist, Lisa Steiner, who has spent the last 19 years researching and studying Azorean Cetaceans, and Lisa will be on board whenever you are at sea. You will watch the whales and dolphins in their natural environment, find out how individual animals are identified, and see scientific data being collected on the various species. Your vessel for these trips is Physeter, a specially converted motor catamaran that provides shade from the sun, hot and cold drinks, toilet and full safety equipment. Her 4 tiered decks provide guests with a variety of excellent whale and dolphin watching view points.

Based at the port of Horta, Faial’s capital, the 5, 9 or 11 night trips include 3 to 6 full days whale watching and researching, plus 1 or 2 days in port (depending on weather and sea conditions) for island exploring at your leisure. Your accommodation is at Azores Eco Lodge, a simple and friendly guesthouse, run on environmentally sound principles, just 14 minutes walk from Horta marina. All rooms are ensuite and some have a view of Pico. All meals are included except for lunches and evening meals on shore days. You will normally have between 1 and 3 shore days depending on the duration of your trip and weather. All included meals are taken at the Azores Eco Lodge, on board Physeter or at a restaurant a few minutes walk from your accommodation.

Dates & Prices

All prices are per person (£) based on twin sharing but we can also quote for single supplements. Prices are inclusive of flights from the UK based on standard economy fares/seats which are subject to limited availability. Prices may increase based on availability when booking.

2010 Prices with flights via Lisbon

Accommodation

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Azores Eco Lodge – 5 nights

n/a

1125

n/a

Azores Eco Lodge – 9/11 nights

n/a

1695

n/a

Maximum group size: 12

Whale and Dolphin research trip dates for 2010
9/11 night trips	5 night trips
Wed 9th Jun to Fri 18th Jun 2010	Wed 9th Jun to Mon 14th Jun 2010
Wed 21st Jul to Fri 30th Jul 2010	Sun 13th Jun to Fri 18th Jun 2010
Mon 23rd Aug to Wed 1st Sep 2010	Wed 21st Jul to Mon 26nd Jul 2010
	Sun 25th Jul to Fri 30th Jul 2010
	Mon 23th Aug to Sat 28th Aug 2010

Price includes:
Accommodation on full board (except on shore days) sharing basis, airport transfers, slide show and talks, all boat costs, guide services, flights and airport taxes, pre-departure information booklet
Price excludes:
Meals as above, excursions on free days, travel insurance
Single Supplement:
£50 for 5 nights
£85 for 9 and 11 nights.

Useful Information

What to take:
Waterproof, plastic bag for your camera, sun block etc, polarising filter(suggested)
Minimum age:
4 years
Duration:
5, 9 or 11 nights
Accommodation:
Azores Eco Lodge (Horta)
Operates:
May to October
Boat type:
Fibreglass catamaran (12 seater)

Species

Commonly seen Whales:
Sperm and Pilot whales
Commonly seen Dolphins:
Bottlenose, Common, Spotted, Risso’s and Striped dolphins
Occasionally seen Whales:
Blue, Fin, Sei, Minke, Beaked (Cuvier’s, Sowerby’s, True’s and Bottlenose), Humpback, Pygmy Sperm, Orca and False killer whales
Occasionally seen Dolphins:
Rough Toothed dolphin

Whale Watching Regulations

The main regulations for whalewatching in the Azores are:

Cetaceans should not be chased
Boats should not exceed the animal’s speed by more than 2 knots and should keep at a constant speed
Boats must move in parallel behind each other and at 60 degrees to the rear of the cetaceans
Boats should avoid sudden changes of direction when approaching an animal
Boats should maintain a parallel course slightly to the rear of the animals, maintaining an open field of 180 degrees in front of the animals
Avoid making any noises which may disturb or attract the animals
Boats should not approach any cetacean closer than 50m
Boats should not drive through a group of animals separating them, especially isolating the calves from the adults
No more than 3 boats may approach dolphins closer than 300m at one time and whales closer than 500m
Observation should not exceed 30 minutes equally divided between all vessels
Sailing boats may only approach under engine power
The use of sonar is not allowed, even outside the observation area
Do not feed the whales or dolphins
Do not throw litter or other waste in the water

Swimming with the whales is not allowed