Still looking for a holiday in April? We have knocked £100 off selected holidays in April using the direct flight from Manchester and Gatwick.
Based in a stunning converted convent, your week will be spent out whale watching, on a history of the whales tour, with a marine biologist looking at their current research, and exploring the cobbled streets of Vila Franca. A fantastic educational week in a lovely location.
Normal price : £1046pp Offer price : £946pp
For more details on this holiday, please see our website
Cycling on Sao Miguel – 7 nights
With a choice of 2 great itineraries, we have catered for everyone from occasional cyclists to mad fit tourers. Bikes are new Specialised Cross Trails bought at the end of 2010 to replace our old fleet.
Strenuous itinerary - Normal price : £895pp Offer price : £795pp
Moderate itinerary – Normal price : £906pp Offer price : £806pp
For more details on these holidays, please see our website
Explore the craters of Sao Miguel, its boiling pools, its stunning waterfalls and beautiful coastline at your own pace on our independent walking holidays. You can choose to have a hire car and do circular walks or have taxi transfers and do linear walks. Lovely hotel accommodation and great walks.
Self drive – Normal price : £856pp Offer price : £756pp
Taxi transfer – Normal price : £959pp Offer price : £859pp
For more details on these holidays, please see our website
Please note : prices are valid for departures on 02 April, 09 April and 16 April 2011. They cannot be combined with any other offer
]]>This week (13-19 September 2010), we observed five different species, the bottlenose dolphins, the common dolphins, the Atlantic spotted dolphins, the pilot whales and the sperm whales.
Both whales and dolphins are often seen breaching out of the water with spectacular jumps. The reason for these acrobatic leaps can be various from courtship display, simple fun or related to a less joyful cause like trying to eliminate parasites! Cetaceans are in fact affected by various ectoparasites which in some cases can produce damage on their skin, but do not cause death.
Below is a photo of an Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) while leaping out of the water and showing a parasite attached on its flank. 
Ectoparasites of whales and dolphins include the acorn and stalked barnacles typically found on humpback whales, or the Cryptolepas rhachianecti another barnacle species found on gray whales. Barnacles are not true parasites as they don’t feed on whale skin, rather they exploit the swimming of the whales to filter food in the water. However, when in great number they can bother whale movements. Gray whales are also affected by lices gathering around wounds and scars and feeding on their skin. Other parasites damaging skin tissue are cookie cutter sharks and possibly sea lampreys.
During one of our encounters with Atlantic spotted dolphins we had the chance to enjoy the sighting of some young individuals leaping high into the air. One of them, at closer look, showed a parasite attached on its flank. Although the resolution of the picture doesn’t help to identify the parasite, its size and shape suggests it could be a cookie cutter shark.
Cookie cutter sharks (Isistius brasiliensis) are so called because they leave cookie-shaped scars on the body of large fishes and marine mammals. They have a cylindrical body and a circular mouth, which contains many teeth used by the shark to remove the flesh of the host.
When we see dolphins showing their acrobatic skills it is not necessarily due to parasites luckily for them, and many exhibitions are related to a courtship display during the breeding season.
]]>“Just to thank everyone who made the trip so enjoyable – Jake, Ian and all the team in the Azores. Everyone seemed to do their best to be helpful and make the trip as enjoyable as possible for us. It is greatly appreciated and we will certainly sing your praises to everyone we know who wants to make the trip to such a beautiful place with so much natural flora and fauna to see and enjoy.”
Mr & Mrs Finlayson (Whale watching & swimming with dolphins on Sao Miguel – 13-23 May 2010)
“We had a fantastic time and hope to return sometime. Everything was as good as we expected and in many cases better! Many thanks.”
Mrs King (15-29 Aug 09)
Sao Miguel & Pico – whale watching holiday staying at Caloura, Talisman & Whalecome ao Pico
“Everything worked seamlessly and the quality of the accomodation, transfers, car hire etc. was excellent. The Azores were beautiful and we may up sticks to Flores to start a self sufficient life! Many thanks.”
Mr & Mrs Dearden (25 Jul – 08 Aug 09)
Sao Miguel, Pico & Flores
“Both whale watching trips were amazing and the natural scenery was breathtaking – your brochure doesn’t really do it justice. After the whale watching our kids were grinning from ear to ear (as were we!). Overall, a very good vacation enjoyed by all of us. One which we will remember with happiness and will be hard to top! Well done and many thanks.”
The Dodd family (4-18 Aug 09)
Sao Miguel & Faial – whale watching holiday staying at House of Varadouro and Quinta Altamira
Especially designed to provide safety, comfort and still a close contact to Nature, this new equipment will certainly update our fleet, providing our clients with an excellent experience discovering the Atlantic Ocean and – of course – the “amazing world of whales and dolphins”.Hope you enjoy it.
Best regards.
Miguel
For information on a whale watching holiday aboard this great new boat, click here
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Whale watching boat


Common dolphin

Dolphin acrobatics

Fin whale

Sperm whale

Watching Sperm Whales
Mr & Mrs B, Stafford (05-09 May 09)
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Sperm whale breaching
People are always asking us when is the best time to see whales and dolphins in the Azores and what species they are likely to see. We have had a list of species spotted during 2008 from one of our operators in Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel.
So below are their sightings for last year. Hope it’s useful!
Click here for details of our exciting whale watching holidays.
| Species | Months seen in 2008 |
| Fin whale | Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug |
| Sowerbys beaked whale | Mar May Jun Jul Aug |
| Sei whale | Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep |
| Sperm whale | Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec |
| Blue whale | Mar Apr |
| Bryde’s whale | Sep Oct |
| Minke whale | Oct |
| False killer whale | Mar Apr Jun |
| Short finned pilot whale | Jan Mar Jun Jul Aug Oct Dec |
| Bottlenose dolphin | All year |
| Common dolphin | All year |
| Risso’s dolphin | All year |
| Spotted dolphin | Feb Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec |
| Striped dolphin | Mar Apr Jun Jul Aug Sep |
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