The Azores
Species Guide

THE AZORES
MARINE SPECIES

When is the best time to see whales and dolphins in the Azores?

The answer depends on which species you would like to see. In general, the best time of the year to see whales in the Azores is during the Springtime, with April and May being our strongest months. During this time, we have many fin whales, blue whales and sei whales passing by the Azores on their annual migration.

We occasionally also encounter minke whales and humpback whales, although they are not as common as the other 3 baleen whale species.

If you want to see our iconic whale species, the sperm whale, you can visit the Azores during any time of the year because they are a resident species, although during the summer months you have a higher chance of seeing them. Similarly, the summer is also the best time to see (and swim with) dolphins, as during this time we have more dolphin species in the area and the groups tend to be larger with many calves present.

Futurismo operates all throughout the year, so if you prefer to avoid the busiest times and if you are not a fan of the warm summer weather then you can always visit during the winter months, as we have 4 resident species (common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Risso’s dolphin and sperm whale) which means they can be sighted all year round.