SIGHTING STATISTICS
Below you can see our cetacean sighting statistics for each month of the current year. The colour coded bars indicate sighting frequencies (percentage of days each species was seen out of all the days we went to sea) of each species sighted that month. Scroll down to see our older sighting statistics from previous years.
2018 Monthly Reports
2017 Monthly Reports
SIGHTING STATISTICS – PREVIOUS YEARS
Below you can see our cetacean sighting statistics from the past eight years of whale watching and swimming with dolphins.
Months are shown along the top and each column represents a day. Beneath the months bars filled in black indicate that there were no tours on those days (notice we go out more in the summer).
Species are individually colour coded and sightings are shown for every day of the year. A bar filled with colour indicates the species was sighted that particular day whereas a box outlined in colour but not filled indicates that species was sighted by our vigia (onshore lookout) but not encountered by our boats.
** Pilot whale species (long-finned and short finned) and beaked whale species (Sowerby’s, Blainville’s, True’s, and Gervais’) have been grouped together due to the difficulty in distinguishing between these species at sea**
2017
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2017
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- The big surprise were the Bryde’s whales, since 2013 and before that 2009 that we didn’t see them, this year we had some several individuals, including a calf.
- Blue whales this year were very abundant if compared with other years
- Sei whales were also kind of a surprise as they are usually sighted in spring summer time, but this 2017 appeared with a great abundance in September, October, November and even in December!
- Highlight of the year: Atlantic spotted dolphins have been a surprise this year they started appearing in the month of June, giving a very good welcome to the summer and they stayed up to December; not only that they have been very encountered, but the encounters with these ones have been great: very big groups of them full of babies.
2016
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- 18 different cetacean species encountered during 474 tours throughout the year
- 98.8% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Highlight of the year: 2016 was a great year for sperm whales in São Miguel, with more sightings than in previous years. We also had fin whales all months of the year except January.
2015
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- 16 different cetacean species encountered during 426 tours throughout the year
- 100% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Highlight of the year: Our first year on record with a tour success rate of 100% This means that during every tour this year we encountered at least one whale or dolphin species. 2015 was also our best year for leatherback turtles.
2014
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- 16 different cetacean species encountered during 363 tours throughout the year
- 99.7% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Only 1 tour had no cetacean sightings (in these cases another tour was offered free of charge)
- Highlight of the year: A new record for fin whales – we encountered them every day for 35 days in a row!
2013
- 17 different cetacean species encountered during 363 tours throughout the year
- 99.4% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Only 2 tours had no cetacean sightings (in these cases another tour was offered free of charge)
- Highlight of the year: A group of orcas in São Miguel for several months and the most Bryde’s whale encounters on record
2012
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- 16 different cetacean species encountered during 346 tours throughout the year
- 98.8% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Only 4 tours had no cetacean sightings (in these cases another tour was offered free of charge)
- Highlight of the year: Our highest blue whale sighting rate on record!
2011
- 14 different cetacean species encountered during 391 tours throughout the year
- 97.4% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Only 10 tours had no cetacean sightings (in these cases another tour was offered free of charge)
- Highlight of the year: More than usual humpback whale sightings
2010
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- 16 different cetacean species encountered during 485 tours throughout the year
- 98.9% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Only 5 tours had no cetacean sightings (in these cases another tour was offered free of charge)
- Highlight of the year: A very strong Spring season for baleen whale species
2009
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- 17 different cetacean species encountered during 416 tours during the year
- 99.3% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Only 3 tours had no cetacean sightings (in these cases another tour was offered free of charge)
- Highlight of the year: The most species encountered in one year!
2008
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- 15 different cetacean species encountered during 463 tours during the year
- 99.8% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Only 1 tour had no cetacean sightings (in these cases another tour was offered free of charge)
- Highlight of the year: Our best year to date in terms of tour success rate!
2007
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- 14 different cetacean species encountered during 505 tours during the year
- 98.8% tour success rate (tours in which at least one species was encountered)
- Only 1 tour had no cetacean sightings (in these cases another tour was offered free of charge)
- Highlight of the year: Orcas were encountered (and seen hunting and killing a fin whale)!