{"id":67359,"date":"2023-01-09T15:02:38","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T16:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/?p=67359"},"modified":"2023-01-09T15:04:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T16:04:04","slug":"sightings-statistics-of-the-year-2022-in-sao-miguel-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/sightings-statistics-of-the-year-2022-in-sao-miguel-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Sightings Statistics of the year 2022 in S\u00e3o Miguel island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s no better way to start this year\u2019s season than by looking back at the previous year, and relive some of the most breathtaking whale watching moments ever! In 2022, a total of 18 species were sighted<\/strong>: from apex predators such as the killer whale, to ocean giants such as the blue whale, and even to extreme rarities such as the northern bottlenose whale and the rough toothed dolphin. With some of these animals calling the island of S\u00e3o Miguel their home, and others being visitors, the memorable sightings we had made sure to emphasize the Azorean archipelago\u2019s position as one of the best whale watching locations in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Statistics 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Right off the bat, the start of the year was phenomenal. The same pod of orcas that showed up in the 8th of January of 2021, decided to show up in precisely the same day, in 2022!<\/strong> Furthermore, we were even able to sight this species in the months of April and May! The fact that such an elusive and rare species was sighted around our island in 3 separate months greatly contributed to the memorable year that we had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside the infamous orcas, other species of \u201cblackfish\u201d were also commonly sighted over the year, alongside other seasonal and occasional species, such as the Atlantic spotted dolphin, sighted in 52% of our adventures<\/strong>, and the striped dolphin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rare species<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A further highlight of 2022 had to have been the back-to-back blue whale sightings in May.<\/strong> Although a somewhat regular visitor during the migratory season (April-June), the frequency and quality of sightings in this previous year was unimaginable. Coming face-to-face with the largest animal to have ever lived is always an unforgettable experience. We even had the chance to, in some of our sightings, witness the massive fluke of these animals as they went for a dive, something that does not happen often!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other baleen whale species were sure to show up as well, with breaching humpback whales, fin whales and sei whales being sighted in 5%, 5%, and 10% of our days out, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baleen whales <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite all this, however, one single event managed to turn the whale-watching year of 2022 into the most unique of the last decade.<\/strong> Indeed, 2022 marked the return of one of, if not the most, uncommonly sighted species across the Azorean archipelago: the rough toothed dolphin. <\/strong>This species of dolphin, although relatively common around the world, inhabits warmer waters. Occurring, for the most part, in slightly lower latitudes than those encompassed by the Azores, they are an extremely rare and irregular visitor. So much so that, before 2022, the last confirmed sighting happened 12 years prior, in 2010!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other extreme rarities observed this year include some of the most elusive cetacean species in the world, such as the northern bottlenose whale, as well as other beaked whale species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rare species<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alongside all of these highlights, we were, once again, delighted by the presence of our resident species, which were sighted around the island throughout the entire year. Among our dolphin species, common dolphins, as expected, take the lead, having been sighted during 77% of our days at sea. Bottlenose and Risso\u2019s dolphins were sighted in around 57% and 15% of our adventures, as expected of species that make use of our archipelago as regular homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Resident species<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Finally, it would not have been the year of a lifetime without our ever-important resident whale species: the sperm whale.<\/strong> In 2022, a whopping 64% of our days at sea were accompanied by these mysterious, yet beautiful, giant predators. Part of this success was also made possible thanks to our trips in the northern coast of the island, all of which resulted in the opportunity to witness a sperm whale.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sperm whales <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The unfolding of events that turned 2022 into a memorable year represents a true testimony to the potential of the Azores as an iconic whale watching location worldwide. With a similar level of expectations for the present year of 2023, Futurismo invites you to join us and embark in a potentially remarkable experience!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s no better way to start this year\u2019s season than by looking back at the previous year, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[393,389],"tags":[622,1152,12,15,1151],"yoast_head":"\nSightings Statistics of the year 2022 in S\u00e3o Miguel island - Azores Whales<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/sightings-statistics-of-the-year-2022-in-sao-miguel-island\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sightings Statistics of the year 2022 in S\u00e3o Miguel island - 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