Pico Island
Whales and Whaling Heritage

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT
WHALES IN PICO ISLAND

Fortunately, whaling was forbidden in 1986 in the Azores. However, it moulded the islands’ History for more than 100 years and nowadays it represents an important part of the local patrimony. The Azorean people used to hunt whales to survive, the hunt was always « manual » and rudimentary. During this tour, you will have the opportunity to discover the deepest secrets of this practice and how it ended.

In the morning, we will start with a visit of  a former whale factory in São Roque do Pico; a place that allows us to travel back in time and see how and under which conditions the locals have worked to secure their subsistence.

Crossing the island to the South Coast, we will visit a traditional whale lookout hut, where we usually have the opportunity to meet a whale spotter, giving directions to the whale watching boats. 

We will spend the rest of the morning in Lajes do Pico, the Azorean whaling capital, enjoying a walk through this picturesque traditional village with influenced architecture from this period. We will also pass by a monument dedicated to the whalers as well as ancient tryworks replicas.

In the famous whalers museum we get to understand the special meaning and importance of the whaling heritage for the local community. 

After lunch in a local restaurant, let’s go for our whale and dolphin watching experience. Our biologists will give you a briefing to explain which cetacean species can be observed, safety measures aboard, how we respect the animals and rules of observation at sea.

During the boat trip, you will have the opportunity to watch some of the 28 cetacean species that can be found in the Azores.