Duration: 60 - 80 mins plus break



Off the coast of the Azores (2 hours flight east of Portugal), deep waters attract a host of deep-feeding whales and dolphins, while the volcanic coastline is home to thousands of nesting Cory’s shearwaters.

 

I reveal more about what you can see from the island of Pico, and why the waters here are so good for birds and whales. During any one boat trip you have the chance to see Common, Bottlenose, Risso's, Striped and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins alongside the boat. Sperm Whales give birth only miles from the coastline and at any moment flying fishes, turtles or tuna may rise up to the surface of the sea. Cory's Shearwaters glide past the boats in large numbers alongside Common and Roseate terns that nest around the coastline. Later in the summer Great Shearwaters are common too. 

 

Meanwhile, on land, the Azorean varieties of Blackbird, Chaffinch and Goldcrest are frequently seen amongst the small flocks of Canaries around the unique vineyards that have become UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And in the hills remnants of the post-glacial laurel woodlands exist in fragments; around the cool, misty pools here the Azorean Grayling butterfly can be found alongside the Citrine Forktail, a damselfly from North America. The latter are all female and probably arise probably from a single female that made the flight here from across the ocean. 

 

To find out more details or book this talk for your group, contact me at ed@eddrewitt.co.uk.​


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