Idea #169 – Observing the different species of dolphins in the Azores
The term of dolphin includes many very different sorts of dolphins. Most of the sorts of dolphins go hunting in a group. When dolphin spots a shoal of fish, he warns the rest of the group which gets closer then, until surround preys, while forcing them to gather towards the surface. Once trapped fishes, dolphins do not have more than to cross the bench each their tour to crunch them! In some cases, dolphins can join to the tunas and even to the sharks for sessions of common hunting. Dolphin has an excellent vision and also possesses a sonar.
To observe dolphins, Azores are a destination of choice: the archipelago is made of volcanic islands, still protected, situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in some 1600 kms of the closest coast, away from the big sea routes. These islands offer ideal conditions to the observation of cetaceans and marine mammals, among which 27 different sorts are regularly present. You can observe in particular there short-billed common dolphins, dolphins speckled with the Atlantic Ocean, or the pilot whales.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Pico Island, Azores Archipelago, Portugal.
Larger Map