Sperm whales and several dolphin species are resident year-round. The migratory giants, blue, fin and sei, pass in a narrow window from March to early June. August is peak tourist season but not peak whale season, which surprises most visitors.
| Species | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sperm whale Resident | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Blue whale Passage | – | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Fin whale Passage | – | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sei whale Passage | – | – | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Common dolphin Resident | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Bottlenose dolphin Resident | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Risso's dolphin Resident | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Spotted dolphin Passage | – | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | – | – |
| Striped dolphin Resident | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Orca Rare | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pilot whale Resident | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Ranked by sighting probability this month. Species at level 0 are not currently reported.
The level is the share of trips on which the species was logged, not a guarantee. Operators do not go out in every sea state, so a bad-weather week lowers the count for everyone.
Azorean operators work to a code of conduct: approach angle, distance, and never more than three boats on one animal.
The code of conduct →Filter by hydrophone, group size, and sighting-guarantee policy.
Whale watching on Pico →