Colour in nature

Colour is everywhere you look in nature. Although the Azores are dominated by green and blue, changing seasons bring out an array of colours. The islands are particularly known for the range of flowers, most of which are introduced species that have naturalised.

Azores blues and greens

The Azores islands are great not only for marine life, but also for the islands themselves.  A lot of rainfall and fertile soil makes for lush green vegetation that complements the blue of the water and sky nicely on a clear sunny day. 

Even the colours of the hydrangeas match the surroundings

Atlantic spotted dolphins in blue waters

Atlantic spotted dolphins are a beautiful species, with their covering of spots that develop over the years as they age. During the summer months they are the most abundant dolphin species in the Azores, and this is also when we get to see the annual baby boom!

Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) mother and calf in clear blue water

Leaping high

Sperm whales in the Azores

Sperm whales can be seen in the Azores year-round, but the summer months are by far the best time of the year to see them. These whales typically spend about 80% of their lives under water, but it's well worth the wait to see them, especially when you get to see that magnificent tail being raised at the start of the next deep dive.

Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) diving

Dive sequence of two sperm whales I got to know very well

Another beautiful tail

Sperm whales logging on a calm day

The pretty backdrop of the Azores

An introduction to false killer whales

The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a large and powerful dolphin species that is exhilarating to watch. Whenever I see them, I think of black bullets shooting out of the water. Not many people have heard of the false killer whale, but it's a species that is well worth encountering if you ever have the chance.

Calm waters, calm dolphins

Reflecting back on some calm moments with dolphins...

Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

Common dolphin

Common dolphin

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Bottlenose dolphin mother and calf

A bottlenose dolphin with a broken jaw who we called "Max"

Blue whale rolling over like a puppy

Continuing with the amazing blue whale encounters that I had in 2012, this was was a very special one that I still remember well. It was an encounter with a particularly calm and curious blue whale, displaying some unusual behaviours that I had never seen before, or again since. The whale kept surfacing right alongside our rubber boat, which was about one third the length of the whale itself! The whale kept rolling over onto its side, raising one pectoral fin in the air and even bringing its eye out of the water. You can actually see the eye in some of the photos that I took. I wonder if this whale was looking back at us. This whale made me think of a puppy rolling over and it still puts a smile on my face today.

Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) pectoral fin