Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles
Our whale and dolphin research expedition has put to sea. It was choppy, but the team were delighted to be on survey.
We were soon rewarded with sightings of common dolphins south of Faial. We did try to go south of Pico, following up on reports of baleen whales, but the sea state and wind had other ideas!
Patience rewarded
Our collective patience was truly rewarded on the second day at sea. Sightings began with blue whales, followed by multiple fin whales and more blue whales. Not bad seeing the two largest beasts on the planet on one day. And let’s not forget the groups of common dolphins doing their best to distract us!
Day three resulted in moving the data collection bar even higher. Sightings came fast. First a large pod of bottlenose dolphins, followed by alternating blue and minke whale records. All before 11:00, having travelled barely 15 km from harbour.
The remainder of the day did not disappoint either: Common and bottlenose dolphins, along with additional fin and blue whale records. Not to forget two loggerhead turtle records. The finale was a fluking blue whale.
Data!
The data haul has been impressive. Some of the blues we recorded multiple times over several days, indicating a good prey base south of Pico and Faial. We look forward to some further identification matches on the blues.
Our first tranche of data has already been sent to MONICET, a collaborative science initiative: collecting, storing and sharing cetacean observation data to advance cetacean knowledge and conservation in the Azores. The feedback has been very positive.
Here’s hoping our trend of two new species records each day continues….
Read also: First I second I third 2026 diary entry of the Azores whale and dolphin expedition
Author: Craig Turner
Craig Turner was born in Oxford, England. He studied biology, ecology and environmental management at Southampton, Aberdeen and London universities. After graduating from his first degree, he left the UK for expedition life in Tanzania. Since then, he has continued to combine his interest in volunteer travel and passion for conservation, working with a wide range of organisations on projects and expedition sites in the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. He has managed expedition programmes for the Zoological Society of London, and is a frequent contributor to the ‘Explore’ conference held by the Royal Geographical Society (RGS). He is a Fellow of the RGS and the Linnean Society. Having visited and/or worked in more countries than years have passed, he now runs a small environmental consultancy with his partner, based in Scotland, where he splits his wildlife interests and work between the UK and overseas. He also crews for the RNLI and is casualty care trained. He is ever keen to share his exploits, writing for several magazines, and is a published photographer.