The Common dolphin or Delphinus delphis, is often found in large active schools around the Azores. They are fast swimmers and may associate with other species of dolphins like the striped and spotted dolphin and sometimes with the Risso's dolphin. The Common dolphin is easily recognized by the hourglass pattern and tan or yellowish patch on each side. There are two distinct forms of Common dolphins: the short-beaked and the long beaked.

The Atlantic Spotted dolphin is a fast and energetic swimmer. They are very curious and friendly animals. They appear in small groups around the Azores at the end of May and form large groups of >500 animals during July and August. The Spotted dolphins give birth in the bays around the Azores and hunt together with common and striped dolphins. When the water is getting colder at the end of September this tropical species returns to warmer waters.

Like the common dolphin, the Striped dolphin is distributed throughout the warmer waters of all oceans, generally in deep waters. At the Azores, this species is often found in large and very active schools, passing by at high speed. They are rather shy animals and do not often bow ride or
approach vessels. To identify this species at sea, the first feature to note is the pale blaze that sweeps from the flank back and up toward the dorsal fin. Next look for the "biggle stripe", a black line running along the light lower flank from the eye to the belly.

The Rough-Toothed dolphin is relatively easy to identify at sea, but it is rarely seen in the wild and poorly known. Its head has a unique shape: the long, narrow beak blends into the forehead without a crease, unlike other dolphins with prominent beaks. In addition to the head shape, look out for its dark cape, white ‘lips’ and yellowish white or pinkish white blotches. The species is a fast swimmer, sometimes porpoising with low, arc-shaped leaps.

The Dwarf Sperm Whale is an inconspicuous animal which generally lives in off-shore waters. Rarely seen at sea, except in extremely calm conditions, it is the smallest of the whales and even smaller than some dolphins. Its square head and slow, deliberate movements distinguish it from the superficially similar pygmy sperm whale. It can be difficult, or even impossible, to tell the two species apart at sea, though the larger size and shape of the Dwarf Sperm Whale’s dorsal fin can be distinctive. The Dwarf Sperm Whale has a rather shark-like appearance: it has an underslung lower jaw and a creamy-white arc, known as a false gill, behind each eye. The teeth in the upper jaw are vestigial

The Risso's Dolphin is an oceanic open water species which is rarely spotted in the vicinity of land. The Azores’ steep sub-marine walls and rich up-welling waters provide a perfect habitat for their main prey species: deep-sea squid. Therefore, on the Azores, the Risso’s Dolphin is sighted daily in in-shore waters. The south coast of Pico – and especially the bay of Ribeiras-Santa Cruz- provides an excellent research area to observe and study this little known dolphin species. For more information: see Risso Project.

The Bottlenose dolphin is fairly common and widespread. They appear around the Azores in 2 main varietions: a smaller, inshore form and a larger, more robust form. (Atlantic Bottlenose)This species varies greatly in size, shape and colour from one individual to another and according to the geographical region in which it lives. Identification research from Nova Atlantis shows some resident pods, who are visting the Bay of Ribeiras from time to time. Main groupsize varies between 30 to 50 individuals for inshore Bottlenose dolphins, while between 200/300 have been calculated for pods of the Atlantic Bottlenose.

The first of the beaked whales to be discovered, a lone animal was found in Scotland in 1800, and described by the English watercolour artist James Sowerby. Although it is one of the most commonly stranded Mesoplodon species, there have been few sightings at sea. Nova Atlantis was able to film this unknown species both under and above the surface. During the summer the Sowerby’s Beaked Whale
appears regularly in the bay of Ribeiras. Pods of 3 to 6 animals spend a minute or 3 at the surface, followed by a long dive of 20-30 minutes.

The False Killer Whale seems to be fairly uncommon, but is widely distributed and readily approaches boats. It is an active and playful animal, especially for its large size. Most pods are small, although several hundred animals have been seen travelling together. At a distance, the species may be confused with a pilot whale, however, the head and body is much more slender and the animal shows more energetic behaviour.

Pilot whales are unlike most dolphins in appearance. The beak is poorly defined and they have a prominent round dorsal fin. The Short-Finned Pilot Whale is a very social animal, around the Azores they can be found in pods of up to 100 animals. Some areas, such as Hawaii and the Canary Islands, have resident populations, but on the Azores they are mostly seen during the summertime.

The Cuvier's Beaked Whale is widespread and relatively abundant, but rarely seen. It is known mainly from strandings, Its head is shaped like a goose-beak and the species has long and circular scars over its body. The species normally avoids boats but is occasionally inquisitive and approachable. Dives typically last 20 to 40 minutes, usually with 2 to 3 blows 10 to 20 seconds apart during the
time spent at the surface.

The Orca is the largest member of the dolphin family. The distinctive black and white markings and the huge dorsal-fin of the male makes it relatively easy to identify. Studies in North America suggest that there are 2 genetically distinct forms of Killer Whales, known as ‘transients’ and ‘residents’. The transients tend to form small pods of 1-7 animals and roam over a wide area. They predominantly feed on marine mammals. Transient Orca’s have a more pointed, centrally positioned dorsal fin than residents. Transients Orca's yearly pass by the Azores but are rarely observed in the research area.

During the whale hunt tens of thousands of Northern Bottlenose Whales were killed, mainly from 1850-1973. Fortunately the species has been protected since 1977. Its most distinctive feature is the bulbous forehead, which is more pronounced in older animals and most distinct in adult males. They usually have 2 teeth, which erupt only in males and remain below the gums in females. The Northern Bottlenose Whale is one of the largest members of the beaked whale family. 

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Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
6.7 - 10.7 meter

The Minke Whale is the smallest and most abundant of all rorquals. The species is highly variable in appearance and some authorities recognize 3 or 4 subspecies. The head shape and relatively unscarred skin should be sufficient to tell a Minke from most beaked whales and other rorquals.
Unfortunately, the Minke Whale is now the last baleen whale still being hunted commercially in Iceland, Norway and Japan.

Sperm whales, immortalized in ‘Moby Dick’ and the mainstay of the great American whaling fleet during the 18th and 19th century, are the largest of the tooted whales. Males may reach a length of 15-20 m, while females become 11-14 meters. Sperm Whales have the largest population of all
large whales. They are found in deep waters in all of the world's oceans. The Sperm Whale is the world's greatest air-breathing diver, making dives that can last well over an hour and which can take it deeper than 2000 m. It spends about ten minutes at the surface between each dive.
Sperm Whales around the Azores life in mixed social pods of up to 20 members which consist of mature females and young animals of both sexes. These groups are thought to be based on matrilines: family groups of grandmothers, their daughters and grand children. Usually, the group is spread out over a large area, foraging on squid and other deep living prey. Young male Sperm whales leave their family groups as they reach maturity at around six years. They form all-male groups of their own and move into colder waters. They will have to wait many years and put on a lot of bulk before, as prime breeding bulls, they return to the warm waters inhabited by the females.

Right whales were originally named by whalers, because they were the ‘right’ whale to catch. The species was easy to approach, lived close to shore, floated when killed and provided large quantities of valuable oil, meat and whalebone. Both species, the Southern and the Northern Right whale, came very close to extinction, but they have been protected since 1973. Only the Southern right whale is showing significant signs of recovery. With only 350 animals left, the Northern Right whale is closer to extinction than any other large whale and may never recover. The last sighting of Right Whales around the Azores was in 1986.

As one of the most energetic of the large whales, the Humpback Whale is well known for its breaching, lob-tailing and flipper-slapping. Migrating through the Atlantic, the Atlantic Humpback Whale stops for a ‘snack’ at the Azores.
In the spring of 2003, two Humpback Whales were appearing in the harbour of Ribeiras, 20 meters from shore!! After a few minutes they left the harbour and went back to the ocean, where we were able to watch them form our research vessel. Humpbacks have developed some of the most diverse and spectacular feeding techniques of all baleen whales. They lunge through patches of krill or fish, gulping vast mouthfuls and even stun their prey with slaps of their long flippers or flukes. But their most impressive technique is the bubble-netting: scaring schools of fish to the surface by a net of air-bubbles.

The Sei Whale is less known than the other members of the rorqual family. It closely resembles the Bryde's whale in both size and appearance. Northern and southern hemisphere Sei Whales may belong to separate sub-species: there are subtle differences in the number of throat grooves and baleen plates. Sei Whales were heavily exploited by the whaling industry, especially during the 1960’s and early 1970’s, and the population has been severely depleted. In the bay of Ribeiras, Sei Whales can be seen close to shore, feeding and crossing the bay for several days.

This whale, the second largest animal on earth; can grow over 26 m long. It is most likely to be confused with Sei or Blue whales. The Fin Whale has an asymmetrical pigmentation on its head: the right side, lower lip, mouth cavity and some of the baleen plates are white. The left side is uniformly grey. One of the most abundant of the large whales, the Fin Whale was heavily exploited by the whaling industry and its population has been severely depleted. Every year during April, May and June several pods of Fin Whales can be observed from land and sea in Ribeiras.  The Fin Whale appears to be a very friendly and curious animal.

The largest animal alive today and almost certainly the largest animal ever to have lived on earth: The Blue Whale. The longest measured specimen was a female from the Antarctic: 32,3 m. long and weighing over 150 tons. At a distance, a Blue Whale looks like a very big finback whale, showing a very tall, powerful, straight blow of 10-12 m high, a very long back and a small dorsal fin. The blue-grey colour of the flanks is mottled with irregular light spots. The distribution of Blue Whales in summer is largely determined by the abundance of krill, their exclusive food. Krill concentrations dense enough to support a Blue Whale are found where deep water rich in nutrients ascends to the surface, nourishing heavy blooms of phytoplankton and a productive planktonic food chain. That’s why Blue whales can bee seen in Azorean waters form April to June: each season. They stop in the waters to feed during their migration between breeding and feeding grounds.

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