One of the highlights about our trip to the Azores was booking a boat trip to go whale and dolphin watching, while staying on the island of Faial. The weather on the Azores is very changeable throughout the day, so by the time we got out to sea, the weather had turned a bit rough.
But nevertheless, it was worth braving the wind and rain to see the whales come up to the surface (after feeding on squid at the bottom of the ocean for 45 minutes = regular intervals).
The dolphins were the most fun to watch as they did little tricks for us without any prompts. Snorkeling with the dolphins is sometimes available, but only if they do not move away too fast, as this was our case.
At the end of our close to four-hour boat tour, our guide, a marine biologist, answered more of our questions. If you are thinking about joining one of the few organizations offering whale watching tours, then I can recommend the following:
* Boat tickets are € 55 for adults , €35 for children.
* No facilities on board!
* Bring your rain coats as there is always some rain clouds just waiting to unload out on the open sea.