Today
12.00º < 16.00º
12.00º < 16.00º
Friday
12.00º < 15.00º
12.00º < 15.00º
Saturday
13.00º < 16.00º
13.00º < 16.00º
Sunday
15.00º < 17.00º
15.00º < 17.00º
Monday
15.00º < 18.00º
15.00º < 18.00º
EN
EN
Today
12.00º < 16.00º
12.00º < 16.00º
Friday
12.00º < 15.00º
12.00º < 15.00º
Saturday
13.00º < 16.00º
13.00º < 16.00º
Sunday
15.00º < 17.00º
15.00º < 17.00º
Monday
15.00º < 18.00º
15.00º < 18.00º
We aim to provide an unforgettable whale watching experience to our clients through a high-quality service.
Aqua Açores
Established in 1996 by a local family, Aqua Açores offers visitors a rare glimpse into the world of enigmatic cetaceans and abundant marine wildlife living in the Azorean waters.
Aqua Açores continues as a family business and strives to offer high quality whale watching, based first and foremost on the welfare of the animals and their environment.
We are passionate about our island and culture. We hope to inspire people from different cultures and backgrounds to share the wonders of our ocean, so as to bring awareness in order to protect the home we share with these beautiful animals.
Through our work we seek to:
- provide our customers an unforgettable experience;
- promote environmental awareness, in order to motivate our clients and all who visit us for the conservation of cetaceans and their environment;
- collaborate with researchers and promote the knowledge about whales and dolphins to the general public.
Aqua Açores continues as a family business and strives to offer high quality whale watching, based first and foremost on the welfare of the animals and their environment.
We are passionate about our island and culture. We hope to inspire people from different cultures and backgrounds to share the wonders of our ocean, so as to bring awareness in order to protect the home we share with these beautiful animals.
Through our work we seek to:
- provide our customers an unforgettable experience;
- promote environmental awareness, in order to motivate our clients and all who visit us for the conservation of cetaceans and their environment;
- collaborate with researchers and promote the knowledge about whales and dolphins to the general public.
Meet the Team
His aim is to promote high-quality whale watching based first and foremost on the welfare of the animals and their environment.Miguel has worked to ensure that Aqua Acores provides a recreational and educational experience to his clients, with the purpose of motivating them to care about the animals, the sea and to contribute to its conservation.
He wants to bring people together from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds to witness and share the wonders of the Atlantic Ocean, off the South Coast of the island Pico, where he grew up.
Paula joined the team in 2006, she has a unique sensitivity towards our clients and exceptional local knowledge of the cetaceans.She is the first port of call in the team. Paula organizes and co-ordinates the bookings, as well as reservations. She looks after our clients before and after the voyages.
Her aim is to ensure that our clients are well taken care and that they enjoy an unforgettable experience out at sea.
A local biology and geology teacher, Mario was born in Angola and grew up in Pico. He has worked with Aqua Acores since the company formation in 1996. Every season you will find him out on the ocean sharing his skills and exceptional knowledge of the cetaceans in the Azores.His aim is to continue to educate and inspire people to the fascinating life of cetaceans. Mario is committed to the research and conservational aspect of the organization. Through his work he encourages the local and regional community to become involved and have an interest in whale watching, conservation of cetaceans and the oceans.
A former local whaler and fisherman Eduardo is an expert mariner with decades of experience and wisdom.He often thought of ways to leave the whale hunting life of bygone days and was determined to make a positive difference to his own life and the lives of the whales. He took the lessons and experiences from the old whaling activities, together with the voice of his conscience and works now in order to promote and protect these wonderful mammals.
A whalers and shipbuilders’ descendant Tiago joins his passion for the ocean to his sensitivity to the animals. His goal is to promote the protection of the ecosystem and animals.Tiago, with his experience, takes you safely to meet the cetaceans in their natural habitat.
He loves his job, because every day is special, as he says: "I have a meeting with a Giant!"
Being a whalers’ descendant (grandfather and father), the sea has always been a fascinating. He was born in Canada but returned to Pico at the age of 2 and quickly surrendered to the hidden mysteries in the sea. As a Skipper and Lifeguard he joined the team in 2012. In his opinion Aqua Açores has been like a second family for him and from whom he has learned a lot about cetaceans.The more he knows about these enigmatic animals the more he understands how important it is to preserve this untouched nature and to protect the calm nature of the cetaceans, which welcome us every day.
For him all trips are different and every day is a new discovery and a constant learning.
Paulo is a descendant of a former local whaler, with a huge passion and respect for the ocean. He combines his hobby of whale watching with his years of experience, which makes him our indispensable lookout and guide to boats and skippers. Paulo has many stories to tell about the whales and dolphins he watches for us. His view of the world is unique, due to his extensive and long experience in the observation and understanding of the cetaceans’ behavior.His keen and attentive observations of the Azorean seas are extremely accurate and crucial for the location of the animals. We would be lost without him!
Our team and associates are made up of dynamic, enthusiastic and committed individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and skills. We share a common goal and hope to encourage further awareness in the quest of protecting our beautiful ocean and all of its inhabitants by providing a variety of unforgettable observation experiences.
“Vigias” - Lookouts
Aqua Açores ensures, in each of the trips, the permanent communication between the skipper and the “vigia”.
On a day with good visibility, a “vigia” can sight the presence of a cetacean in a distance up to 18 miles from the coast, indicating its location via radio to the skipper.
Aqua Açores has three lookout stations: one is in Queimada, a kilometer from Lajes, with a magnificent view over the ocean and it is open for visitors; another one in Calheta do Nesquim and the third one is in S. Mateus.
This way Aqua Açores covers a wider area of the south side of the Island of Pico.
On a day with good visibility, a “vigia” can sight the presence of a cetacean in a distance up to 18 miles from the coast, indicating its location via radio to the skipper.
Aqua Açores has three lookout stations: one is in Queimada, a kilometer from Lajes, with a magnificent view over the ocean and it is open for visitors; another one in Calheta do Nesquim and the third one is in S. Mateus.
This way Aqua Açores covers a wider area of the south side of the Island of Pico.
Join us
If you share our passion for the cetaceans and are concerned about the preservation of the oceans, whether you have completed a university, Technical, Master's degree or just want to volunteer our team, Join us!
For this purpose we have the Eurodyssey and Internship projects so as the Volunteer or simply send your application through our contacts.
For this purpose we have the Eurodyssey and Internship projects so as the Volunteer or simply send your application through our contacts.
Internships
Eurodyssey www.eurodyssee.euThe Eurodyssey is an exchange program of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) which provides internships, of three to seven months abroad for young people who are seeking employment and are between 18 and 30 years old. The aim is to provide young people work experience and simultaneously give them the opportunity to learn a foreign language or improve their knowledge of it.
Internship program www.estagiar.azores.gov.pt
The Internship Program was developed by the Regional Government through a range of transition programs for the active life of young people in training and newly-formed.
This program combines companies and organizations with young people living in the Azores archipelago.
Volunteering
Volunteer program is aimed for young volunteers who intend, through the practice of volunteering, to intervene actively in the community and simultaneously acquire skills.This program, in Portugal, is ruled by the Law No. 71/98.
Duration of Volunteering
From May to September, with a minimum duration of one month and the possibility of extension.
Sea
Guide > Minimum requirements: Second-skipper License and speak English.
Skipper > Minimum requirements: Skipper License; Proven Experience.
Ashore
Shore Operator> Minimum Requirements: Speak English.
