Azores Whale Watching TERRA AZUL™ in Ponta Delgada

I went on the Terra Azul bird watching tour in early October of 2022. It was great. We were able to see many species of birds, the guides were knowledgeable, and they were very respectful of the local environment.I would recommend this tour to birders, photographers, or folks looking to get a different perspective from the normal tourist activities.

Definitely do not purchase the full day tour package with lunch and visit to the small island. It’s a rip off, you can pay 10 euro round trip to go to the island yourself. The lunch is definitely not worth 30 euro.

AWESOME! We saw a lot of dolphins! I would recommend plan a trip here!!

Saw 3 different types of dolphins 🐬 and Whales with a baby. Fantastic.

Awesome experience, I was skeptical due to a bit high price but it was definitely worth it.Employees were very helpful and happy to answer, always looking for the next thing to see. Also kudos for not sticking with one group of animals to let them rest, and always maintaining a good distance. Being able to hear dolphins chirping was great addition.

An incredible experience whale and dolphin watching. The tour guides were inspiring and delightful!

We were lucky and able to see several species of dolphins and whales the day of our trip as apparently that week, the weather wasnt the best and they needed to cancel several trips.Also, at the end of our trip, they had a summary of the trips of that week and what they observed on them. It seems that early mornings tends to be more chances to see something (in our opinion).Our trip lasted around 3hrs and the seats werent very comfortable to be on it so long. Also, most of the species appeared on the left side of the boat and people kept on standing up to see, although the staff were asking them to sit down. I think that could be avoided if they wouldnt squeeze so many people on one trip and also if they would turn the boat around to let everyone see.I would recommed to give it a good but having in mind that you might not able to see whales and just dolphins.

Very good tour! The tour guide and all was very good and had good knowledge. They also respected the animals and didn’t force anything which I think was good.

We weren’t lucky enough to see whales, only dolphins, but we got a very nice introduction of the species around and about the ecosystem. Our tour guide spoke 4 languages, which was impressive considering the people working here are also all trained biologists.

Fantastic guides. We saw a lot Dolphins! 2-3 thousand! The guide made sure we know what we were looking at and answered all of our questions. Everyone in our group had a great time.

Brilliant experience. We saw four species of dolphin and a sei whale. The boats were very fast and only three abreast so everyone had a good view. Despite how fast they were it wasnt too bumpy or noisy. I thought my six year old son might find it a bit scary but he loved it.The pre tour explanation of the species in the water was very clear and the crew were very friendly and helpful. After seeing the whales and dolphins the boat took a quick lap of the Vila Santo do Campo Islet which is also pretty amazing (worth a separate day trip).

I was quite sceptic to see anything (as I am usually for this kind of activities). But I was positively surprised. Wa rapidly encountered hundreds of playful atlantic Dolphins and an hour later saw three spermwhales. I had a great time, maybe one of my best memories during my holidays.The team was also very kind and educational, both on board (Nathan and Miguel, who made this moment with their explanations and jokes funny and informative, but also at the office. Great spirit and customer satisfaction oriented. Big thumb up. Thank you guys!I recommand this agency for whale watching. I will renew the experience with them should I return.Carlos

One of the best whale and dolphin watching tours I’ve been on! The educational aspects were excellent. Miguel, our skipper and Alex our guide were both amazing. Highly recommend!

Good services and nice people, we were very lucky because we saw whales and dolphins … it was awesome ! However the boats are overcrowded. The line in the middle should not be filled with people… it’s difficult to throw up when you are stucked in the middle … unfortunately, two guys got sick ! And you have to wear a mask !

Business led by people that love what they do and give respect to the animals that they deserve which is very beautiful to see. Approaching animals in a way to cause minimal distraction to them and not overstaying are nice examples. The owner and the guide were both very friendly and energetic and gave us a lot of explanations about what we saw. When someone couldnt see properly from their seats the captain allowed them to join him at the back of the ship with better view. Also you can see whales in summer too, there is just a smaller chance, but in early july nearly everyday there were whales sighted so chances are still high. After the tour you can have a nice local tea and discuss any questions you have. Sending all the love and maybe see you in the future on the volunteering programme(yes there is one!🥰💜

Really great experience to see some marine life. Although summer is not the whale season (they migrate through here rather in the spring), you definitely get a chance to see dolphins. The crew is very enthusiastic and you can tell they understand and respect the oceanic wildlife.

Total Ripoff - cheap stakes avoid re-trips or refunds by driving hours until they find a single dolphin which isnt the purpose of the tour so that they can avoid the retrip policy.This is supposed to be a whale watching tour - they have spotters so could advise you that there are no whales that trip yet they take your money regardless. The speedboat is over-crowded with 35 people so you cant really get photographs easily.They have three $200,000 speed boats, making around €15,000 per day, its a purely commercial operation acting like a for good one. Its shameful to deliver nothing and then give canned responses about wildlife being unpredictable when that isnt the point people are making, the policy should be no whale no fee or a free second trip.The people coming off the previous tour looked disappointed and the same was with the one I was on, you honestly would be better off just spending the money on a good meal or doing another trek and seeing the local birds for free.They make you wear those proven totally ineffective masks for covid even though the boat is doing 50kph and no where else on the island is enforcing that and lots of them ended up in the sea, more plastic - youd think that marine biologists as they claim to be or at least be involved with would care about this environmental impact.

Well sounded Marine biologist and super coordinated tour. They have watcher on the land to spot the whales and dolphins to inform the boat skipper where exactly they need to go. I highly recommend if you love marine species

Friendly and competent guide. Amazing trip! (we were very lucky to see 3 species of dolphin and sperm whale). In the end we had also short trip around the island of Vila Franca do Campo

Really fun tour with enthusiastic tour guides. We were lucky enough to see 2 whales and tons of dolphins. Such a fun experience. Would recommend to anyone in the area.

If they are not the best than no-one else can be. Ticket reservation was smooth. We began our tour in time with a short video and afterwards speedboats took us to 3 exact spots of dolphins and whales. Our tour guide was also very helpful a full of information

Excellent experience from start to finish. Very professional crew, great pilot, great boat. We saw dolphins, a sea turtle, and a large number of man o war. They have a lot of passion for nature and sea life in general.

I have to give a star to post this, otherwise, I wouldn’t as our trip never happened, but that is not the reason for a negative review. I am not contesting the alleged ‘poor weather conditions’ out at sea on 2nd June 2022 at 2pm, the hottest day in the week! I am appalled at the hour and forty five minute wait on the road in the sun that we were subjected to before someone at Terra Azul made the decision to abort and inform us all. What was more galling was that after we left at 2pm, we discovered that all subsequent trips took place, including the 4pm trip that day. I can’t help being amazed at the speed at which weather conditions improved that allowed for this and given that trips have been out since in less favourable conditions, I question whether the real cause was because a skipper didn’t turn up for boat 1?

I was looking forward to our whale watching trip with our itinerary made for the islands since were tourists and the Azores is one of the best spots to do this trip. Unfortunately, our whale watching tour was cancelled WITHOUT trying to communicate effectively as we got to the front desk and was told that the trip is cancelled. However, Ive been notified by the company that I needed to pay a deposit to secure a time, and to pay the remaining balance 24hrs prior to the scheduled tour.The gentleman expressed his apologies that theyve tried to call my phone with no callback or voicemail response (I do not have long-distance calls activated but Ive been getting notifications through WiFi provided in the island). But, Im extremely disappointed that they have not tried to send me an e-mail notification that the trip is cancelled due to inclement weather as this was another communication preference that I provided, AND they have been sending me notifications to pay for the deposit AND the amount owed.I understand that the weather can be temperamental, but I hope that Terra Azul takes this review seriously as this can be prevented to future tourists who would love to enjoy the Azorean ocean and its marine life.

Amazing experience! Everything was very well organized, our guide (Annawas awesome and passionate about her job and they really care about wildlife, not just profit. Very much recommended

One of the best experiences of my life. We went with other tour operators on the island, if you care about the whales you go out to see, this is the tour operator to go with. They are so passionate and caring they made my holiday. They made me respect the ocean even more.Guarantee your own success, go on more than 1 tour.With terraazul you feel apart of their family.The others whale operators you feel like a number. I dont remember any guide from the other operators. Terraazul I remember them all ♥️Cannot fault them, Daniel and Stephanie on the front desk are just amazing getting everything organized. Would love to come back out to see you all again!Thank you guys!Photos:False orcaHumpback whaleHuge amount of video and photos to go through. Will be sure to send you the under water video of the false orca swimming past!Hope you are having fun out there, Im sure you are!

We booked a full day trip (Furnas and whale watchingwhich was unfortunately split during bad weather conditions. But it was no problem and he crew did their best to communicate and organizer everything :)So we did the Furnas tour (very informativ and nice guideon a Friday and the whale watching (we saw different dolphin species and hunchback Whaleson a Monday :)Informatice Videos and security instructions were easy to follow. The speed boots really were fun!

Great whale and dolphin watching tours in zodiacs. We got lucky and saw 4 kinds of dolphins on one tour. Great guide and skipper on board. Just dont be a jackass and expect whales waiting for you to see them whenever you go

Amazing experience! Had the best luck seeing 4 different species of dolphins, one a rare sighting. The guide was very helpful and informative. The ride around the islet was also very neat!

I would definitely give this tour 5 stars if this was advertised a marine life or dolphins watching tour.But its called WHALE watching tour, and we didn’t saw one, so one star. I feel cheated.Same feeling as if you came to steak house and they offer you salad only.

Oh. My. Goodness!! This was one of the best shore excursions I have ever done. Small groups on small boats. They have watchers on land that direct the captain where to take you so you have a good chance of seeing whales in the wild, and sure as **** we did! Specifically, Orcas! The guide was fantastic. Dont go on one of those bigger boat tours because we saw those groups and they looked miserable trying to step over each other to see anything!

What a fantastic experience! We were lucky to see beautiful dolphins and sea turtles. Sanne, our ocean creatures expert has been telling a lot of interesting facts and info during the whole time, and our skipper ensured we stayed safe on the waters. We were also pleased to hear that they pay a lot of attention to environmental education of the tourists , encouraging to minimize plastic use and waste in daily life.

Knowledgeable guides, attentive staff and a well-planned tour. They use good size speed boats and you get a nice view without compromising on safety.We did a tour at the beginning of May and saw a very large pod of bottlenose dolphins that swam peacefully next to the boat. Unfortunately no whales in sight during our trip but this is nature so is not guaranteed that animals will show up. I recommend this tour.

Its an incredibly interesting experience you get by going here. The guide we got, Andrés, the way he explains to you, he transmits his knowledge interestingly and all the emotion he has about the sea, no doubt hes a great guy, very nice and kind. You also get a great ride on boat and watch the ecosystem, and the species of birds and more.Its important to assume that you may not see whales, the sea is their home, were just their guests and theyll show themselves only if they want, dont complain about it if you dont see them, its stupid.A great experience for instance, you may not see whales, but the whole ride and the knowledge and interesting facts that Andrés transmits makes it worth it.Highly recommend 👍🏼👍🏼

We would definitely recommend to do whales/dolphins watching with Terra Azul. Even if you do not see any whales (which was our case),you will be amazed by the overall trip and experienced guides.

What a great experience!Starting with the interesting briefing making everyone aware of nature’s beauty and fragility. Astonishing me with their integrity while picking up a floating bottle although some dolphins were around and everyone got excited. And the slowing me to have the overwhelming feeling of being very small and humble while three (3!fin whales past by!Thanks for this wonderful time and your efforts making whale watching an attraction as well as a respectful gesture towards nature!

I chose Terra Azul because they are supposedly very experienced. Given the information on the website, I thought that seeing the whales was easy. In fact, its very rare to see them. Many conditions must be met. For this reason Terra Azul specifies if we see at least dolphins (you will be sure to see someyou will not be compensated. So, as the conditions werent met (Terra Azul didnt tell us anything about thisthey did everything to put us in front of the dolphins.We made an uncomfortable boat trip during 2h30 to see some dolphins for 5 minutes but no whales.The young guide was friendly.It was far from the aim and what I expected.What a desappointment!

Very friendly people speaking very good English. The prices were quite affordable for a 2 h tour. They gave us a quick briefing about the wild sea life in the island before the tour started and our tour guide even gave the talk in both English and French. She was interacting with us by asking us questions, she kept us interested. All staff was very enthusiastic about dolphins and whales and they all made a memorable experience, a must-repeat!

Beautiful experience! They are really knowledgeable about the whales and dolphins and they really care about the animals’ wellbeing. Support sustainable tourism :)

The crew is very professional (Marine biologe and skipperwith respect for the animals.

Amazing experience for my 40th birthday in Sao Miguel! Anna & all the staff were fantastic!!! They literally guide you through the whales & dolphins world! It is not sure to see any of them when you are on board & we were very lucky to meet 4 different species. Super!!!

Lovely people who genuinely care about the ocean and how we treat it. We spent two days with them. The first day we only saw the lovely dolphins. We booked for the full day whale watching and tour. The tour was really good, we were given food at the café around from the harbour. We asked to see the church on the hill above Vila Franca do Campo as we had heard it was really difficult to get to, they were more than happy to oblige, Im not sure we would have got there on our own. They then took us to the Lagoa Fogo before we entered the thermal pools for an hour. From there we were driven to a waterfall by a hydro electric plant before going back to the harbour, all in all worth the money, and if you want to see something thats not on the itinerary they seem more than happy to accommodate.As we didnt get to see a whale we decided to book for the following day, hopefully doubling our chances of seeing a whale, we werent disappointed! We were asked while watching the dolphins again if anybody minded going some distance offshore as there had been a possible sighting, nobody said no thankfully! We eventually got to the site and were greeted with the sight of a sperm whale and a turtle. Excellent. Each whale watching session is finished off with a boat tour around the local island just out from the harbour.Again, great people, good setup, and very respectful of the environment. Hopefully were going back next year and will be spending some more time with them. :-)We had a Whale of a time!Many thanks to all at Azores whale watching TERRA AZUL

Took my husband out here for dolphin swimming. I didnt go (the sea scares me :D)It seemed to be very well organised with friendly staff. He came back beaming and loved the experience.

Such an amazing experience! The crew is so nice and really know their stuff. We got alot of nice lessons about the animals and the environment. They also really know how to entertain the crowd in a relaxed and chilled out way. The boats and equipment feel also really safe.We had 5 different species in 2 different trips. So many different kinds of dolphins. During our second ride out it was sperm whale mania, so cool.If you are on sao miguel, please skip the big agencies in PD. For us they were unfriendly and too massive, almost tourist traps. Take a ride out out to Villa d. Franco, you wont regret it!

Great adventure and very cool if you get to see some whales and dolphins. We were lucky to get to see quite a few sperm whales and dolphins very fast. Unfortunately this meant that we had some extra time left on our tour that was spend on a trip around the coast of the island. This was pretty boring actually and combined with the uncomfortable seats this cost you a star in the rating.I still highly recommend this company to go whalewatching with!

Loved doing this!We saw 3 sperm whales loads of different dolfins it was really special. Well worth it!!!Jessie and Nuno were great and we enjoyed the way it was all organized! Well done and keep it up!

It was a wonderful experience. We saw dolphins whales and a turtle. The staff was dedicated and well prepared. They also respected the animals. Ask in advance when booking if the weather is good to see whales.

Beautiful experience. Lucky me, the weather was perfect, we saw whales, dolphins and the ride was great. Only one thing, hope to seat on the right (goodside of the boat, to take good photos.

What can I say about this experience. The dolphin experience was great. Led by guide, Tim, we were able to see these great animals underwater in the wild. We were very fortunate, because you dont always get to see as many of them as we did. He also told us to go in the morning if you are planning to go. It sounds like the sights can be better, as there is less interaction with the animals.The whale watch was great, too. We saw some "false killer whales" and same same Atlantic spotted dolphins we saw on the dolphin experience. We loved every minute of it. I highly recommend Terra Azul.

Wonderful experience, accompanied by friendly multi-lingual staff describing a lot about what were seeing and generally about the ocean ecosystem. Its really nice that at the end of the tour we circled the small island nearby Villa Franco.Had the chance to take some great shots of dolphins, whales and a turtle on this tour!