Whale watchingFor over a century, (from the middle of the nineteenth through the middle of the twentieth century) whale hunting was one of the few alternatives to agriculture and fishing, and was exercised throughout the archipelago At first they used the boats that were brought from the United States, but swiftly the boats gained their own singular properties thanks to adaptations and developments in local hunting techniques. 
Based in small littoral localities, owneries would typically consist of a fleet of sail boats and row boats, one or two motor propelled launches to tow the whale-fishery in, and equipment to make train-oil and flour out of the cachalot This whole operation depended on observers claiming "whale in sight". These watchers were located in strategic positions along the coast line. Once they spotted prey , they would alert the whalers with flares and guide them towards the catch with flags. Everything would be put on hold to rush to ramp or boathouse and haul out the boats and hunt! Whaling was finally abandoned in the late 1980s. Many hunters and watchers love to tell stories about their adventures, secretly longing to continue the saga which ended, as the activity became unsustainable on all grounds. Through a regional Law by Decree, 13/98/A (4th of August) all equipment formerly used with this activity was declared state patrimony. Since then an enormous effort has been made to recover the boats, launches and installations. Even more so in the central island group, where Regattas with whale boats are very popular. Originating from this past, the first whale watching and observation companies on the Azores have started their activities with watchers ashore and boats at sea in the early nineties. Through the help of these companies, chances are very good to actually observe whales. |
 
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