Dear reader,

This is the last post on this blog. If you like to read what I write, I advise you to visit my new blog.

You all know I like to exaggerate from time to time, but a story needs a catchy title to attract readers. I won't keep you in suspense any longer.

We arrived in time for Pedro's briefing at the base of Horta Cetxe1ceos. With a lot of passion and enthousiasm he told us about the bearded whales, toothed whales (including dolphins) and built his story up to the climax: my whale: the spermwhale. When you have heard Pedro's story, you'll understand why spermwhales are special.

That morning, conditions weren't good and no whales were reported, so the morning trip was canceled. Yes, I was quite dissapointed, but thankful for Pedro's honesty. He could easily have taken us out on the ocean for three hours, with the risk of no sightings and cashing x80 55.- each. Well, this is not how the whale watching companies on Faial and Pico work! Some of you may not believe me (poor sods!) but honesty exists.

Sandra and I decided to go for a walk and come back at one thirty for a possible afternoon trip. Pictures without comment 

In doubt because of a former experience, Sandra decided not to join me on this trip. We waved goodbye, not knowing it might even be the last time… I was accompanied by a group of Dutch walkers who finished their holidays the best possible way. Boarding the Risso I claimed the right rear seat. I think it still has my name on it.The chance of seeing any whales was small, Pedro said, but we (the paasengers) decided to go out anyway.

After about half an hour fate struck. The engine stopped and would not start again. We were drifting about, not too far from the rocky coast near Sxe3o Roque do Pico. Without help, the current and wind could have easily thrown our ship upon the rocks. Pedro and Sofia showed no signs of stress, and so the Dutch stayed calm. I heard Pedro talking on the mariphone, but could not understand what he was saying. For all I knew, he could be residing a poem or saying farewell to his loved ones. Imagine! A few minutes later he told us he contacted Michael, who was a few miles ahead of us and asked only two questions: where are you and how close to the rocks. The BwA of CW Azores was coming to tow us to the port of Sxe3o Roque do Pico. We were saved!

 Saved and as far as I knew stuck in this port. I didn't complain, but spending the rest of the day here meant doing nothing but killing time by drinking. The worst part: I had no money with me!

 But let's face it: this man was far worse off than we. He put all his effort in finding a solution for his clients: passengers first, boat second, Pedro explained. We did not have to wait too long for the big Peter Sport boat to pick us up and take us for a whale watching trip. Sofia went with us and took great care of us. The people aboard Peter were also very friendly. We saw several spermwhales, so the trip was a succes. On our way back I spotted animals jumping out of the water, a few miles ahead. I asked Sofia to have a look as well and she confirmed it were dolphins. The other Dutchies were going crazy! They had one of their best days ever, at least one or two told me so. 

 We arrived late at Horta, almost six. It wasn't over yet. Pedro had come back earlier with fixed engine and came to meet us. He had a surprise for us at the Horta Cetxe1ceos base: verdelho wine with a coconut cookie. A perfect combination! More about this treat later.

I hope you don't mind this chapter has less pictures than the previous ones. If so, my apologies. Next year will be better. Promise!

Just after breakfast, Pedro called to ask if we could make it half an hour earlier to the base. When we arrived we were introduced to another Dutch couple, got into our rain coats and trousers and went off. The sky was very cloudy and the ocean showed some severe foam heads. During this trip Pedro often asked me how Sandra was doing. Sofia also went up to her a few times to ask. The sea was immensly rough that day, and I feared that Sandra was going to get seasick again. Brave as ever, she moved along with the rocking of the boat, standing with her knees slightly bend. Thumbs up to Pedro, who was also happy with this 'transformation'. All right, she takes a pill before going aboard, but Sandra convinced me that she is a sailor!

As said, the sea was rough. Only four passengers aboard with Pedro, Sofia and Armando. I had a few small chats with Armando the next day, but too few to get to know each other. The day before we left, we saw him at Porto Pim and he felt sorry not to have given the time to have drink and a chat with us. So did we. If you read this Armando, there's a great chance we'll be in Horta in May 2012. Hope to see you then.

Back to the story. After quite some time Pedro told us it was going to be hard to see any whales today. He apoligized to us for the possibility of not seeing whales. 'Why do you apologize?', I asked. His answer was simple and honest: 'I promise you whales, and if you don't see them, you don't pay.' The ocean was getting rougher and rougher. Word came out that the lookouts on the islands could not distinguish the spermwhale blows from the wave crests any more. We had to rely on our own sight and that of the other boats.

Eventually we saw at least two beautiful spermwhales south of the island of Sao Jorge. But there were too many boats at the same time and too close to the whales. Off course they all wanted to show their guests a glimpse of a spermwhale, but this was maybe a bit over the edge. I don't want to be a preacher, nor a moralist. I merely refer to Pedro's quote:"Guys, we are breaking all the rules now! This is not right." 

The skippers realising this took esponsibility and everything turned out well. The whales were not harmed in anyway, I can assure you. I was there. ?On our way back, we encountered a few groups of bottlenose dolphins (tuimelaars, Flipper). They are still the favourite of most people. Must be the smile…

He might think otherwise, but Pedro prooved to be a very good navigator. With an ocean growing fiercer and rougher, it's hard to make decisions. Sofia and Armando sat themselves on the first seats. The Ductch couple were behind them, and on the rear seats were Sandra and me. All of us were rocking along with the movements of the Risso. The worst part was the canal between Pico and Faial. Only six kilometres wide, but the southern Atlantic pushes an enormous amount of water through it. Make my day!

Satisfied, wet, impressed and happy we enjoyed the ritual of verdelho wine and coconut cookies. According to Pedro the sea was as rough as it can get. Sandra did more than survive this, I dare to say she enjoyed it a little. Two trips to go, but not as rough as these two.  

?

Chapter 6 is coming up, soon. A friend of mine taught me a single word in relation to spermwhales: patience. To him I dedicate this story.

Vanmorgen, tijdens een trainingsloop op het strand, zag ik een dode, aangespoelde bruinvis. Een bruinvis is een dolfijnachtige walvis van hooguit een meter lang en komt voor in de Nederlandse kustwateren. Met name in de Westerschelde gaat het erg goed met deze dieren en dat is zeer goed nieuws.

De dode bruinvis lag daar maar. Z'n ogen waren weg en een gedeelte van het gezicht was weg, waardoor ik duidelijk de onderkaak kon zien. Het zag er niet eng uit, maar ik vond het wel een trieste aanblik. Z'n ademgat was dicht. Ik zag geen tekenen van verwondingen door schepen of roofdieren. Alles wees erop dat de bruinvis een natuurlijke dood was gestorven. Door de harde westenwind was hij of zij aan land gespoeld. De politieman die ik sprak vertelde dat ze hem gingen weghalen. Bang voor het antwoord heb ik niet gevraagd wat ze met de bruinvis gingen doen.

Toen ik terug naar huis liep was ik een beetje verdrietig. Dat heb ik meestal als ik een dood dier zie. Zo ben ik nu eenmaal

 Arriving at Faial, we entered the marina of Horta after crossing the six kilometres wide canal from Pico. The sea is always rough in the canal and the ferry rocked inmmensly. It took us nearly ten minutes to find our hotel, which actually was right in front of us just fifty metres from the ferry dock. A very luxurious hotel, not quite what we were used to, and ever so pleasant. It had a fitness room whith a jacuzzi and our room had an enormous bed and a beatiful view on the marina and Pico island.

After unpacking our bags and a quick shower, we set out for lunch at the place-to-be in Horta: the famous Peter Sport Cafxe9. (@ the Dutch: a beer costs only x80 1!) We had a great lunch outside, and enjoyed watching everything going on in and around the harbour. Four replicas of  whaling vessels prepared to set sail and with a lot of effort they managed to find their way out to open sea. After a while they returned and one of them seemed to have sunk: the whales took revenge.

During lunch I already spotted the office to book our whale watching trips. When I asked Enrico of CW Azores where to go in Horta, he recommended 'a genuine, passionate, knowledgeable guy', Pedro Filipe of Horta Cetxe1ceos. So Sandra and I went to meet this guy, who we apparently had seen on the ocean a few times before. We were welcomed by the ever smiling Sofia and after having explained who sent us, she introduced us to Pedro.

                    
While talking with him, I sensed we shared more than a passion for whales and dolphins. Later that week, aboard the Risso, and during the chats we had, I realised we share the same ethic, moral and political ideas, and that we are (more or less) on a similar emotional and intellectual level. Oh, before I forget, he's also friendly and has a great sense of humour.

Because the day after was going to be a rainy day - and so a good day for drinking at the Sport Cafxe9 – no trips were scheduled. We were booked on the first to be: sunday morning. Feeling relaxed and at ease, Sandra and I set out to explore the friendly town of Horta and maybe find other nice places to eat or have a drink. That's what holidays are for: whale watching, eating and drinking. The rest is of secondary importance. 

 Rusty anchors on the green, outside Horta's old fortress which is now a pousada and an expensive place to eat.

 Only a hundred metres from our hotel is the bay and beach of Porto Pim. There is a restaurant, that serves good food and wine. And, especially when it's sunny, it's a lovely place to have lunch or diner.

 Porto Pim  

 In the end, this is where we spent our first evening and money: the aforementioned Peter Sport Cafxe9. And why not: the food is good, the wine too and accidentally we had a long and interesting conversation with a friendly French journalist. We saw him a few times the days after, but I never asked his name. Anyway, he writes for a travel magazine and was preparing an article on Faial and Pico. We told him all we knew, which already was quite a lot. He seemed to be surprised that our main goal was to see as many whales and dolphins as possible.

 In case you are confused: the journalist is the one with pen and paper.
So, after a not too busy day and a very pleasant evening, we turned to bed and woke up to see a world looking…

 … wet and grey. We anticipated on that and had already made plans for a rainy saturday in Horta. After our first breakfast in hotel Do Canal, we changed into our sporting clothes and went to the fitness room, which – how convenient – was on the same floor as our room. Most of the other hotel guests were old people so not to our surprise we were the only ones in the gym. I rowed for 30 minutes, ran 10 kilomtres on the running machine and cycled for 45 minutes. After that it was time to relax the muscles in the jacuzzi. Sorry, no pictures…

The rest of the afternoon we walked around the harbour looking at all the paintings made by the passengers and crew of the many sailing boats that visit Faial when crossing the Arlantic. A short antholoy:

Although I can't remember having seen that last painting…

By now I don't doubt that you will understand we had diner with wine that evening. We met the French journalist again who asked us if this was the only place we went to. 'And how about you?', I replied. 

In the next chapter you will read about our first spectacular trips with Pedro and Sofia aboard the Risso. Untill then!

When having breakfast, we watched our two blackbirds picknicking worms in the wet grass. It was raining and Madalena was dressed in a grey veil. We had no whale watching trips scheduled and discussed what to do on this rainy day. By accident we met one of the other dolphin snorkelers and the three of us decided to rent a car for the day and visit Lajos do Pico and maybe a few other sites and/or villages. We were advised not to go to the top of mount Pico, because the dense fog might cause dangerous situations.

After an hour's drive with pleasant conversation in English and German, we reached the small village of Lajes do Pico. The municipality is located on the southern part of the Pico Island. The northern area is mountainous while the Atlantic Ocean is in the south. The only road linking to the northern part of the island runs through the mountain ranges of Pico. The place to be is Whale'come ao Pico, where we had a fantastic vegetarian lunch with (off course!) Pico wine.

After lunch we visited the whaler's museum. Not a pleasant visit, but I think it's a good thing this museum exists: if you like it or not, whaling is part of Pico's history. In 1987 the last Sperm whale was caught in the Azores. Countries still hunting and killing whales for no other reason than money (but calling it scientific research) are Japan, Norway, Iceland and the Danish Faroe Islands. For more information, please visit Sea Shepherd.

Unfortunately we were too late to join the last tour in the lava caves (Sammath Naur for Tolkien lovers) so we visited two small villages on Pico's west coast. In one of them I bought two very tasty kinds of aguardente. Especially the one made of figs was exceptionally good. In case you wonder: both bottles were left at our hotel in Horta (Faial). But don't worry; they were empty. 

 Sandra's having fun, seeing herself in the rear view mirror.

 One of the many natural swimming pools. As far as we know, there are no beaches on Pico Island. 

 Sandra walking through the main street of Cais do Mourato.

 I'm very fond of the traditional black lava stone houses with the red doors and blinds. When I'm  going to live on Faial or Pico, I'll buy myself a house like this.

 A flower.

 If you get tired of whale watching, there are always furry friends to chat with.

 The Atlantic playing with hard rock.

 Shiny, happy people holding hands.

Despite, or maybe thanks to the rain, we had a very enjoyable day. We dined indoors and had a great pasta with again the fantastic Pico wine Terras de Lava. Refreshed after another good night's sleep, we set out for our last whale watching trip with CWA. My poor girl had the worst day, suffering from seasickness and possibly dehydration. Fortunately our good friends of CWA took very good care of Sandra after the trip. They showed real interest in us and I absolutely enjoyed my talks with Enrico, Petra, Dania and Patrizia.

After an hour and almost two litres of water, Sandra felt much better. I had a small lunch while Sandra took a nap. In the afternoon we sat down on the terrace of our favourite bar and restaurant. The warm sun fell gently down on us. Our days on Pico Island came to an end we prepared to cross the canal to Faial the next morning.

 Preparing to cross the canal to Faial.

 Completely recovered from seasickness and dehydration and above all very happy.

 Sunset over Faial.

Good bye to Pico and Madalena. I'll be back!

My adrenaline level was already quite high, when I stepped aboard the BWA on monday 6th June. I was wearing a wetsuit and held a mask and snorkel in my hands. This morning I would swim with wild dolphins! This day, a wish I had for many years was about to come true. After cruising for a while on a perfectly flat Atlantic Ocean, the great navigator spotted a group of bottlenose dolphins. We were east of Faial. The rules are simple and strickt: two at a time in the water and only after Petra or Michael said:"go!". From the boat, they told us which way to swim. Dolphins don't fly (well, sometimes they do, for a very short while), so for us swimmers, it was best to keep our heads under water.

My Spanish mate Chris and I were the first two ready to enter the ocean. Slowly and as silently as possible, we dipped in and looked around for the dolphins. (a short film) Yes, I could clearly see my relatives. According to an Italian website ('which cetacean are you?'), I'm a bottlenose dolphin so relatives is the proper way to address them.

I was overwhelmed seeing these magnificent animals in their own habitat. They are so majestic, so beautifull, gracious and very friendly. I heard their shrill sounds, with which they checked me out. The sound goes right through me, so they can form a 3-dimensional image of me. They must have thought:"hmm, that's a mammal as wel lik us, but not a good swimmer". The dolphins were close, and not in captivity. No, these are wild dolphins! Animals that made the choice to check us out and stay with us for a while. If you have ever seen the movie Close encounters of the third kind, you'll understand that for me these were close encounters of the 2,5 kind! And the best part of it: nobody can ever take this away from me! If you've experienced what I have, you'll understand why I find it ethically and moraly unjust to hold dolphins (and other wild animals) in captivity. 

Yes, these were magic moments! I met my relatives and I felt very comfortable among them. If I had not been such a bad swimmer, I probably would have stayed with them forever . To those who were sceptical (good people who are committed to the benefit of animals) when I told them I was going to swim with wild dolphins, I can happily and honestly say: the animals were not harassed in any way and at night they are not fed by the companies that took us out on their boats. The dolphins come and go as they please. They make the rules, not us! swim with only five species of dolphins.

  My new relatives and…

 …the BWA with Michael Costa at the helm, Petra Szlama at the rear (making photographs), me third from the left, Sandra fourth from the left and our heroes up front: a bottlenose dolphin and a pilot whale. You don't see that often. It was a coxefncidence to see bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales swimming together. We were not allowed to go into the ocean at that moment. There are only five species of dolphins with which you are allowed to swim. That's also why Michael said to us to close our eyes if we accidentally saw a pilot whale when swimming . Thank you Sofia Mendonxe7a of Horta Cetxe1ceos for the great picture!

Back at base of CW Azores we were offered a nice cup of tea, and I was able to share my experiences and feelings with Enrico, Dania and Patrizia. My memory fails me on what Sandra and I did the rest of the day, but I know it involved, lunch, wine, rest, diner, more wine and a good night with pleasant dreams about dolphins…

The day after we planned nothing and did a long and very pleasant walk along the coast and through the vineyards of Madalena. The grape variety grown here is verdelho, which produces very good quality wines such as Terras de Lava and a very special fortified wine (a bit like sherry) that Pedro from Horta Cetxe1ceos serves his guests after a whale watching trip. Let's see the pictures, shall we?

 a close-up of the beautiful verdelho vines.

 a road through the vineyards with Pico mountain in the background. Next time I hope the weather is good enough to climb this highest peak of Portugal. 

 the same road, facing the other way. The island in the background is Faial. These vineyards are protected by UNESCO. The Azores in total should be protected in my opinion. But as far as I can judge, the people living here are doing their very best. And before I forget to mention it, they are very friendly, polite and interested. 

 the lava stone walls protect the vines from the salty sea winds.

 explore the pattern.

 one of the most important men of Pico: a wine grower!

 and to finish this chapter, another fantastic view of the Madalena vineyards and the island Faial in the background. Due to circumstances such as weather, we did not see a lot of the island of Pico, but also thanks to weather circumstances (rain) we saw some of Pico island. That's in chapter 3 of Azorean Adventures. From chapter 4 on, the location is Faial. Please stay tuned and let me know what you think of it. By now you'll know how to deal with the thumbnail photo's and links. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I like writing my adventures.

Op veler verzoek, een Nederlandse vertaling:

Na drie prettige dagen in een van onze favoriete Eurposese hoofdsteden , Lisboa, landden wij op Pico en zagen dat een hondje als eerste de bagageband opkwam. Na vrij gelaten te zijn uit zijn reiskooi, kwispelde hij vrolijk rond. Ik ben niet religieus of bijgelovig, maar achteraf gezien, symboliseerde dit hondje de prachtige tijd die wij op Pico en Faial tegemoet gingen. Een vriendelijke taxichauffeur bracht ons naar het hotel met zicht op zee en een zwembad dat wij nooit hebben benut. Hoe stom kan je zijn?

 We leegden onze koffers, vulden de kasten en na een douche en enkele andere natuurlijke gedragingen, vonden we lunch op het terras van een prettige snack bar (dat is Portugees voor een eenvoudig restaurant) met uitzicht over de haven van Madalena. Het is een uitstekende plek voor een hapje, een drankje en een mooi vergezicht. De mensen zijn er vriendelijk en ontspannen: een ideale plek, vooral als je geen haast hebt. Gelukkig hadden wij dat niet, maar wij moesten wel wennen aan het rustigere levenstempo. Het paste me overigens erg goed. Op mijn leeftijd kan ik hier nog makkelijk wennen. Er is slechts een klein probleem: gebrek aan geld en/of een baan. 

 Die dag was er meer zon dan op de foto. Onderweg naar lunch, paseerden wij de basis van CW Azores. Ik had al onderzoek gedaan en wist dat dit de juiste mensen waren om walvissen en dolfijnen te gaan zien. Mijn keuze bleek meer dan terecht: vriendelijke en eerlijke mensen met kennis en passie. Na de lunch ontmoetten wij 

 Enrico Villa, die alle tijd nam om ons uit te leggen wat zij doen en op welke wijze. Ik had meteen door dat Enrico en ik dezelfde passie voor cetaceans hadden. Ik heb meerdere malen en met veel plezier met hem gesproken. Hij weet waarover hij spreekt, is oprecht en neemt ook de tijd om naar je te luisteren. Enrico heeft ons ook in contact gebracht met Pedro Filipe van Horta Cetxe1ceos. We boekten de eerste trip die mogelijk was: de volgende ochtend. Zonder een goede maaltijd met heerlijke Picowijn (Terras de Lava) en een paar glazen aguardente, had ik vast geen goede nachtrust gehad vanwege de opwinding. Uiteraard droomde ik van walvissen en dolfijnen.

De volgende ochtend gaf

 Petra Szlama in perfect Engels een uitstekende briefing over walvissen en dolfijnen voordat zij ons vergezelde aan boord van de

  BWA (eerste boot rechts). Stuurman

  Michael Costa ontving ons aan boord en we gingen op weg naar het gebied waar potvissen waren gesignaleerd. 

Het was onze eerste keer op een bootje als dit. Ze kunnen behoorlijke snel (55 km/u) en soms kan het er ruw aan toe gaan. Maar daar raak je aan gewend. Tijdens mijn eerste tocht, niet wetende wat ik kon verwachten, hield ik mij met beide handen vast en klemde ik mijn benen om de zitting. Het deed meer pijn dan tijdens de vijfde of zesde trip, toen ik rustig stond met gebogen kniexebn en de armen over elkaar. Michael is absoluut de door iedereen gewaardeerde en kundige stuurman: een ikoon! Dankzij zijn vaardigheden en de scherpe ogen van de uitkijkposten op het vaste land zagen wij:  

  tuimelaars

 gewone dolfijnen

 en ja hoor, povissen! Een wens kwam in vervulling. Het was niet de eerste keer dat ik wilde dolfijnen zag, maar een potvis is iets anders. Als je ooit de kans krijgt dit mee te maken, weet je wat ik bedoel. Koude rillingen over mijn rug bij het zien van de kalme schoonheid van dit prachtige dier, helemaal tot de climax wanneer ze gaat duiken. Haar staart omhoog alsof ze wil zeggen: dag, tot straks. Door mijn eerste confrontatie met een walvis, realiseerde ik mij meer hoe belangrijk het is dat deze dieren moeten worden beschermd dan 32 jaar donateurschap van Greenpeace. Een magisch moment! Hier had ik maanden lang naar uitgekeken vanaf het moment dat wij besloten walvissen en dolfijnen te gaan zien rond de Azoren. 

Terug op de basis van CWA deelde ik mijn belevenissen met Enrico en boekte ik een volgende trip: 'zwemmen met dolfijnen', de volgende ochtend. Nog meer opwinding: ik voelde mij weer een kind, dat voor het eerst naar school gaat. En wat voor school! Ik heb enorm veel geleerd over cetaceans tijdens onze twaalf dagen op Pico en Faial (@Pedro: geduld!!). Ik wil nog meer leren. Gisteren ben ik eindelijk begonnen met lezen van Moby Dick, het favriete boek van mijn kapitein in Horta, Faial. Daarna snel naar de bibliotheek en de boekwinkel. 

Maar goed, wat we de rest van de dag deden, kan ik me niet herinneren. Waarschijnlijk hebben we wat rond gelopen in Madalena en genoten van de rust, stilte en het gebrek aan stress. Even een paar foto's.

Wat doe je uitendelijk, na een dag vol opwinding met nieuwe vrienden (mens en dier), kennis te hebben opgezogen, nieuwe gevoelens hebt ervaren en meer over jezelf hebt geleerd? Dat is makkelijk: Zandra en ik streken neer bij the place to be onder het genot van een biertje, of twee, of meer. We bespraken onze ervaringen en gevoelens. En toen realiseerden wij ons dat naar de Azoren gaan de juiste keuze was geweest. De dagen die nog zouden volgen bevestigden deze constatering. Maar, eerlijk gezegd, zonder de sterren van de oceaan, zouden wij nooit naar de Azoren zijn gegaan. 

  Eddo, gelukkig, in overpeinzing…

 …en een gelukkige, maar bovenal fantastische vriendin, die mijn droom mogelijk heeft gemaakt.

Beste lezers: om de plaatjes te vergroten is een muisklik genoeg. Voor achtergrondinformatie, klik op de links (onderstreepte woorden). Elke reactie (met naam en e-mailadres) is welkom en wordt beantwoord.

After three pleasant days in one of our favourite European capitals, Lisboa, we arrived on Pico island and witnessed a dog, being the first piece of luggage on the belt. After being released from it's cage, doggy wagged it's tail and walked about in great spirit. I'm not religious or supersticious but in retrospect I think this dog symbolises what a great time we were going to have on Pico and Faial. A friendly taxi driver brought us to our hotel with sea view and a pool, which we never used. How stupid can you be?

 We emptied our suitcases, filled the closets and after a shower and a call from nature, went out for lunch at a pleasant snack bar (the Portugese name for a simple restaurant) with a terrace overlooking the marina of Madalena. It's a good place to grab a bite, have a beer and enjoy the view. The people there are very friendly and relaxed: a perfect place, especially if you're not in a hurry. Fortunately we where not, but we had to adjust to the slower pace of life. It suited me fine. At my age I can easily adapt to living there. Just a minor problem: money and/or a job.

 That day, there was more sunshine than this picture shows. On the way to lunch, we passed the base of CW Azores. I did my research and therefore I knew for shure this was the right company to go whale and dolphin watching. My choice proved to be more than right: friendly and honest people with knowledge and passion. After lunch we met

  Enrico Villa, who took all the time to explain what they do and how they do it. I sensed that Enrico and I share the same passion for cetaceans. I had several conversations with him and I enjoyed that a lot. He knows what he's talking about, is honest and takes time to listen as well. Enrico also 'introduced' us to Pedro Filipe of Horta Cetxe1ceos. We booked on the first trip possible: the next morning. If it wasn't for a good diner with fantastic Pico wine (Terras de Lava) and aguardente afterwards, I don't think I would have had a good night of sleep because of the excitement. Off course I dreamt of dolphins and whales. 

The next morning

  Petra Szlama, gave an excellent briefing in perfect English on whales and dolphins before she joined us on the

  BWA (first boat from the right). Skipper

   Michael Costa welcomed us aboard and we set out to where the sperm whales were located.  

It was our first time on a boat like this. They can go very fast (55 km/h) and sometimes it can be a very bumpy ride. But, you get used to it. The first trip, not knowing what to expect, I held on with both hands and pressed the seat between my legs, like a real rookie! It hurt more than the fith or sixth trip, when I was standing loosely with bended knees and arms across my chest. Well, Michael is indeed the much appreciated and skillful navigator everyone claims him to be: an icon! Thanks to his skills and the keen eyes of the lookouts on shore, we saw:

  bottlenose dolphins

  ?common dolphins

  and indeed sperm whales! A whish came true. It wasn't the first time I saw a wild dolphin, but seeing a sperm whale is something different. If you ever have the experience I had, you'll understand. It goes beyond reason! Shivers down my spine, seeing the calm beauty of this magnificent animal; all the way up to the climax when she goes for a dive. The fluke up as if she wants to say: bye for now, I'll see you later. My first encounter with a whale made me realize much more the importance of protecting whales, than 32 years of Greenpeace membership did. A magic moment! This is what I had been looking forward to all those months since we decided to go whale and dolphin watching at the Azores.

Back at the CWA base, I shared my experiences with Enrico and booked us on another trip: 'swimming with dolphins' the next morning. More excitement: feeling like a child again, going to school for the first time. And what a school this is! I have learned a lot about cetaceans during our twelve days at Pico and Faial (@Pedro: patience!!). I want to learn more. Yesterday I finally started reading Moby Dick, the favourite novel of my captain at Horta, Faial. And then it's off to the libraries and book stores!

Anyway, I don't remember what we did the rest of the day. We probably walked around Madalena and enjoyed the peace and lack of stress. Let's look at some pictures.

Eventually, what do you do after a day full of excitement, meeting new friends (human and animal), soaking up knowledge, experiencing new feelings and learning more about yourself? It's simple: Zandra and I end up at the place to be with a beer or two, or more. We contemplate and share our feelings of the day. By then we knew we already made the right choice to go to the Azores. The days ahead of us did nothing more than confirm that feeling. To be honest: if it wasn't for the stars of the ocean, I think we would have never visited the Azores. 

  Eddo happily contemplating…

  …and a happy and above all wonderfull girlfriend, who made my dream come true.

Dear readers: to enlarge the pictures, one mouse click will do, for background information, just click on the links (underlined words). Any comment (with name and e-mail address) is welcome and will be replied.

It's late in the Dutch evening, I'm having a nice glass of wine, I feel fantastic and I'm writing in English. Let me explain the English. Because I want my friends at Pico, Faial and anywhere else in the world to read my Azorean Adventures as well, I decided to switch to English. I know all of my Dutch readers read English, so it won't be a problem. For background information I advise you to click the links. I use Wikipedia. Any suggestion is welcome.

Well, what you are going to read the next episodes, is a reflection of my adventures on and around the Azorean islands Pico and Faial. It is about our holidays the first weeks of June 2011. I will spice it up with pictures, a few short films (Youtube) and links to the companies that offered us the chance to see whales and dolphins. Most of the time I will be writing about whales and dolphins. Believe me: if you ever have the luck and privilege to see one in it's own environment, you are hooked and you get addicted. I did! It's an addiction, worse than drugs or alcohol, but to reassure you; it is a very healthy one: it makes you extremely happy without side-effects!

I went out on the Atlantic Ocean eight times (Zandra seven), and we have seen whales and dolphins every day. That means a 100% score! Besides that we saw at least two species a day and other animals that live on, in or near the ocean as well. I'm talking about the funny Cory's shearwaters, lovely common terns, a curious loggerhead sea turtle (only one, but hey! Who cares!) and the ever so dangerous Portugese man of war. I hope I didn't forget to mention the cats, dogs, blackbirds, pigeons and lizzards, but I just realized they don't live in the ocean. They are important too.

Now I have to tell you something very unpleasant. It has a reason. Japan killed about two hundred minke whales this year. For no other reason than for food, but younger people in Japan don't like whale flesh. It's rotting away. If it wasn't for Sea Shepherd, a few thousand would have been killed! It's the same story with tuna fishing in Asia: thousands of dolphins drown because of the nets. Pay attention when you go to the supermarket for canned tuna fish. I know you will, you're good people.

Seeing whales and dolphins is loving them and loving them means that we have the obligation to take care of them. I really believe we owe it to them. This is my heart talking;  my passion for these lovely animals. We are more connected to these fabulous creatures than we think. If in doubt, I suggest you to read In defense of dolphins by Thomas I. White.

What I hope to achieve with this story, is to share my passion for whales and dolphins with you, and to make you aware of their beauty, grace, friendliness and vulnerability. When you go out on the ocean to watch them, they make the rules. Fortunately, the laws for whale watching around the Azores are very strickt: I have only seen respect and integrity. The people you go out with are not in it for the money but for their passion for these fantastic animals. The key word is patience and it will rewarded, believe me.

So much for the introduction. I don't know where it's going, but I like it so far. I hope you too. Please comment on what you read. Maybe we can connect and discuss. I will leave you with a beautifull picture of a common dolphin, made by Justin Hart of CW Azores and a picture of the fluke of a sperm whale, with Pedro and Sofia of Horta Cetxe1ceos. To enlarge: just click on the image.

Vandaag, een dag voor wij met vakantie gaan naar Lissabon en Azoren, las ik de volgende ingezonden brief in de Volkskrant:

Waxinehoudergooier

Hierbij verklaar ik mij solidair met de man die nu al acht maanden zonder vorm van proces in hechtenis wordt gehouden. Zijn misdaad is het gooien van een waxinelichtjeshouder naar de gouden koets. Een daad van verzet tegen een instituut dat geen rechtsgrond kent. Ook ik zou met veel genoegen een voorwerp tegen de gouden koets werpen. Ook ik dien opgenomen te worden in het Pieter Baan Centrum want ook ik heb een groot bezwaar tegen de mythe en de aanwezigheid, van 'ons' koningshuis. In maart 1980 publiceerde Anton Constandse het boekje Oranje zonder mythe. Wellicht is het tijd voor een herdruk.

H.Jongenelen

Ik sluit mij aan bij de schrijver en verklaar mij ook solidair. Dat zouden wij allemaal moeten doen! Het wordt ook hoog tijd dat Amnesty International zich met deze zaak gaat bemoeien, want het lijkt er sterk op dat wij in Nederland minstens xe9xe9n politieke gevangene hebben.