In the Azores, both public and private entities have developed several environmental education initiatives, with a strong focus on the “Eco-escolas” or “Escola Azul” programmes, which aim to integrate ocean literacy into the school curriculum. The FUNDAÇÃO OCEANO AZUL, through its Blue Azores programme, strives to equip children with knowledge about the ocean and raise student awareness about its importance. To achieve this objective, the “Educating a Blue Generation” programme empowers teachers by providing them with comprehensive manuals and curricula specifically tailored to the Azorean Sea and its historical significance.
Festivals and events are usually associated with environmental education initiatives, which also allow for increasing the general knowledge about technological and academic development, and about marine biodiversity, especially regarding cetaceans.
Whale watching companies in the Azores also play a significant role in promoting environmental education. They frequently offer special opportunities for local schools to participate in their tours, where marine biologists onboard adapt the information to suit the younger audience.
An abundance of research has emerged as a result of collaboration between universities, whale watching companies, and governmental initiatives, resulting in a greater understanding of cetacean populations and behaviours in the Azores. While published data vitally contributes to the wider academic literature, close collaboration between researchers and whale watching companies allows for new understanding to be incorporated into tours directly.
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