Azores

Azores Whale Heritage Area

Information

Description

The Azores archipelago, composed of nine islands, is situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 2000 km from the Canadian coast and 1500 km from mainland Portugal. The volcanic nature of the islands creates a variety of submarine mounts, canyons, and shallower waters closer to the islands, providing a diverse range of habitats for marine life and offering excellent conditions for cetaceans.

All nine islands in the archipelago have a strong connection with these magnificent creatures, from historic whaling practices to the current whale watching tourism activities. This bond is evident in the multiple cultural and socio-economic activities linked to cetaceans throughout the region.

The waters of the Azores host numerous protected areas that provide various levels of management and safeguarding for their distinctive flora and fauna, which is a testament to the Azores’ commitment to environmental conservation. In this beautiful region, 28 different species of cetacean have been recorded – approximately one-third of all cetacean species globally. This biological abundance has fuelled the thriving Azorean whale watching industry and has put the islands on the map for those wanting to experience these majestic marine mammals in the wilds of the Atlantic Ocean.

Motivation

Our key motivation for Whale Heritage Area status is to increase the protection and awareness of cetaceans that live in the Azores to both the local and tourism community through the WHA platform.

Whale Heritage Area status will help educate and inform tourists that the Azores is a sustainable tourist destination. By increasing responsible tourism that benefits the economy and future generations of residents, we can showcase the reasons for conservation, as well as how they are a driver of success to the local economy.

Boundary Map

The_Azores_WHA_map.jpg

Species or habitats

In the Azores,28 different species of cetaceans have been reported, which is roughly one- third of all the cetacean species in the world. This species’ richness is among the highest in the Atlantic and even on the planet.

Some of these species are sighted year-round, including sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins and Risso’s dolphins. Some others are present in the archipelago only seasonally, like Atlantic spotted dolphins, or just passing by along the islands during their migrations, like the big baleen whales such as the incredible blue whale, sei whale, and fin whale.

Area Features

Sperm whale, Risso’s dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, Bottlenose dolphin, Common dolphin, Sei whale - specie

Stability

Sperm whales are considered Vulnerable, Risso’s dolphins are classified as Data deficient and Sei whales are Endangered. Atlantic spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and common dolphins are classified as Least Concern.

Threats

Current threats to primary cetacean habitat and the cetaceans are climate change; underwater anthropogenic noise from tourist activities, cargo ship traffic and navy activities; local and international fisheries in Azorean waters (overfishing), which can also lead to bycatch in fishing nets and driftnets causing entanglement; disturbance caused by tourist activities during the high season, which largely overlaps with the calving and nursing season of some cetacean species; and plastic pollution.

Actions taken for protection

Whale watching companies in the Azores are licensed by the local government and follow strict regulations and protocols around cetaceans at sea. The crew also collect valuable data to help further scientific understanding of cetaceans.
The Azores has implemented a regional initiative known as the Sustainability Charter of the Azores that focuses on recording and reporting sustainability indicators across the nine islands.
Internally across businesses and organisations of the Azores, various measures are implemented to promote sustainability, including recycling generated waste, reducing printing and eliminating single-use packaging.
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.
Much 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.

Community Importance

All species of cetaceans occurring around the Azores are important for the community, as the Azores has experienced a remarkable shift from its historical legacy of whaling to a profound appreciation and celebration of its diverse marine life.

Celebrations often reflect the spiritual and symbolic importance attributed to cetaceans, as well as the maritime history of the Azores. It was with the implementation of whale watching that living whales became truly relevant, not only because of the economical income from tourism, but also because it strongly encouraged the recovery of the collective memory. With the increasing interest of visitors, the presence of whales became more apparent to the locals, who at that time were almost forgetting about their whaling roots, particularly in some of the islands. Today artists, musicians and craftsmen find in whales a never-ending inspiration.

The biological and natural importance of whales in the ecosystem is obvious, making them ideal flagship animals to inspire society to care about the ocean. The celebration of Azorean biodiversity became recognized worldwide. But overall, all these processes enabled the revalorization of whales as a natural treasure and symbol of the Azores and its link with the Ocean and distant countries.

Wildlife Watching Guidelines

In the Azores, legal regulations for whale and dolphin watching are in place, enforced by the Regional Government. The authorities responsible for the enforcement of legislation are the Direção Regional de Turismo e do Ambiente and Autoridade Marítima.

The regulations describe how whale watching should be conducted in the Azores, explaining how to approach the animals, the speed and direction of the approach, the distance to the animals, the number of boats in the area or the time to spend with the animals, among others. This legislation also includes licensing regulations, the number of boats allowed, the size of these boats, minimum qualifications for staff, duties and rights of operators and sanctions for noncompliance.

Additionally the guidelines developed by the World Cetacean Alliance are used.

Criteria

1. Cultural Importance Of Wildlife

Cetacean species within the Whale Heritage Area are of exceptional cultural importance and key features of the local community's identity.

1.1 Cultural heritage links people to cetaceans demonstrating an understanding and on-going respect for cetaceans and habitats.

1.2 The presentation and interpretation of cultural heritage that is linked to cetaceans is respectful and sensitive to those living and working in the Whale Heritage Area.

1.3 Efforts are in place to continually revive, reimagine, and enhance cultural heritage linking people to cetaceans.

Criteria

2. Respectful Human-Wildlife Coexistence

The community working to protect the Whale Heritage Area has developed a responsible framework to manage the relationship between people and cetaceans.

2.1 The community works collaboratively to ensure cetaceans are protected through research, nature conservation, regenerating biodiversity, and safeguarding individual animals from harm.

2.2 The community raises awareness about the protection of cetaceans, including ways for everybody to help contribute to solutions.

2.3 The community influences the protection of cetaceans through strategies that are based on practical, scientific, or traditional knowledge.

2.4 The community recognises that there may be differences in opinion, interests or values related to the protection of cetaceans, and meets this challenge through continual dialogue, collaboration, and mediation where necessary.

2.5 The community supports and implements sustainability and environmental initiatives that have a positive impact on cetaceans and the marine environment.

2.6 The community regularly monitors the health and protection of cetacean populations and adopts strategies based on the latest evidence.

Criteria

3. Responsible Wildlife Tourism

The community providing cetacean tourism experiences within the Whale Heritage Area uses collaborative management and ongoing research to put the needs of cetaceans before commercial interests.

3.1 The community has strategies in place to identify and raise awareness about exploitative, extractive, or consumptive captive or wild cetacean tourism attractions.

3.2 The community promotes responsible wild whale and dolphin watching experiences.

3.3 Responsible whale and dolphin watching guidelines are adopted within the Whale Heritage Area and regularly updated to follow expert or science-based best practice. These guidelines conform to international, national, or local legislation where it exists.

3.4 Efforts are made to enforce responsible whale and dolphin watching guidelines and international, national, or local legislation where it exists.

3.5 Tourism and the behaviour of tourists are well managed to reduce negative impacts on cetaceans and habitats.

3.6 The community plays a key role in designing and operating responsible whale and dolphin watching experiences, which provide direct social and economic benefits.

3.7 The community monitors the impacts of tourism on targeted species and habitats and regularly acts to reduce those impacts based on the latest evidence.

Criteria

4. Steering Committee

The Whale Heritage Area is guided by an active steering committee that represents the community.

4.1 The steering committee is an elected body that seeks to be inclusive and representative of all stakeholders.

4.2 The steering committee makes substantial efforts to engage the wider community, including those not traditionally associated with cetaceans or conservation.