all the while we were in azores, we kept watching the sea with our binoculars, hoping to spot something moving in the distance… but it wasn’t until we booked a tour with a local company that we actually saw dolphins and whales for the first time — specifically, sperm whales and four types of dolphins (stripped, common, bottlenose and risso). it was amazing!! some groups of dolphins are curious and will come right up to the boat, jumping around playfully. the whales you need to see from far away so that they’re not disturbed, but they are just these huge masses floating nearby, their breath periodically flagging their location. they really make you feel tiny and piny.

i only had my phone camera around so all my pictures are crappy, but the tour company took these:

it was magical, and i highly recommend it! it’s definitely one of those things you do once and remember forever. :)