Whale Watching and the Whaling Heritage on Pico Island

Fortunately, whaling in the Azores was banned in 1986. Even so, it has shaped the history of the islands for over 100 years and today represents an important local heritage. The Azorean people used to hunt whales to survive, the hunting has always been done in a manual and rudimentary way, and during this tour, you will have the opportunity to discover the secrets of this practice and how it came to an end. During the morning, we begin with a visit to the old whale factory in São Roque do Pico. A place that makes us travel back in time and understand how and under what conditions the locals worked to ensure their livelihood. Following the other side of the island, we will visit a traditional whale watcher, where we usually have the opportunity to meet a watcher, the person who through powerful binoculars can spot whales at long distances, giving geographical indications to whaling boats. We will spend the rest of the day in Lajes do Pico, the whaling capital of the Azores, enjoying a walk, passing by a monument dedicated to whalers, as well as replicas of the “try-works” (iron pots used to melt the lard whales) used during whaling.