An Oasis in the Atlantic AzoresText and photos by Nuno Sá 24 X-RAY MAG : 42 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Azores It’s been almost 15 years since my first visit to the Azores. I was studying law then and was on my first diving trip, with all of eight dives written down in my brand new logbook. Six years later, I was living in the Azores. I had traveled and dived in many remote locations by then, Africa, Australia, Asia… but one place never left Friendly dusky grouper, Graciosa Island; Diver with curios common octopus, Faial Island; Blacktail my mind—those nine small islands that comber, São Jorge Island. PREVIOUS PAGE: Wild dolphins corral and hunt prey in a bait ball stood alone in the middle of the Atlantic. So, I hung my law degree diploma at my And it came to pass. After five years of diving islands without discovering all of the secrets parent’s house in Portugal and left for the in these nine islands as a professional nature the Azorean seas have to reveal. photographer, I have seen the world’s largest Although whale and dolphin watching Azores with a single goal in mind: to live animal—the majestic blue whale—and dived are the main tourist attractions of these in and discover a place with one of the with orcas, pods of sperm whales, dolphins, nine islands, more and more divers are dis- highest levels of biodiversity in the world, turtles, sharks, devil rays, whale sharks and covering this group of islands by exploring and maybe even become an underwa- many other fascinating creaturs. But I am a myriad of dive sites where the visibility is ter photographer. sure I can spend the rest of my life on these startling and the presence of large pelagic 25 X-RAY MAG : 42 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Azores AUTHORITIES ENVIRONMENT ORES AZ OF PERMIT SPECIAL A UNDER OBTAINED HOTO P fish unique. Located in the middle of the Atlantic organisms feed on the algae, they will soon serve phins, loggerhead turtles, devil rays, whale sharks Ocean, almost half way between the United States as nourishment to giant travelers crossing the and finally, large schools of fish. and Europe, the Azores are a small oasis in the mid- ocean. Blue whales, fin whales, Bryde´s whales, sei dle of a blue desert for many species that annu- whales and minke whales arrive, stopping in these Nine gems—one by one ally venture on Atlantic migrations. Located in the nutrient rich waters, gathering strength to complete The archipelago of the Azores is constituted of nine frontier of cold and nutrient rich currents coming their migration north to the cold Arctic waters. islands and spreads through 500km (311 miles). in from the north and a ramification of the warm Undoubtedly, these large baleen whales will meet These nine islands are the most isolated in the North waters of the Gulf Stream coming in from the south, pods of sperm whales—the Azores’ resident giant Atlantic, situated 1,300km (808 miles) from the the upwelling effect of the only landmass between of the seas, which hunts giant squid in the deep southwestern coast of mainland Portugal. Diving is these two continents creates an explosion of life waters surrounding the archipelago. possible on all of the islands of the archipelago and every year. When the first days of summer arrive, water gets range from shore dives to cave dives and wreck The beginning of this cycle starts with the spring clearer by the day as the food chain develops, the dives as well as diving in distant underwater moun- “bloom” as water starts to get warmer and filled microscopic plankton gives way to large bait balls, tains where dozens of manta rays and big schools with microscopic algae, giving it a greenish hue. and a multitude of predators follow. As the warm of fish are common sights. LEFT TO RIGHT: Free diver surrounded by Almaco jacks, With it come the biggest and smallest of the summer breezes arrive so do the more tropical Divided in three groups (Eastern, Central and Santa Maria Island, Ambrósio; Pod of Sperm whales. Photo ocean’s beings. As a frenzy of small zooplankton species, such as large pods of Atlantic spotted dol- Western), the islands can be very close to each obtained under a special permit of Azores environment authorities; Friendly Loggerhead turtle, Santa Maria Island 26 X-RAY MAG : 42 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Azores other in a group (just four miles from connections to various chambers. what make the Azores a unique div- Pico to Faial in the central group), The typical sea life includes large ing destination. but up to over a hundred miles dusky groupers, curious trigger fishes, away from the next group. Each of several species of little nudibranchs, Western Group these islands is so different from the morays and octopi in amongst the Of the nine islands of the Azores, other that it is hard to describe them rocks. Colorful red hogfish are nor- Flores and Corvo are the most as a whole. What they do have mally more common at a greater distant and secluded, also being in common is peace and quiet, depth—20 meters or more—where the westernmost point of Europe. breathtaking volcanic landscapes the black coral (Antipathella wol- Only ten miles separate these two and cows everywhere—roads lastoni) branches are also quite islands, however, they are 130 miles included! common. Many small and colorful away from the nearest island group. Underwater, these islands are as species can be sighted, such as With less than 4,000 inhabitants— different as on the surface, with peacock wrasse, parrotfish, Azores Flores Island and Corvo Island with blue sharks on one island and whale chromis (Chromis limbata) and 400—the so-called “Western Group” sharks on another, or a World War Mediterranean rainbow wrasse. still offers the closest we can get to II shipwreck on one island and Large schools of pelagic fish such nature in its purest state, with waters 15th and 16th century wrecks on as guelly jack, almaco jack, yellow- that are pristine, unpolluted and another. Coastal dives are, however mouth barracuda, Atlantic bonito almost untouched by humankind. rather similar throughout the archi- or—for the lucky few—a majestic But visiting these two islands is not pelago. Being islands of volcanic ori- devil ray, a turtle or an ocean sunfish just a unique experience underwa- gin, underwater rock formations can are occasionally sighted on coastal ter, as these islands have breath- be very impressive, with large arches dives, but the offshore underwater taking landscapes and are off the originated by ancient lava flows seamounts are definitely the place beaten track of the more touristic and deep caves with numerous to visit for the big pelagics and are islands. Flores, in Flores Island, liter- CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Group of devil rays at offshore underwater seamount; Cows on the road, peace and quiet. View of Faial Island from Pico, Central group; View of Corvo Island from Flores, Western group 27 X-RAY MAG : 42 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Azores ally means flowers in Portuguese, and the meadows filled with flowers, as the outer fish, an abundance of red hogfish, blacktail island can best be described as “Hawaii in ridge of the crater falls steeply into the blue combers, various types of morays and so the Atlantic”. Beautiful waterfalls cut through sea. UNESCO has recently recognized the many other typical species of the Azores. On the green landscape and lagoons, and there uniqueness of this natural heritage nominat- the boat crossing from Flores to Corvo many are flowers everywhere. Corvo, on the other ing it a Biosphere Reserve. species of whales, dolphins, sea turtles and hand, is only one-eighth the size of Flores with The only village on the island is the small sea birds are usually sighted. a total area of 17 sq km, thus being the small- village of Vila do Corvo, a picturesque town Corvo’s highlight is undoubtedly the dive est in the archipelago. with white houses and cobblestone streets. with the big dusky groupers at the Caneiro Although small, Corvo Island offers its visi- Due to its geographical isolation from dos Meros dive site, located just 300m from tors, without a doubt, one of the world’s most islands with more developed fishing indus- the harbor. This is a natural reserve (amazingly unique and beautiful landscapes. The giant tries, the islands of Flores and Corvo still have it was voluntarily created by the island’s fish- crater of the extinct volcano that occupies a diverse and abundant marine life. Large ermen) where you can dive with up to eight almost the totality of the island is composed schools of yellowmouth barracuda can be or ten large and friendly dusky groupers. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Corvo Island’s crater—a Unesco natural heritage; of several small lagoons surrounded by green found here as well as almaco jack and jack Flores, on the other hand, also has many Sperm whale fluke; Atlantic spotted dolphins; The “Triangle Islands”, São Jorge Island with Pico and Faial in the horizon 28 X-RAY MAG : 42 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Azores LEFT TO RIGHT: Diver explores Shrimp Cave, Faial Island; Rock goby (Gobius paganellus); Diver and red scorpion fish (Scorpaena scrofa) diving spots on its extensive coast, Central Group nection by boat can be more historic buildings are reminis- one of the most famous ones is Five islands stand relatively close difficult.