Macaronesia is made up of 5 archipelagos located in the North Atlantic:
They are also called “fortunate islands”, which comes from the Greek: the abode of deceased heroes.
They share several characteristics in common: their volcanic origin, endemic flora, similar botany, and a mild, spring-like climate throughout the year.
On the occasion of the commission carried out by the TIDES Institute, belonging to the University of Las Palmas, SOCLIMPACT by CETECIMA, and all this within the MARCET Project, the Nautic Ocean team has had the opportunity to visit some of the best places for the whale watching within the Macaronesia Region.
Our study has been carried out in the following places:
In some areas, nautical tourism for whale watching occupies the first or second place in terms of importance and income for the area. For all this, it is necessary to understand well what the tourist who comes to the area is looking for, and their degree of satisfaction, all in order to improve an activity that, in addition to being positive in economic terms, must be sustainable for the ecosystem and the animals’ own habitat.
We have noticed important differences regarding the treatment of this activity in the different areas visited, which will surely be reflected in the study that these university institutes will carry out with all the field work carried out. What has surprised us the most is the beauty of the scenes visited and the ability to notice the presence of these animals that cheer up our planet and that under no circumstances can we afford to lose or deteriorate. Being able to contemplate whales, sperm whales, dolphins, and killer whales in crystal clear waters is a unique sensation that is worth experiencing, although for this we must impose a series of rules of use so that these sightings do not harm the behavior and habitat of these beautiful and primitive animals.
And of course, taking advantage of this fantastic pilgrimage to the best cetacean sanctuaries, we passed through Horta on the island of Faial in the Azores, and we couldn’t stop visiting the Sport Bar, or rather, Peter’s Bar as it is mostly known. as it is the obligatory step for all seafarers who, in a west-east direction, make the crossing of the Atlantic by sail from the American continent to Europe, many of them back after having crossed the Atlantic from the Canary Islands from November to January, taking advantage of the trade winds.
In addition to the mythical Peter’s Bar, we toured the port of Horta, and we were delighted with the graffiti that dot all the breakwaters with the names of sailors and ships that have landed in this port, thus fulfilling one of the biggest dreams of any sailor under sail.
Hello, my name’s Marvin Armstrong, maritime seaman and sailor by trade.
This blog, although it wasn't meant to be a blog, but rather the site about my maritime interest, has now expanded to be an expression of my own lifestyle itself where I cover my interests and discoveries.