Nature of Terceira Island
& the Azores

One of the wonders of Terceira Island and the other islands in the Azores is the bio-diversity of its trees and plants, brought from locations around the world. The Azores began, for the most part, as lava. Then the winds brought grasses and bit of organic debris. By the time humans arrived, there were plants and evergreen forests throughout the islands. Humans brought new plantings, such as the cryptomeria conifer (Japanese cedar) from Japan.

All tolled, there are some 800-plus species of plants - only 300 of them are native. Cedar trees, heather, ling, mountain grapes, white wood, ginger, dogwood and the tamujo bush are a few of the local species. The newcomers include the acacia tree, flowering hydrangea and azaleas, camellia, incense and other ornamental plants. Despite their proximity, each island has its own look, feel, and climate. And, thus the fauna can vary dramatically from island to island.

Hydrangea

The Azores' commitment to the environment led the European Union to recognize the islands in 1995 in the European Awards for Tourism and the Environment. The Azores offer numerous natural reserves, protected landscape, parks and forests.

The Azores takes it name from the sea hawk, and birds can be seen and heard everywhere on the islands, from the night calls of the cagarro, to the nests of swallows. The most common non-domesticated animals on the Azores are birds. More than 150 species can be seen, of which about 35 breed in the Azores.

Azore also called Goshawk and Sea hawk

They include various types of seagulls, plovers, terns, chaffinches, sparrows, bullfinches, buzzards, goshawks, and doves. The priolo, a native species, the hawk, blackbird, cagarro, wood pigeon, and common and red garajau are also common.

Baby Cagarro

The sea off the Azores is home to many species of fish and shellfish, as well as sperm whales. Not surprisingly, underwater diving and snorkeling are very popular.

Click image to discover the famous "Norberto" and his custom diving and whale watching tours.

Whale watching

From the beginning, the Azoreans hunted whales for oil. They were so successful that every major Atlantic whaling expedition would stop in the Azores. In 1979, Portugal not only outlawed whaling, but also made the deep waters around the Azores a natural reserve. The economic impact to the whaling industry was replaced by the eco-tourism of whale and marine-life watching that soon took over. Former whalers became guides, spotters, and hosts in museums.

Spearm whale

Today, whale watching in the Azores often means going out to sea in a small semi-inflatable motorboat in search for the largest mammal on the planet. Launches ferry people to the whales for a close-up encounter. New laws passed by the Regional Government protect the whales and the visitors by limiting the number of boats, and the speed and distance they can use to approach a herd. Experienced guides offer insights into the lives of these creatures and, best of all, seeing a whale is almost guaranteed. This is because on mountainsides throughout the central group of islands, former whalers are posted as spotters, radioing in the position and number of whales to the boats. Local whales include sperm whales, northern bottlenose, pilot, sowerby's beaked whales, and occasionally orcas. Two excellent whaling museums may be found on the island of Pico, detailing the history and culture of the now-banned trade.

Bottlenose dolphin

The dolphins that are commonly sighted on these trips include: Atlantic bottlenose, risso, Atlantic spotted and striped. The protected waters has not simply been good for the whale watching industry, but has helped numerous whale species to recover and prosper, making whale watching an exciting and unique experience.