Faial Island, Azores
It was a less than promising start today with rain, wind and fog in the channel between the islands of Pico and Sao Jorge. Whitecaps and poor visibility make for less than optimal whale watching, so we steamed on towards the southern side of Pico, hoping for better conditions.
En route we were given a presentation by guest Azorean naturalist, Paulo Reis, who showed photographs and video of some of the rare marine mammals that can be seen around the Azores, including little-known Beaked Whales and Risso’s Dolphins.
Arriving in Horta, the main town on Faial, we dodged squalls to visit some of the compact island’s highlights, including the volcanic area of Capelinhos, where volcanic eruptions in the 1950’s dramatically enlarged Faial’s land area. This was also the location of a rather surprising subterranean museum — clearly the beneficiary of EU largesse — which among other things offered a 3D movie on the geologic origins of the Azores.
In Horta itself, we visited the Whale Factory Museum where, until the early 1980’s, Sperm Whales were still brought ashore by men in frighteningly small boats.
Finally, our trip around Faial ended at the legendary watering hole known as Peter’s Café Sport, the essential meeting place for yachties from all over the world. The beer flowed freely, and helped brighten spirits dampened by the day’s wind and weather.
