The entire Algarve coastline is full of mysteries hidden in its cliffs, starting with the irregular shapes to the golden hues that recline on the blue sea. Since 2013, Discover Tours has shown the region beauty by sea to those who choose the Algarve as their holiday destination.
This summer 2021, set sail for a new adventure through the Algarve seas and have your first contact with dolphins!
Live one of the best experiences of your life on board Onda Azul, the new boat from Discover Tours. After several years of sailing along the coast, of providing unforgettable moments exploring the caves and rock formations, we realised that the Algarve Sea could be even more surprising! On this holiday, we will take you to watch dolphins and other cetaceans in their natural habitat.
Photo by Guillermo Varela – Unsplash
What to expect from the dolphin watching experience? On this incredible tour, get ready for a unique sensation as you ride the waves of the Algarve Sea and watch the fascinating dolphins surf next to your boat. Be blown away by the sea jumps of these incredible creatures that will accompany part of your journey of about approximately 3:30 hours.
Be amazed at your first encounter with dolphins in their natural habitat.
Living this experience in the Algarve is one of the best sensations you can have in life! Watch the energetic dolphins leaps just a few meters from your boat. Experience how fast these cetaceans’ families can be in their group races alongside the catamaran. Also, during your family outing, children will have the opportunity to delight in watching the baby dolphins following their mothers into the sea. These are special moments that give us the motivation to share this rewarding and lovely experience with you.
The Discover Tours dolphin watching tour is also a time to learn about dolphin’s behaviour and other cetaceans such as orcas and whales. Onboard, you will have the crew’s explanations of these curious marine animals and other fascinating species that may cross your way. The trip will get staffed by André Rosa (Boatswain and Helmsman), André Fonseca (Ocean Yachtmaster) and Viviane (Coastal Skipper and Biologist). The team has countless hours in the sea, have the right knowledge about these creatures and know curiosities about the Algarve coast. All observations from our team, along the boat trip, will be in English.
Once the dolphin watching is over, it’s time to have fun with our activities off a calm bay, sheltered by a unique landscape of our Algarve. Onboard the Catamaran, have more fun than ever in our inflatable water park, dive into the translucent sea or even feel the sea breeze while sunbathing.
In a perfect combination of dolphin watching, breathtaking landscapes, water activities, finally, will be served a delicious snack that is hard to resist for children. Have a day full of positive emotions, and end your tour with a contagious smile.
What boat does Discover use for dolphin watching? The boat Onda Azul construction has been carefully carried out to offer a safe encounter with nature and has a particular detail that distinguishes this catamaran from the others. On the hull of the boat is the street artist ASUR tag. There you will find the representation of dolphins that will accompany you the whole trip. There you will find the representation of dolphins that will accompany you the whole trip. Filipe Neves, also known as ASUR, has a vast experience of 16 years in the world of graffiti, and you can see his work in several cities in Portugal, mainly in the Algarve, where Filipe grew up and developed his art. One of the artist’s recurrent themes is the representation of maritime scenarios where he warns about the protection of the oceans. The choice was unanimous regarding the selection of the artist to give colour to the new boat Onda Azul. The technique used in the image by the artist was a freehand drawing with graffiti and the stencil on the Discover Tours logo. The choice of the painted elements was made by ASUR and the Discover team together.
Photo by ASUR
We have combined street art with the sea and fun with knowledge, all in the new catamaran Onda Azul. Whenever you look at the horizon between Lagos and Portimão, try to spot our boat with these unique details.
What species can we see on the boat trip? On the boat trip, you will get to know the various species of this friendly mammal, as well as other cetaceans such as orcas and even enormous whales. Sea birds may also accompany your journey, especially if a shoal is nearby. All these marine creatures are a regular presence in the Algarve coastal area.
Dolphins – The dolphin species most frequently sighted along the Algarve coast are the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis). Dolphins are known for being very intelligent, playful, and one of the few mammals that we can find in almost all oceans and even in some rivers, such as the River Tagus in Lisbon. They are very social animals and live in a community with their own and other species. Commonly, they include other individuals in their family. Dolphins are naturally curious animals. When a boat approaches, they tend to show off their leaps and physical wellbeing. On your Discover tour, be prepared to catch a few water splashes from these friendly animals.
Photo by Pablo Heimplatz – Unsplash
Whales – The western Algarve area is a perfect place for whale-watching, as it has calm seas and an excellent climate. These waters are rich in food for cetaceans, especially in spring and summer, which is why the Minke Whale is easy to sight among the many marine life. It is one of the smallest of its species of baleen whales but is still an impressive 10 metres in length. The solitary Minke Whales are residents in Portugal and love to eat sardines.
Sharks – As we had mentioned before, besides dolphins and whales, it will also be possible to see other species. The basking shark is the second-largest fish in the world after the whale shark. They have an average size of 10 metres and can reach 50 years old. They are easy to spot because of their size but are shier than dolphins. This species inhabits the Algarve all year round, but it’s in summer that they come closer to the coast to search for zooplankton, food found on the surface of the water. The basking shark, despite its large size, does not represent any danger to humans.
Orcas – The orcas swim in groups and can reach the astonishing weight of 9 tonnes and reach 10 metres in length. They belong to the dolphin family and also sail several oceans, including ours. Every year they are sighted off the Algarve from March to September. The orcas set off in search of their favourite food, the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, towards the Strait of Gibraltar. A curious thing about orcas is that they belong to clans, and each family has an exclusive language. Another thing about killer whales (orcas) to know is, they have no sense of smell, unlike sharks, but on the other hand, they have very acute hearing, which allows them to possess another function: echolocation!
Photo by Nitesh Jain – Unsplash
Discover Tours has prepared for 2021, this new adventure that crosses the seas of the Western Algarve to enjoy a fantastic tour with the marine life presence resident on the coast. Meet the fascinating dolphins, the enormous whales and other curious cetaceans while having fun with family or friends on the catamaran Onda Azul.
Find more about the new boat tour and others at Discover Tours.
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