28 species of cetaceans are referenced in the azorean waters.
During thousands of hours spent at sea, Espaço Talassa has witnessed 26 of these species, including rare species in the Azores such as Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni); long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), Fraser's dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei), rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis); as well as, dwarf (Kogia sima) and pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps). According to beaked whales' experts we have also observed True's beaked whales (Mesoplodon mirus).
Although some species of cetaceans are known to be resident in these waters, some are only sighted seasonally. If you spend an entire season with us, you will have a chance to spot, on average, 18 different species!
Odontoceti | |||||||||
Delphinidae | |||||||||
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Atlantic spotted dolphin | Stranded Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Stenella frontalis | (Cuvier, 1829) | |||||
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Bottlenose dolphin | Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Tursiops truncatus | (Montagu, 1821) | |||||
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False killer whale | Stranded Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Pseudorca crassidens | (Owens, 1846) | |||||
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Fraser’s dolphin | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Lagenodelphis hosei | (Fraser, 1956) | |||||
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Long-finned pilot whale | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Globicephala melas | (Traill, 1809) | |||||
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Orca | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Orcinus orca | (Linnaeus, 1758) | |||||
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Risso’s dolphin | Stranded Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Grampus griseus | (Cuvier, 1812) | |||||
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Rough toothed dolphin | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Steno bredanensis | (Lesson, 1828) | |||||
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Short-beaked common dolphin | Stranded Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Delphinus delphis | (Linnaeus, 1758) | |||||
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Short-finned pilot whale | Stranded Observed by Espaço Talassa | Globicephala macrorhynchus | (Gray, 1846) | |||||
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Striped dolphin | Stranded Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Stenella coeruleoalba | (Meyen, 1833) | |||||
Ziphiidae | |||||||||
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Blainville’s beaked whale | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Mesoplodon densirostris | (Blainville, 1817) | |||||
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Cuvier’s beaked whale | Stranded Observed by Espaço Talassa | Ziphius cavirostris | (Cuvier, 1823) | |||||
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Gervais’ beaked whale | Stranded Observed by Espaço Talassa | Mesoplodon europaeus | (Gervais, 1855) | |||||
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Northern bottlenose whale | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Hyperoodon ampullatus | (Forster, 1770) | |||||
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Sowerby’s beaked whale | Stranded Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Mesoplodon bidens | (Sowerby, 1804) | |||||
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True’s beaked whale | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Mesoplodon mirus | (True, 1993) | |||||
Kogiidae | |||||||||
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Dwarf sperm whale | Stranded Observed by Espaço Talassa | Kogia sima | (Owen, 1866) | |||||
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Pygmy sperm whale | Stranded Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Kogia breviceps | (De Blainville, 1838) | |||||
Physeteridae | |||||||||
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Sperm whale | Stranded Captured Observed by Espaço Talassa | Physeter macrocephalus | (Linnaeus, 1758) | |||||
Mysticeti | |||||||||
Balaenidae | |||||||||
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North Atlantic right whale | Captured Seen | Eubalaena glacialis | (Muller, 1776) | |||||
Balaenopteridae | |||||||||
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Blue whale | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Balaenoptera musculus | (Linnaeus, 1758) | |||||
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Bryde’s whale | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Balaenoptera edeni | (Anderson 1879) | |||||
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Fin whale | Observed by Espaço Talassa | Balaenoptera physalus | (Linnaeus, 1758) | |||||
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Humpback whale | Stranded Observed by Espaço Talassa | Megaptera novaeangliae | (Borowski, 1781) | |||||
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Minke whale | Stranded Observed by Espaço Talassa | Balaenoptera acutorostrata | (Lacépède, 1804) | |||||
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Sei whale | Stranded Observed by Espaço Talassa | Balaenoptera borealis | (Lesson, 1828) | |||||