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Pioneers Since 1989
Espaço Talassa was founded in 1989 by Serge Viallelle and Alexandra Teles, two years after the last sperm whale was hunted in Lajes do Pico. The village that had lived from whales for generations started going out to watch them, and we were the first company in the country to take that step. Nearly forty years later, we still work like the whalers did: a lookout on land, a skipper at sea and a radio in between.
35 + Years of Experience at Sea from the Azores
We’ve been out in these waters for more than 35 years.
The team has its roots on Pico, but over the years Dutch, German, English, French, Brazilian and Spanish people have passed through. On board we speak a bit of everything, and the sperm whales have never complained.
One of the 10 Best Whale Watching Spots in the World
Lajes do Pico, on the island’s south coast, is one of the ten best places in the world for whale watching and, without false modesty, the best in the Azores.
Little mass tourism, few boats around the animals and plenty of species. In the background, Pico Mountain, which insists on being in every photo.
28 of 29 Species Recorded in the Azores
29 cetacean species have been recorded in the Azores, and over the years we have seen 28 of them. One is still missing, and we haven’t given up hope. Sperm whales are here all year and are the reason this house exists. In March and April the blue whale passes by, the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth, with fin, sei and humpback whales, on their way north. From spring to autumn, other species keep us company almost every day.
The Vigia da Queimada – Exclusive to Espaço Talassa
Our trips are directed from the Vigia da Queimada, an observation post like no other in the Azores.
Up there are always at least two lookouts, guiding a maximum of four boats. They find the animals, tell the skipper where to go and how fast, and make sure nobody gets too close.
It’s a job built on trust between those on land and those at sea, as in the whaling days.
Right-Sized, Low Impact
We have 12-passenger and 24-passenger semi-rigid boats. Most days we go out on the bigger one: more people on the same trip, for the same impact on the sea. When demand is high, the smaller ones go out too, so nobody is left on shore.
All boats are powered by low emission four stroke engines, producing less noise and chemical pollution.
A maximum of 12 to 24 passengers per boat, depending on the boat. Few enough to chat with the crew, and to hear a sperm whale blow.
Before and After the Sea
Before every trip there’s a 15 to 20 minute multimedia briefing: biology, behaviour, the history of whaling in the Azores, ecology and the law that tells us how close we can go.
Back in port, over a drink, we talk about what we saw and answer questions. The hardest ones usually come from the children.
Three Decades of Sightings, Shared with Science
Since 1994, our biologists have logged every trip and every sighting. More than thirty years of data, one of the longest records in the Azores, shared with research projects on North Atlantic cetaceans. Every trip with you is part of it.
Responsible Travel
For every guest, about €0.50 goes to a tree planting and CO₂ compensation project. It doesn’t solve everything, we know, but it’s better than pretending a boat doesn’t pollute.
By choosing Espaço Talassa, you support this way of working.
Solidary Tourism
Seeing whales shouldn’t be a luxury for the people who live next to them.
Through our Solidariedade Project, local people (children of former whalers, students, young people and those going through hard times) can come out with us for a symbolic contribution of €39.
Featured Around the World
In more than 35 years, scientists, photographers and journalists from around the world have come to Lajes do Pico, and Espaço Talassa has appeared in National Geographic, GEO, Terre Sauvage, Visão, Público and many other publications in Europe, the Americas and Asia. In 2010, Serge Viallelle was awarded the Portuguese Medal of Tourist Merit (silver), for his pioneering role in Azorean whale watching.
Transparency and Reality
Our boats are fast and built for the sea, not for comfort.
For safety reasons, we cannot take pregnant women, people with reduced mobility, or those with osteoporosis, sciatica or similar conditions.
Comfort on board is basic. In return, you get direct contact with the elements: sun, sometimes rain, and spray almost always.
The men’s restroom is to starboard, the women’s to port, both with an endless view of the Atlantic.
In 2017 we stopped taking people to swim with dolphins. It was too intrusive for the animals and risky for those in the water, and we couldn’t keep doing it with a clear conscience.
Serge explained why in an open letter: Why You Shouldn’t Swim with Dolphins.
