Boaters get ‘extraordinary’ surprise from ‘elusive’ deep-sea creatures. See the photos
Spotting whales is an almost daily occurrence for the staff at Terra Azul Azores.
The ecotourism tour group operates regular expeditions for whale watching in Portugal’s Azores islands.
But on a recent whale watching trip, team members got a surprise: a group of northern bottlenose whales, according to a July 19 Facebook post from the company.
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“Rare sighting alert,” the post said. “Hold your breath, as we reveal a truly exceptional encounter with the elusive Northern Bottlenose Whale!”
Photos show at least seven bottlenose whales swimming near the boat.
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“Their long, distinctive bulging foreheads and robust bodies make them easily recognizable among their cetacean counterparts,” the tour group wrote on Facebook. “They were with us for a good time resting and socializing.”
Bottlenose whales are “enigmatic creatures” who spend most of their time deep underwater, rarely surfacing, the group said. Their appearance at the surface was “an extraordinary event.”
The creatures are the largest members of the beaked whale family, and they prefer cold, deep water, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They can grow up to 16,500 pounds and nearly 30 feet long for females and 40 feet long for males.
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“Northern bottlenose whales prefer cold, deep, temperate to sub-arctic oceanic waters usually greater than 6,500 feet. They are often associated with steep underwater geologic structures such as submarine canyons, seamounts, and continental slopes,” the administration said.
Social media users shared their excitement about the sighting in Portugal.
“My initial reaction involved a lot exclamation and swearing. So now that I waited a couple a minutes, let me just say...this is incredible,” one person commented on Facebook.
“Crazy! Super lucky guys,” another person commented on the post.
“Don’t know how many “wow’s” I should put” a third person wrote.
The Azores are off the western coast of Portugal.
This story was originally published July 27, 2023 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Boaters get ‘extraordinary’ surprise from ‘elusive’ deep-sea creatures. See the photos."
