Water4Fun

There's a reason naturalist Charles Darwin steered his ship off course to visit the isolated Portuguese archipelago of the Azores - ever wondered what lies out past the horizon? Travel to Terceira Island to find out!

A stunning green archipelago of nine volcanic islands situated in splendid isolation in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, The Azores has long been a wanderlust location for travel nomads looking to experience the arresting beauty of little-known environs. With the closest mainland about  850 miles east, the Portuguese autonomous region is home to a team of passionate conservationists that are putting the island of Terceira on the map... 

Meet Water4Fun, a team of three that in some ways, represents the island mentality! Small but with a huge impact, their selection of on-water activities is leading the way for eco-conscious tourism on the island. Working in collaboration with friendly locals like the watchman at the top of Mount Brazil, this close-knit community has strong ties to the shoreline it calls home - offering adventurers and wildlife fans a chance to meet the region's local marine life.

An outer Eden only a few hours from central Europe, this blip on the map has started to attract international tourists looking to explore the volcanic island's many treasures. An example of sustainability bred into the ethos of Water4Fun, their whale watching and dolphin swimming tours do everything possible to respect the patchwork of protected areas and marine reserves that make this string of islands so insatiable.

Best known for whale and dolphin watching, Water4Fun and their neighbourhood skippers know exactly where migrating whales make their pit stops - and believe the hype when they say their trips offer 90% of sightings throughout the year, as the archipelago is home to about a third of the world’s species of cetacean. Year-round residents include sperm whales, common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, plus many other species (including blue whales – the largest animal in the history of the planet).

Following a strict code of conduct laid out by the local government, many see the Azores and companies like Water4Fun as bastions for the future of wildlife tourism - adhering with governing rules like how many boats can congregate near marine life, the direction from which they must approach the animals, and how long they’re allowed to shadow them.

Proud custodians of the big blue, join them on one of their wildlife expeditions or snorkelling tours on Terceira Island for an adventure that pays tribute to the kaleidoscope of marine life that thrives along the coastline.