Sperm Whale Deep Channel
Dive site
The deep channel north of Terceira sits along a sperm whale feeding corridor used year-round by resident family groups and visiting bull sperm whales passing between deep-water hunting grounds. Dive boats act as support vessels for freediving encounters — certified freedivers and guests who complete a briefing can enter the water when whales are at surface rest (logging) within approved proximity. Scuba is not the primary mode here: bubbles push whales down, so the experience is breath-hold and observation at 5 to 15 metres while 15-metre animals hover in silence. Atlantic spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins share the channel. Even on non-encounter days, the boat surface experience and whale-watch data from Vigia lookout towers make this a worthwhile trip.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 20 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
15 to 24°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 |
| Vis (m) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 |
| Current | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | calm | calm | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Strong |
Field journal
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