And it came to pass. After five years of diving in these nine islands as a professional nature photographer, I have seen the world’s largest animal—the majestic blue whale—and dived with orcas, pods of sperm whales, dolphins, turtles, sharks, devil rays, whale sharks and many other fascinating creaturs. But I am sure I can spend the rest of my life on these islands without discovering all of the secrets the Azorean seas have to reveal.

Although whale and dolphin watching are the main tourist attractions of these nine islands, more and more divers are discovering this group of islands by exploring a myriad of dive sites where the visibility is startling and the presence of large pelagic fish unique. Located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, almost half way between the United States and Europe, the Azores are a small oasis in the middle of a blue desert for many species that annually venture on Atlantic migrations. Located in the frontier of cold and nutrient rich currents coming in from the north and a ramification of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream coming in from the south, the upwelling effect of the only landmass between these two continents creates an explosion of life every year.
 
The beginning of this cycle starts with the spring “bloom” as water starts to get warmer and filled with microscopic algae, giving it a greenish hue. With it come the biggest and smallest of the ocean’s beings. As a frenzy of small zooplankton organisms feed on the algae, they will soon serve as nourishment to giant travelers crossing the ocean. Blue whales, fin whales, Bryde´s whales, sei whales and minke whales arrive, stopping in these nutrient rich waters, gathering strength to complete their migration north to the cold Arctic waters. Undoubtedly, these large baleen whales will meet pods of sperm whales—the Azores’ resident giant of the seas, which hunts giant squid in the deep waters surrounding the archipelago.
 
When the first days of summer arrive, water gets clearer by the day as the food chain develops, the microscopic plankton gives way to large bait balls, and a multitude of predators follow. As the warm summer breezes arrive so do the more tropical species, such as large pods of Atlantic spotted dolphins, loggerhead turtles, devil rays, whale sharks and finally, large schools of fish.

Nine gems—one by one
The archipelago of the Azores is constituted of nine islands and spreads through 500km (311 miles). These nine islands are the most isolated in the North Atlantic, situated 1,300km (808 miles) from the southwestern coast of mainland Portugal. Diving is possible on all of the islands of the archipelago and range from shore dives to cave dives and wreck dives as well as diving in distant underwater mountains where dozens of manta rays and big schools of fish are common sights.

Divided in three groups (Eastern, Central and Western), the islands can be very close to each other in a group (just four miles from Pico to Faial in the central group), but up to over a hundred miles away from the next group. Each of these islands is so different from the other that it is hard to describe them as a whole. What they do have in common is peace and quiet, breathtaking volcanic landscapes and cows everywhere—roads included!
 
Underwater, these islands are as different as on the surface, with blue sharks on one island and whale sharks on another, or a World War II shipwreck on one island and 15th and 16th century wrecks on another. Coastal dives are, however rather similar throughout the archipelago. Being islands of volcanic origin, underwater rock formations can be very impressive, with large arches originated by ancient lava flows and deep caves with numerous connections to various chambers.
 
The typical sea life includes large dusky groupers, curious trigger fishes, several species of little nudibranchs, morays and octopi in amongst the rocks. Colorful red hogfish are normally more common at a greater depth—20 meters or more—where the black coral (Antipathella wollastoni) branches are also quite common. Many small and colorful species can be sighted, such as peacock wrasse, parrotfish, Azores chromis (Chromis limbata) and Mediterranean rainbow wrasse.
 
Large schools of pelagic fish such as guelly jack, almaco jack, yellowmouth barracuda, Atlantic bonito or—for the lucky few—a majestic devil ray, a turtle or an ocean sunfish are occasionally sighted on coastal dives, but the offshore underwater seamounts are definitely the place to visit for the big pelagics and are what make the Azores a unique diving destination.

Western Group
Of the nine islands of the Azores, Flores and Corvo are the most distant and secluded, also being the westernmost point of Europe. Only ten miles separate these two islands, however, they are 130 miles away from the nearest island group. With less than 4,000 inhabitants—Flores Island and Corvo Island with 400—the so-called “Western Group” still offers the closest we can get to nature in its purest state, with waters that are pristine, unpolluted and almost untouched by humankind.

But visiting these two islands is not just a unique experience underwater, as these islands have breathtaking landscapes and are off the beaten track of the more touristic islands. Flores, in Flores Island, (...)