São Jorge
The island of São Jorge is celebrated for its cheese, large wheels of hard cheese sold either in milder versions or piquante. Nine creameries on the island are responsible for cheese production and the product has a high reputation in continental Portugal and beyond. Sitting in the path of Atlantic westerlies, these volcanic islands with their rich soil produce lush pasture, with up to seven cuttings of hay obtained annually in some locations. Dairy cows are frequently seen tethered to restrict their grazing on these most productive of meadows. The secret of good pasture is, of course, high rainfall, and the means of attracting high rainfall in these latitudes is altitude. This island has steep cliffs around the coast, its central plateau – more often than not shrouded in mist – averaging some 700 meters. Cattle outnumber people by two to one.
Since the island has no large caldeiras and because of the preponderant mist, we opted to stay on at sea level and forego busses. The morning was spent in the shelter of Baio de Entre Morros, enjoying the spectacular cliff scenery from kayak or Zodiac. In the early afternoon, we went ashore at the main town of the island Velas to admire its old harbor, shop in its attractive narrow streets, and visit its seventeenth-century church, formerly a Franciscan monastery.
In mid-afternoon, we set sail for Santa Maria in the eastern group of the archipelago, our naturalists keeping watch for marine mammals assisted by our keen-eyed local friends on shore in their vigia – a welcome skills transference from hunting to ecotourism. It was not long before the blow of a sperm whale had been spotted ahead of the ship and soon we were making a careful approach to a group of females with their calves. The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales, diving deeper and for longer than any other member of its kind. Its scientific name, macrocephalus, is the Greek for "big head", the animal's most obvious characteristic, on which the blowhole is located, set forward and to the left. Behind the head, the body appears wrinkled like a dried prune. We spent a couple of hours in the company of these majestic creatures, delighted by the exuberant breaching – at least half a dozen times – of a young calf ahead of the ship.
The island of São Jorge is celebrated for its cheese, large wheels of hard cheese sold either in milder versions or piquante. Nine creameries on the island are responsible for cheese production and the product has a high reputation in continental Portugal and beyond. Sitting in the path of Atlantic westerlies, these volcanic islands with their rich soil produce lush pasture, with up to seven cuttings of hay obtained annually in some locations. Dairy cows are frequently seen tethered to restrict their grazing on these most productive of meadows. The secret of good pasture is, of course, high rainfall, and the means of attracting high rainfall in these latitudes is altitude. This island has steep cliffs around the coast, its central plateau – more often than not shrouded in mist – averaging some 700 meters. Cattle outnumber people by two to one.
Since the island has no large caldeiras and because of the preponderant mist, we opted to stay on at sea level and forego busses. The morning was spent in the shelter of Baio de Entre Morros, enjoying the spectacular cliff scenery from kayak or Zodiac. In the early afternoon, we went ashore at the main town of the island Velas to admire its old harbor, shop in its attractive narrow streets, and visit its seventeenth-century church, formerly a Franciscan monastery.
In mid-afternoon, we set sail for Santa Maria in the eastern group of the archipelago, our naturalists keeping watch for marine mammals assisted by our keen-eyed local friends on shore in their vigia – a welcome skills transference from hunting to ecotourism. It was not long before the blow of a sperm whale had been spotted ahead of the ship and soon we were making a careful approach to a group of females with their calves. The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales, diving deeper and for longer than any other member of its kind. Its scientific name, macrocephalus, is the Greek for "big head", the animal's most obvious characteristic, on which the blowhole is located, set forward and to the left. Behind the head, the body appears wrinkled like a dried prune. We spent a couple of hours in the company of these majestic creatures, delighted by the exuberant breaching – at least half a dozen times – of a young calf ahead of the ship.
