Dolphin School Program

The Dolphin School is a four-day immersive program developed specifically by Joana and Tiago — marine biologists and diving instructors — drawing on their years of fieldwork with wild dolphin pods in the Azores. The structure is built around education first: training sessions and lectures come before any in-water encounter, so participants arrive at each dolphin swim with real context about species identification, animal behavior and respectful approach techniques.

Three snorkeling sessions with wild dolphins are included across the program, all subject to sea conditions and animal behavior. If a session is cancelled due to rough weather or inappropriate dolphin behavior, it is rescheduled or refunded. One whale watching tour aboard KEIKO is also part of the package — a 9m RIB holding a maximum of 14 passengers, run with the same land-based vigia network that tracks cetaceans from shore.

Accommodation for seven nights is included, in a twin-share apartment or house with a kitchen, within 15 minutes' walk of the Dive Azores base in Horta. Couples or groups wanting private rooms can arrange it in advance for an additional cost. Airport transfers, a certificate of participation, snorkeling equipment and activity insurance are all covered in the price.

The program runs in July, August and September, when sea conditions on Faial are most stable and dolphin activity is at its peak. Common, bottlenose and Risso's dolphins are year-round species in Azores waters; Atlantic spotted and striped dolphins are more prevalent during summer months. Participants must be 18 or older, confident swimmers and have prior snorkeling experience — the water encounters are in the open ocean, not a sheltered bay.