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Saga guests can join professional naturalist Diarmid Doody to search for fin, humpback and sperm whales on Saga’s wildlife tour of the Azores.

Diarmid, who has worked for wildlife charities for over 30 years, is a wildlife cameraman, natural history presenter and artist with a passion for whales and dolphins.

During the 14-night tour Diarmid accompanies guests on three half-day whale-watching trips and 3 full day excursions. He will also present five wildlife-related talks.

The trip to Furnas and Nordeste includes an opportunity to seek out the Azores bullfinch. Further tours include Pico Island's whaling museum and cetaceans observation base, a visit to the Monte Brasil peninsula and summit of Serra do Cume on the island of Terceira.

The Azores archipelago consists of nine unspoilt volcanic islands in the North Atlantic where the climate is mild all year round. The islands are the exposed tips of vast underwater mountains where scenery varies from huge lakes formed from the volcanic craters, to brilliant green pastureland with fishing villages dotted around. Spring and early summer are the best times for spotting migrating and resident whales - perhaps even a blue whale or dolphins.

Guests fly to Ponta Delgada, the capital São Miguel, to stay at the Hotel Marina Atlantico for the first four nights and last two nights of the holiday.

São Miguel is the largest island in the Azores and guests can cruise its clear waters for sightings of whales and dolphins. There is also an optional tour to Sete Cidades, an extinct volcano that rises 580 metres above sea level and from the edge of the crater there is a magnificent view of two lakes, one blue and the other green.

To maximise the whale watching opportunities, the second leg of the tour takes guests to the island of Faial to stay at the Hotel do Canal, in Horta, for four nights. As well as a whale-watching tour there is an optional island excursion to Capelinhos Museological Nucleus to learn about the dramatic eruption of the Capelinhos volcano in 1957.

Next is a short flight to Angra do Heroismo, on the island of Terceira, for a four-night stay at the Terceira Mar Hotel. Guests can also take an optional tour to the beach and marina at Praia da Vittoria to spot seabirds including terns and ring-billed gulls.

Back on São Miguel for the last two nights there is time to explore or take an optional whale-watching trip to keep an eye open for the black and white outline of the orca.

For details call free on 0800 300 500 or visit saga.co.uk/azores

14 nights from £1,749, departing London Gatwick on April 8 and June 3, 2017. Price includes return flights, airport taxes, accommodation at three 4Q hotels, all breakfasts and dinners plus three lunches, porterage, expert host, local guide and optional travel insurance and additional cancellation rights, or a discount if passenger has own insurance.

Editors: Saga Holidays is the winner of 16 Gold British Travel Awards 2015 including Best for Escorted Adventures, Best for Wildlife & Nature and Best for Special Interests.

While we hope that guests will be fortunate to see an exciting variety of whales and marine life on this holiday, we obviously cannot guarantee sightings and sailings are dependent upon weather conditions.

Contact PR manager Naomi Thornton

Email naomi.thornton@saga.co.uk or call 01303 772499

Saga is a leading provider of products and services primarily tailored for customers over the age of 50 in the UK. The Saga brand has been carefully developed over the past 60 years to become one of the most recognised and trusted brands among UK consumers aged over 50. Saga is synonymous in the UK with the over 50s market and is recognised for its high quality products and services. These include cruises and holidays, home and motor insurance, savings and share dealing and the UK’s award winning Saga Magazine.