Meet the Sea Wolf

Azorean seafarer Norberto Serpa (aka the Sea Wolf) knows everything there is to know about the waters around the Azores and the creatures that reside there. A local legend, Norberto is the expert that marine scientists call whenever they need to track down a particular species of ray, shark, or (especially) whale. But key to his success is the relationship Norberto has with his spotter, perched high on a cliff in an observation tower many miles away. The spotter keeps a sharp eye for the spray of the whales and then radios Norberto their location. This highly specialized position has history that goes back centuries. Indeed, spotters used to guide whaling vessels to their quarry and used rockets and smoke signals to communicate before the advent of radio. Nowadays only a few spotters remain who remember the whaling days, and a new generation of spotter is climbing the ranks who see these beautiful animals in an entirely new way.

#whales #azores #marinebiology #ocean #whalewatching