On the island of Pico, the whaling heritage still bears powerful witness to a vivid memory that goes far beyond the physical evidence. As we explore the parish of Ribeiras do Pico, we discover the ancient traditional knowledge associated with whaling culture.
We begin at the beaching ramp, which was one of the busiest and most productive whaling sites on Pico and remained in operation until 1946, when part of its infrastructure was destroyed by a cyclone.
Right next to it, we find the Companhia Americana Boathouse where we take a trip back in time… inside, four whaling boats are still kept, which nowadays belong to the Clube Náutico de Santa Cruz das Ribeiras, only going out to sea for regattas. This space is also a meeting spot for former whalers, where they still gather as if waiting for another whale hunt. We suggest you to sit with them and let yourself be carried away by their fascinating stories.
We end the day in the Mestre João Silveira Tavares' Workshop, the most famous master builder of whaling boats, both in the Azores and internationally. He has devoted his entire life to repairing, conserving and restoring vessels on several islands of the archipelago. In 1998, he started building azorean whaling boats, having, in fact, built his first whaling boat after the end of the whaling period in the Azores. Come visit Mestre João Silveira Tavares, learn all about the construction techniques and witness his passion for whaling boats.
