Museu dos Baleeiros in Lajes do Pico

Museu dos Baleeiros (the Whalers' Museum) in Lajes do Pico, on Pico Island, is a cultural heritage monument of the Azores dedicated to the history of whale hunting. It is a good place to start if you want to understand how the island and its people lived for more than a century.

What is the museum?

The museum opened in 1988. It tells the story of whaling, which thrived on Pico from the nineteenth century until the 1980s. It is housed in a group of nineteenth-century buildings: three old sheds where whalers once kept their boats, and a former blacksmith's forge. The setting itself is part of the story of work along this coast.

What can you see?

The collection covers the tools of a dangerous trade: harpoons, boats and the equipment used during hunts. Another section shows pieces carved and engraved from whale bone and teeth, known as scrimshaw, a traditional craft linked to the profession.

A small cinema screens a film about the whalers' lives and how the hunt was carried out. Visitors who want to dig deeper can use a specialised library.

Why does it matter?

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Pico was a major centre of the whaling industry. Hunting was banned in the 1980s, and the last sperm whale caught in Azorean waters was taken in 1987, which ended whaling in Portugal. Today the Azores are committed to whale conservation, while the museum preserves the memory of the old trade and shows how much attitudes toward these animals have changed.

Location and visit

The museum stands in Lajes do Pico, on the southern coast of the island, at roughly 38.396 N, 28.254 W. It is listed as a cultural heritage monument of the Azores. Consider pairing the visit with a walk through the town itself, since this is where whaling left its strongest mark. Check current opening hours with local tourist information before you go, and allow at least an hour to see the exhibits and the film without rushing.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the museum? In Lajes do Pico, on Pico Island in the Azores, Portugal.

When did it open? In 1988, in buildings that date from the nineteenth century.

Is there more than a display of objects? Yes. There is a small cinema showing a film about whalers' lives, and a specialised library.

What is scrimshaw? Carved and engraved objects made from whale bone and teeth, part of the museum's collection.

Is whaling still practised in the Azores? No. Hunting was banned in the 1980s, and the islands now focus on protecting whales.