Ocean LifeNGO
Tracking the Algarve's Dolphins and Whales
by AIMM (Marine Environment Research Association) · HQ 🇵🇹 Portugal
0sightingsDolphin sightings analysed (2012-2023)as of 2023-12-31 · may be outdated
0speciesCetacean species recorded since 2010as of 2023-12-31 · may be outdated
Founded in 2010 by a group of young Portuguese marine biologists, AIMM runs boat-based surveys aboard its research vessel Ketos to monitor cetaceans, sea turtles, sharks and seabirds along Portugal's southern coast. Between 2012 and 2023 the team analysed 967 dolphin sightings — 373 bottlenose and 594 common dolphins — building one of the region's longest-running cetacean datasets. Its research internship program, running since 2010, has recorded 11 species of cetaceans in Portuguese Atlantic waters. AIMM pairs this fieldwork with public environmental education about the marine environment.