Sea turtles, whales and golden dunes: Boa Vista's unique wildlife

Boa Vista surprises. It surprises first with its landscapes — this Atlantic desert, these endless beaches, this light that changes hour by hour. But it also surprises, and perhaps above all, with what it hides. Beneath its arid exterior, this semi-desert island is a natural sanctuary of a richness that defies imagination.

Turtles rising from the depths of the Atlantic to nest on its beaches. Humpback whales passing a stone's throw from the shore on their migration. Seabirds nesting in its cliffs. Boa Vista teems with a life you don't always see from a resort pool.

Loggerhead turtles: one of the Atlantic's largest nesting areas

Some things you experience once and never forget. Witnessing a loggerhead turtle nest on a deserted Boa Vista beach, at night, by starlight alone, is one of them.

Boa Vista is one of the most important nesting areas for the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) in the whole North Atlantic. Every year, from June to October, hundreds of females emerge from the depths of the ocean, return to the same beaches they have visited for decades, and dig their nests by hand in total silence. These are animals that existed before the dinosaurs. They nest as their ancestors did a hundred million years ago.

The nesting season peaks between July and September. Nights of a full moon are the most favourable for sightings — the turtle instinctively chooses high tide to leave the water. She may take several hours to lay, with absolute concentration, completely indifferent to the world around her.

Humpback whales: the migration of giants

From February to May, the waters around Boa Vista are transformed. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) pass through the region on their annual migration between the tropical wintering waters and the northern feeding grounds. Mammals that can reach 15 metres in length and 40 tonnes, barely a few kilometres from the island's beaches.

On some days, in calm seas, the whales' blows are visible from the shore. A white plume rising into the translucent morning air, then a tail diving into the foam — fleeting, majestic, unforgettable. Local whale-watching boats allow a closer view, but even from the coast, simply knowing these giant creatures are passing through these waters changes something in our relationship with the island.

Humpback whales are also known for their spectacular leaps — the breach — and for their complex songs that scientists are still studying. Crossing paths with one in its natural element is an experience that redefines the scale of all things.

Seabirds: a surprising biodiversity

You wouldn't spontaneously imagine a semi-desert island as a paradise for birds. And yet. Boa Vista hosts a remarkable bird biodiversity, which birdwatchers come looking for from all over Europe.

The island's low vegetation and bare cliffs paradoxically offer ideal conditions for observation — birds are visible from afar, without obstacles. A simple afternoon on the west coast can bring surprising encounters.

The quad for reaching unspoilt nature

Here is Boa Vista's paradox: the most remarkable species, the wildest landscapes, the rarest experiences — they are all far from the marked tourist routes. Turtles nest on beaches that group minibuses cannot reach. Seabirds nest in cliffs accessible only by track. The inland lagoons — wildlife refuges — are hidden behind kilometres of rough terrain.

A quad opens up these spaces in a way no other means of transport can match. You aren't limited by a fixed route, nor constrained by a group schedule. You can stop when you see something move in the grass, cut the engine to listen, stay as long as you need. Nature isn't something to be observed in a rush through a bus window.

The island's best-preserved areas — and therefore the richest in wildlife — can only be reached by light vehicles able to cross sand or rock tracks. The quad is designed precisely for such terrain. It takes you where group 4x4s don't go, with an engine noise that doesn't rise above the wind's.

How to respect the wildlife?

Watching wildlife is a privilege. A privilege that comes with a responsibility. Boa Vista is a protected natural area in many respects, and its ecological balance is fragile. A few simple rules let you enjoy it without causing harm:

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  Keep a safe distance Never closer than 10 metres to turtles, 100 metres to whales watched from a boat. Never come between an animal and the sea.
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  No flash, no bright light Turtles nesting or returning to the sea are disoriented by artificial light. No torch pointed at them, no camera flash, no lit phone screen.
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  Don't touch, don't feed No wild animal should be touched, disturbed or fed — even with good intentions. Human disturbance can affect behaviours built over millions of years of evolution.
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  Zero waste in nature Whatever you bring, you take back. Turtle nesting beaches are zero-tolerance zones for waste. Plastic and turtles don't coexist.
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  Respect restricted areas Our briefing before each outing tells you which areas to avoid depending on the season. These restrictions protect vulnerable species during critical periods.