‘It appeared like one thing out of Star Trek – I anticipated it to go at warp pace’: the unimaginable marine lifetime of the Azores – in footage

The mid-Atlantic archipelago of 9 islands, the guidelines of drowned volcanoes, is a exceptional place for marine mammals. The clear, deep waters present the proper habitat for cetaceans, and 28 species of whale and dolphin have been documented there. The Dutch scientist and photographer Jeroen Hoekendijk spent every week in September capturing the range of Azorean wildlife

• Pictures by Jeroen Hoekendijk