It looked like something out of Star Trek I expected it to go at warp speed': the incredible marine life of the Azores in pictures

'A pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins rushed in on our first day out, and bow-rode in front of the boat. It was a sign of how lucky we were going to be,' says Hoekendijk.

'Sperm whales can be very active at the surface. This adult was lobbing its tail up and down and defecating in the water. It shows the sheer force of the animal,' says Hoekendijk.

'With eyes on the side of their heads, the only way sperm whales can see stereoscopically is by turning upside-down. This whale was inspecting me with both eyes and aiming its sonar clicks at me.'

'The turtle approached myself and my dive partner, Judith van de Griendt. It came right up to her camera, as if inspecting its own reflection in the lens.'

Read at www.theguardian.com