The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and the Environment awarded today the contract work for the rehabilitation of the premises of Porto Pim Whale Factory on Faial Island to the company Marques, SA for the price of 890,900 Euros.
 
The intervention has a completion period of one year. In addition to the rehabilitation of the building and the improvement of visiting conditions of the industrial structure and workspaces, the intervention includes the creation of a museum centre based on industrial archaeology, whaling heritage and sperm whale biology.
 
The Whale Factory of Sociedade Industrial Marítima Açoreana, Lda. - SIMAL (Azorean Maritime Industrial Society) began operating in 1942 and was active until 1974. It coincided with the period of the industrial processing of sperm whales, in which fat was processed into oil and bones into flour.
 
The original machinery is in good condition and, in this context, Porto Pim Whale Factory one of the best examples of the former whaling Azorean industry. It is an essential part of the historical, economic and social understanding of this activity that will be enriched with an exhibition on sperm whale biology.
 
This intervention complements the investment made by the Government of the Azores in Monte da Guia complex. It included the rehabilitation of the Dabney House, which serves as headquarters to Faial Environmental Service and currently hosts an exhibition on the Dabney Family, and the installation of Porto Pim Aquarium, the former Tufo Factory.