Azores Situation Report Wednesday 3rd September 2025
Woman dies near Santo António fishing port
A 44-year-old woman died near the fishing port of Santo António, on the north coast of the municipality of Ponta Delgada, the National Maritime Authority reported.
The causes of the incident are currently unknown, according to a press release from the National Maritime Authority.
According to the statement, the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Delgada) received an alert at 4:39 p.m., immediately activating the crew of the Ponta Delgada Lifeguard Station, as well as members of the Ponta Delgada Maritime Police Local Command and the Ribeira Grande and Ponta Delgada Volunteer Fire Departments.
“Upon arrival at the scene, it was found that the victim, who was lying face down in the water, had been promptly removed by the Ribeira Grande Volunteer Fire Department. The Lifeguard Station crew subsequently transported her to the port of Ponta Delgada, where the Health Officer issued a death certificate,” the statement from the National Maritime Authority adds.
The Ponta Delgada Fire Department subsequently transported the body to the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital, after contacting the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Hydrographic plans prohibit swimming in lagoons
Watershed management plans for the lakes on São Miguel Island—including Sete Cidades, the site of two deaths in the space of 12 days—expressly prohibit bathing. The Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change has placed several signs on the banks of the lakes warning of this prohibition. The Parish Council President appeals to the public for common sense and responsibility.
Two schools in the Azores with bilingual education
For the first time, in the 2025/26 academic year, two Azorean schools will begin teaching in Portuguese and English.
The new school year in the Azores brings with it a set of pedagogical innovations that mark a turning point in the regional education system.
According to Sofia Ribeiro, Regional Secretary for Education, Culture, and Sports, during the public presentation of the school year’s preparations, two Azorean schools—EB1 Praia da Vitória, on Terceira Island, and Escola Básica e Secundária de Velas, in São Jorge—will implement bilingual instruction in Portuguese and English for the first time. The project begins with three first-grade classes and aims to expose students to early exposure to English, integrating it naturally into their daily school life.
Another new development this year is the expansion of the Computational Thinking project, which now extends to the 4th grade of primary school. This measure means that all initial primary education, from 1st to 4th grade, will now be covered by this approach, which focuses on developing logic, programming, and problem-solving skills.
Also in the digital realm, the dematerialization of school textbooks takes a decisive step this year: all students from 5th to 12th grade will have access to digital textbooks, progressively replacing paper textbooks.