Macaronesia is a biogeographical region formed by a group of heterogeneous Atlantic islands which include the archipelagos of Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cabo Verde and the continental part of Africa called African Macaronesia enclave.

This term is used by the naturalists, but more recently has been used by politics to refer to a region that shares common economical interests. Macaronesia presents a series of geological and biological characteristics including unique flora and fauna. It is a region that presents a high number of endemic species.

The Macaronesia archipelagos constitute an “oasis” for the cetaceans in the middle of the vast ocean, due its environmental particularities. Macaronesia comprise the area with the highest diversity of cetaceans in Europe with some cetaceans species being only sighted in these archipelagos.  Thus, the responsibility of an adequate and sustainable management and conservation of this natural marine patrimony is heightened.