Whale and dolphin watching in Madeira

Whale and dolphin watching in Madeira is a three-hour boat trip, most often from Funchal marina, and on a shared catamaran it costs around €40 per adult. Nobody can promise you whales. On my trips I have always seen dolphins and pilot whales, and several operators give you a second trip, free or for a small fee, if you see nothing.

I have done this trip more than once, always on a catamaran, including a private one for a wedding party. It is one of the things I tell friends to book: you spend a whole afternoon at sea for less than the price of a dinner out, you see the island from the water, and you are back in the Old Town in time for a poncha.

What it is like on board

You book a fixed departure, check in at the marina and share the catamaran with other passengers. Once you leave the harbour, the crew and a spotter on the top deck look for animals while the boat works along the south coast.

On my trips we have always found dolphins and pilot whales. The swim stop is my favourite part: when the sea allows, the catamaran stops in a sheltered spot and you can jump in. VMT, for example, stops below Cabo Girão when conditions allow, and lists snorkelling on its whale-watching trip.

What people do not expect is the view back to land. From a few kilometres out you see Funchal as an amphitheatre, the houses climbing the slopes towards the mountains, and the Desertas on the horizon to the south-east. Even on a day with fewer animals, that view and three hours of sitting still in the sun are worth the ticket.

Catamaran or speedboat?

The choice of boat changes the trip more than the choice of operator.

I have only done catamarans, and I would choose one again for a first trip. It is the more comfortable option, and the swim stop makes it half a boat trip, half a wildlife trip. If seeing a particular whale species is the reason you came to Madeira, a speedboat covers more sea in the time.

Sightings guarantees, compared

“Guaranteed sightings” means different things depending on who sells the ticket. None of these operators promises a whale.

Prices from each operator’s own website, checked 21 October 2026.

Blue Safari, which runs fast boats from Funchal for groups of up to 18, also offers a free second trip if you see nothing, and a voucher valid for 2 years if the weather cancels yours. Check the current conditions before you book: a second trip only helps if you have a free day left in Funchal.

Funchal, Calheta or Machico?

Funchal marina has the most operators and departures, and it is the easy choice if you are staying in Funchal, Caniço or anywhere you can reach by bus. You also walk off the boat into the city.

Calheta, on the south-west coast, makes sense if you are based in Calheta, Ponta do Sol or Paul do Mar. Lobosonda and On Tales leave from there. Visit Madeira also lists operators in Machico and Caniçal for the east of the island.

Morning, afternoon or sunset?

VMT runs its whale-watching catamaran at 10:30 and 15:00 every day, and its sunset catamaran also looks for dolphins and whales on the way. My trips have been in the late afternoon and at sunset, and that is the slot I recommend: the light on the island is softer, it is cooler on deck in summer, and you are back in town for the evening.

If whales are your main goal rather than the boat trip itself, choose a dedicated whale-watching departure over a sunset cruise. The sunset trip is a sail first and a wildlife trip second, and VMT’s free second trip is listed for its whale-watching trip, not its sunset one.

What you can see, and when

Visit Madeira lists these as the species seen most often around the island:

• Short-finned pilot whales, which live around Madeira all year
• Bottlenose dolphins
• Common dolphins and Atlantic spotted dolphins
• Sperm whales
• Bryde’s whales
• Loggerhead turtles

Pilot whales are the animal you are most likely to meet. Researchers at the University of Madeira have photo-identified a community of fewer than 150 pilot whales associated with the island, and it is these animals that make the trip work in any month.

Whale watching runs all year. Operators’ sighting logs show more species passing between April and October, and fewer from November to April. Rough seas cancel some departures, more often outside summer. If you are coming for the big migrating whales, aim for spring to early autumn and keep a spare day in case the sea is too rough. For the rest of the weather, see the best time to visit Madeira.

Will I get seasick?

I have never been seasick on these trips, and it is rare on a catamaran, which is wide and stable. The crew are used to it and know what to do if someone feels unwell. If you know you get seasick, take your usual tablets before you board, sit in the middle of the boat, and choose a calm day: a trip cancelled for wind is better than three hours of feeling ill.

Before you go: parking, check-in, what to bring

Parking. Leave the car in one of the paid car parks next to Funchal port. Magic Dolphin points its customers to the Almirante Reis car park.

Check-in. VMT and Magic Dolphin both ask you to check in 30 minutes before departure. Boats leave on time, and Magic Dolphin does not refund passengers who miss the boat. VMT’s check-in booth is on the dock where the boats are moored, not inside its shop.

What to bring. VMT’s own list is a windbreaker, camera, swimsuit, beach towel and sun cream. Wear the swimsuit under your clothes if you want to use the swim stop.

Without a car. Funchal marina is in the centre, a short walk from the Old Town and the main bus stops.

Choosing a responsible operator

Whale watching in Madeira is regulated: operators need a licence under Regional Legislative Decree 15/2013/M, and a separate order limits how many boats can work each area. Visit Madeira lists the operators working from each harbour.

What I would look for on the day is a crew that lets the animals set the pace. If dolphins come to the boat, that is a good sign. If the boat chases a group at speed, or several boats crowd round the same whales, that is the opposite. Some operators work with marine biologists and record their sightings for research; Lobosonda says it has done so since 2007.