Funchal Whale Watching Tours

The sea floor drops away steeply off Madeira, so deep-water animals live a few miles from Funchal Marina. Dolphins turn up on most trips and pilot whales on many, while a sperm whale's fluke is the prize nobody can promise. Five boats cover the range, from an all-inclusive catamaran for 17 to an open RIB with an optional dolphin swim. Below, each fare sits next to the time you get with the animals.

  • Whales and dolphins all yearThe boats sail in every month, though the species shift with the seasons and winter swell cancels the most trips
  • Go early in your stayIf wind cancels your sailing or the sea stays empty, you still have days left for a second try

In a hurry? Our top pick is VipDolphins' all-inclusive catamaran, at ~$88 a person for three hours with no more than 17 guests. Drinks from the open bar and snorkel gear for the swim stop come with it. Book it here.

Book on GetYourGuide Book on Viator Compare all 5

Funchal whale trips at a glance

  • Two to three hoursA morning or an afternoon, not a whole day. The fast boats are back in two hours, the trips with a swim stop in about three
  • Four kinds of boatA hybrid catamaran for up to 100, a luxury catamaran for 17, small fast boats for 18, a sailing yacht for 20
  • The animals live close byDeep water starts a few miles off the south coast, so the search begins soon after you clear the harbor wall
  • Dolphins likely, whales never promisedSome days bring pilot whales beside the boat and others only dolphins. Heavy swell can keep every boat in port

If you only have a minute

Which Funchal whale watching tour should you book?

What we tell friends who land in Funchal and ask us which boat to take.

For most visitors, the whale trip to book from Funchal is VipDolphins' all-inclusive luxury catamaran, from ~$88. It takes no more than 17 guests and spends three hours out. On the way back it stops so you can swim and snorkel under the Cabo Girão cliff. An open bar comes with the fare, so nothing on board costs extra.

Want the lowest fare? Magic Dolphin's hybrid eco catamaran costs ~$39 and goes quiet on electric power near the animals, though it carries up to 100 people. Want a short, focused trip? Blue Safari's small fast boat at ~$67 gives you a free second ticket if nothing shows. Xpoint's RIB at ~$67 adds an optional dolphin swim, while Gaviao's sailing yacht at ~$45 swaps speed for a quiet deck.

Nobody can book the whales for you. Before you pay, compare the full price of each trip with the months that suit each species, look at how the hours are split and read the eight things the listings play down.

Our pick

The whale trip we would book: VipDolphins, max 17

It costs more than any other boat on this page. In return the fare covers everything on board, the deck never holds more than 17 guests, and the trip ends with a swim below Cabo Girão.

VipDolphins' white catamaran with guests out on deck and Funchal's green hillside rising behind the bay Our pick

All-Inclusive Whale and Dolphin-Watching Luxury Tour, VipDolphins

★★★★★ 4.9 from 3,000+ reviews on GetYourGuide · free cancellation up to 24 hours before

VipDolphins (listed on GetYourGuide under the company name Oceano Pioneiro) runs this trip on a luxury catamaran with seats inside and out, plus toilets. The listing caps each sailing at 17 guests. You meet at Praça do Povo by the new marina, and a glass of sparkling wine is handed to you as you step aboard.

The boat runs about 45 minutes along the south coast looking for whales and dolphins, then spends around half an hour with whatever it finds. On the way back it stops for 30 minutes under Cabo Girão so you can swim and snorkel, with masks provided. The whole trip takes about three hours.

Price
from ~$88 per person
Duration
About 3 hours
With the animals
About 30 minutes
Group
Up to 17 guests
Departure
Praça do Povo, by the new marina
Food and drink
Open bar with alcohol, local snacks, sparkling wine
Ages
3 and up
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
GetYourGuide Viator

Live availability and prices on GetYourGuide

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How the three hours run

The listing gives this outline. Where the boat heads depends on where the animals are that day and on the state of the sea.

Out of Funchal

  • Meet at Praça do Povo by the new marina, sparkling wine on boarding
  • About 45 minutes along the coast while everyone scans for blows
  • About 30 minutes with the whales or dolphins the crew finds

Under Cabo Girão

  • A 30-minute stop to swim and snorkel below the cliff, gear included
  • Back east along the coast with the bar still open
  • Back at the marina in Funchal about 3 hours after leaving

What the fare covers

Once you are aboard, nothing at the bar costs extra, and neither does the snorkel gear. What is missing is mostly what no boat can sell.

Included
  • A glass of sparkling wine as you board
  • An open bar, alcohol included
  • Local snacks
  • Snorkels and goggles for the swim stop
Not included
  • A full meal (reviewers call the snacks light)
  • Seasickness tablets
  • Your swimwear and a towel
  • A promise of whales or dolphins

A word before you book

The listing is clear about who should stay ashore. Children under 3 cannot come. Pregnant travelers are asked to pick another trip, as is anyone prone to seasickness. On the plus side, GetYourGuide lists the boat as wheelchair accessible, and the crew guides in English and Portuguese, with Spanish as well.

Wearing swimwear under your clothes saves a scramble at Cabo Girão. Our seasickness and packing guide covers the rest.

Why we put it first

On Magic Dolphin's catamaran you may share the deck with up to 100 people and pay for every drink. Here the group stays at 17 or fewer, and the fare already includes the bar along with a swim stop the fast boats skip. Small-group trips compared weighs it against the other boats for 17 to 20.

The trade-off is time. About half an hour with the animals is the shortest of the five trips, so if whales are the whole point, a faster boat gives you more searching for less money.

Who we would not send on it

Families with children under 3, who fall outside the listing's limits. Anyone who gets seasick easily, who is asked not to book and will be steadier on Magic Dolphin's big two-deck catamaran. And wildlife fans who want most of the trip spent searching, who will get more of that on Blue Safari's fast boat with a naturalist guide.

Book it if

You want one relaxed trip that mixes whales with a swim and a drink, with no extras to pay once you are aboard. It suits couples and groups of friends, or families whose children are three or older.

Skip it if

Ready for the water off Funchal?

VipDolphins sells this trip on GetYourGuide and on Viator, with a 4.9 score on both. GetYourGuide shows more reviews and lets you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can check the swell forecast first.

GetYourGuide Viator

The trip itself

How a Funchal whale watching trip works

All five boats leave the same marina for the same deep water. They split on two questions. Do you want a short and fast search, or a longer trip with a swim? And how many people will be at the rail when the first fin breaks the surface?

Style · short and fast

Two hours on a small boat

Blue Safari, Xpoint Madeira

2–2.5 hout at speed, the search, the animals, straight back

Up to 18 guests on a boat built for speed, so more of the trip goes on finding animals. You sit close to the water and feel every wave. Blue Safari serves no food or drinks, and shade is scarce on both.

Style · three hours with a swim

A longer trip with a swim stop

VipDolphins, Magic Dolphin, Gaviao

2.5–3 hthe search, the animals, a swim under Cabo Girão, the coast home

Bigger decks and a gentler pace, with toilets on both catamarans. Part of the time goes on the swim and the cruise past the cliffs. Magic Dolphin skips the swim on its 9 am trips in July and August.

Funchal weather and whale odds, month by month

  • Chance of whales as well as dolphins on a trip
  1. Jan19°C high66 °F

    Common dolphins about, swell cancels some trips

  2. Feb18°C high64 °F

    Windy weeks, keep a spare day free

  3. Mar19°C high66 °F

    Seas settle, the first baleen whales may pass

  4. Apr20°C high68 °F

    Fin and sei whales possible on their way north

  5. May21°C high70 °F

    Passing baleen whales, sperm whales more often

  6. Jun23°C high73 °F

    Spotted dolphins arrive, the sea warms up

  7. Jul25°C high77 °F

    Bryde's whales possible, warm water for a swim

  8. Aug26°C high79 °F

    Calm days, spotted dolphins in big groups

  9. Sep26°C high79 °F

    The warmest sea, Bryde's whales may linger

  10. Oct24°C high75 °F

    Still mild, spotted dolphins thin out

  11. Nov22°C high72 °F

    Common dolphins return, more wind

  12. Dec20°C high68 °F

    Mild on deck, though swell can cancel

Temperatures are rough daytime highs in Funchal; out at sea the breeze makes it feel cooler. The bars are our own reading of what listings and reviews report, not a statistic. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick. The months in detail.

How each trip is spent

  • Cruising and swim stop
  • With the animals
  • May run longer

Total lengths come from the listings. Only VipDolphins gives its own split; for the others the share spent with the animals is our estimate, because every boat goes wherever the animals are that day.

  1. Pick your boatA steady catamaran with room to move about, or a small boat that sits low and fast on the water. The hulls compared.
  2. Choose your monthWhales and dolphins are here all year, but the species change. Spring and summer usually bring the most variety. Month by month.
  3. Book early in your stayAn empty sea or a rough one can happen on any day, and two of the five trips give you a second go for free. If nothing shows.
  4. Pack for sun and sprayA windbreaker over a T-shirt, with swimwear underneath for the stop at Cabo Girão. Sunscreen too, since the sea doubles the glare. What to bring.

Which whales and dolphins live off Madeira explains which animals stay all year and which only pass through, and why deep water so close to Funchal draws them in.

How to choose

How to pick your Funchal whale trip

The animals are the same for all five boats. What changes is the ride, how many people share it and what you do between sightings.

Boat type

Four shapes of hull, from a two-deck hybrid catamaran to an open RIB, each trading comfort against closeness to the water. The boats compared.

Group size

VipDolphins takes 17 guests and Gaviao 20. Magic Dolphin carries up to 100, and the fast boats 18 each. Small-group trips.

Swim stop

Three boats stop to swim under Cabo Girão. Xpoint offers a dip near dolphins for €20 when the rules allow it. Swimming with dolphins.

Who is coming

Limits run from age 3 on VipDolphins to 6 and 130 cm on Blue Safari. Gaviao's yacht does not suit travelers with limited mobility. With kids.

If nothing shows

Blue Safari and Xpoint give you another trip free when no whale or dolphin appears. The other three listings promise nothing. The small print.

Price

From ~$39 a person on the eco catamaran to ~$88 with an open bar and snorkel gear. Every price in one table.

Everything else to do on Madeira

The 5 tours

Five boats out to the whales, side by side

We read every whale and dolphin listing for Funchal on both booking sites and kept one of each shape of trip. Each card gives the price and length and names the company. It also says where the trip falls short, with a button for every site that sells it.

VipDolphins' white catamaran cruising off Madeira as a dolphin surfaces just in front of it, green hills behind Our pick

All-Inclusive Whale and Dolphin-Watching Luxury Tour, VipDolphins

The one we would book for a first trip out.

Three hours on a luxury catamaran for 17 guests, with sparkling wine on boarding and an open bar with local snacks. Half an hour with the animals comes first. Then the boat stops for 30 minutes under Cabo Girão to swim and snorkel before the cruise home.

  • Rating4.9 from 3,000+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 3 hours
  • Tour companyVipDolphins
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsSmall group; drinks and snorkel gear included; swim stop
  • Ideal forCouples and friends, or families with children of 3 and up

Good to know: The priciest trip here and the shortest time with the whales, about 30 minutes. Reviewers say the snacks are light. Not for children under 3 or pregnant travelers, and the listing turns away anyone prone to seasickness. Smaller boats compared.

~$88per person
GetYourGuide Viator
A sperm whale lifting its broad tail fluke out of the Atlantic, water streaming from its edges Wildlife first

Responsible Whale and Dolphin-Watching Tour, Blue Safari Madeira

A short, focused trip with a naturalist at the rail.

A custom-built fast boat for up to 18 people. Naturalists or marine biologists guide it, and spotters on land radio in what they see. The listing says Blue Safari was the first WCA-certified operator in Funchal, and it works with researchers.

  • Rating4.9 from 2,000+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 2 hours
  • Tour companyBlue Safari Madeira
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsAnother ticket free if no whale or dolphin is seen
  • Ideal forWildlife fans who care how the animals are approached

Good to know: The shortest trip here. There is no swim stop and no food or drinks, and the small boat bounces; one reviewer felt queasy once the engine stopped. Children must be 6 and at least 130 cm, and the listing rules out pregnant travelers as well as people with back problems. If nothing shows.

~$67per person
GetYourGuide Viator
The white Magic Dolphin Eco catamaran full of guests on both decks below the dark cliffs of Cabo Girão Most reviewed

Ecological Catamaran Dolphin and Whale Watching, Magic Dolphin

The lowest fare, on the biggest deck.

A purpose-built hybrid catamaran that switches to silent electric engines near the animals. Two decks with a 360° view up top, big nets at the bow and a seat for everyone. On the 3-hour trips it stops for a swim when the weather allows, then returns past Câmara de Lobos.

  • Rating4.6 from 11,100+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • Duration2.5–3 hours (morning or afternoon)
  • Tour companyMagic Dolphin
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsQuiet electric approach; bow nets; wheelchair accessible
  • Ideal forBudget travelers and families, or anyone wary of rough seas

Good to know: Up to 100 people come aboard. Drinks and snacks from the two bars cost extra. Bring your own snorkel. Be at the office on Praça do Povo 30 minutes early, since the boat leaves on time and latecomers get no refund. Boat types.

~$39per person
GetYourGuide Viator
Xpoint's RIB full of guests speeding along the Madeira coast with white spray trailing behind it Sea level

RIB Whale-Watching Cruise and Optional Dolphin Swim, Xpoint Madeira

For a seat close to the water and a chance to swim near dolphins.

A RIB for up to 18 that spends at least two of its two and a half hours on the water, with a photo stop at Cabo Girão. If common or Atlantic spotted dolphins behave the right way, you can slip in near them for a minute or two while staying attached to the boat.

  • Rating4.7 from 660+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 2.5 hours
  • Tour companyXpoint Madeira
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsFree trip within a year if nothing is seen; private boat option
  • Ideal forActive couples and groups who don't mind getting wet

Good to know: The dolphin swim costs €20, paid on site only if it happens. Often the law or the dolphins rule it out. Expect spray and bumps with little shade, so wear a windbreaker. Parking near the marina is limited. The swim rules.

~$67per person
GetYourGuide Viator
Gaviao's sailing yacht with its wooden deck full of guests, seen from above on dark blue Atlantic water Under sail

Dolphin and Whale Watching Sailing Trip, Gaviao Madeira

The slow, quiet way out, with a snorkel stop.

A sailing yacht for up to 20 that heads as far as about 5 km (3 miles) offshore and stops at Cabo Girão to snorkel, with gear provided. Drinks are served on board, and reviewers mention wine as well as soft drinks. The sail goes up when there is enough wind.

  • Rating4.7 from 1,500+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 3 hours
  • Tour companyGaviao Madeira
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsQuiet deck; drinks and snorkel gear included; low fare
  • Ideal forCouples and friends who like a slower pace

Good to know: Sold on GetYourGuide only. Slower than a motorboat, so it covers less sea, and on calm days it motors without sailing. Shoes stay off on board, and the yacht does not suit travelers with limited mobility. The Cabo Girão stop.

~$45per person
GetYourGuide

Full disclosure. The buttons are GetYourGuide and Viator affiliate links, so a booking through one earns us a small commission at no extra cost to you. It pays for this guide and has no say in our ranking or in the catches we list.

Before you go

Eight things about Funchal whale trips that no listing puts up front

None of these leads a booking page, yet each one decides whether you come home with a fluke on your camera or a pleasant boat ride and little else.

What you should know

  1. The animals are close, but the search takes time. Deep water starts a few miles out, yet every boat still spends part of the trip looking. Spotters on land, heirs to the old whalers' lookouts, radio boats such as Blue Safari's and Magic Dolphin's. Who lives out there.
  2. Dolphins are likely, whales are not. Reviews on every boat describe days with only dolphins, and days with whales but no dolphins. Nobody can book a sperm whale for you.
  3. Two listings promise a second try. Blue Safari gives another ticket and Xpoint another trip within a year if nothing is seen. The other three make no promise. The small print.
  4. Food and drink vary a lot. VipDolphins pours from an open bar and Gaviao serves drinks. Magic Dolphin sells them from its bars, while Blue Safari has nothing on board. The full costs.
  5. A stopped boat rolls. The swell often feels worst when the engine cuts out near the animals, not at speed. Ask a pharmacist about tablets and take them before boarding. Seasickness tips.
  6. The swim stop is a bonus, not a given. Weather can cancel it, and Magic Dolphin's 9 am trip in July and August skips it altogether. Bring your own snorkel on that boat. Cabo Girão.
  7. Age limits differ. VipDolphins takes children from 3 and Blue Safari from 6 (and 130 cm). Gaviao's yacht does not suit limited mobility, while both catamarans are wheelchair accessible. With kids.
  8. The dolphin swim is rarely the one you picture. On Xpoint you stay attached to the boat for a minute or two, with two species only, when their behavior allows it. Often it does not happen at all. The rules.

Everything in one table

Five Funchal boats, catch included

All five side by side, with each trip's main strength set against its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price Length Starts from Tour company and rating Strength and catch Book
VipDolphins, max 17 (our pick) A first whale trip ~$88per person About 3 h Praça do Povo VipDolphins
4.9 on GetYourGuide		 Open bar and a swim stop for 17 guests. Priciest, about 30 minutes with the animals.
GetYourGuideViator
Blue Safari fast boat Time on the search ~$67per person About 2 h Marina do Funchal, gate 4 Blue Safari Madeira
4.9 on GetYourGuide		 Naturalist guides, free retry. No swim, no food, a bumpy ride.
GetYourGuideViator
Magic Dolphin eco catamaran Value and a steady deck ~$39per person 2.5–3 h Office on Praça do Povo Magic Dolphin
4.6 on GetYourGuide		 Silent electric approach, lowest fare. Up to 100 people, drinks extra.
GetYourGuideViator
Xpoint RIB A dolphin swim, sea-level views ~$67per person About 2.5 h Funchal Marina Xpoint Madeira
4.7 on GetYourGuide		 Free retry, optional swim. Spray, little shade, the swim often off.
GetYourGuideViator
Gaviao sailing yacht A slow, quiet trip ~$45per person About 3 h Funchal Marina Gaviao Madeira
4.7 on GetYourGuide		 Drinks and snorkel gear at a low fare. Slow, and some days no sail.
GetYourGuide

About the numbers. Prices are regular per-person "from" rates in US dollars, and both sites often show them lower on sale. They move with dates and exchange rates, so the booking page has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who went out to sea

Fourteen people who sailed from Funchal, some with pilot whales at the bow and some with a few dolphins far off. What surprised them, and what they would change next time.

★★★★★All-inclusive, max 17

We had about half an hour with a big group of pilot whales lying at the surface like logs. One came up so close to the stern that I heard it breathe. After that the captain anchored under Cabo Girão and we jumped off the back with masks on. There were not many fish, but swimming below a cliff that tall felt unreal. A glass of fizz from the open bar on the cruise home, and I was sold.

MTMegan T. · Leeds, UKWhales up close
★★★★★All-inclusive, max 17

Sparkling wine as you board, bottlenose dolphins under the bow forty minutes later. My wife still talks about it.

DKDaniel K. · Tel Aviv, IsraelWhales up close
★★★★☆All-inclusive, max 17

Only a few common dolphins far off on our trip, though the crew searched hard before turning back. The open bar and the swim at Cabo Girão saved the day. The snacks are light, so eat first.

HTHiroshi T. · Yokohama, JapanFew sightings
★★★★★All-inclusive, max 17

Our guide switched to Spanish for my parents without being asked. Seventeen of us, and room at the rail for everyone.

LMLucía M. · Valencia, SpainWhales up close
★★★★★Small fast boat, max 18

I chose Blue Safari because of the WCA certificate, and our guide, a marine biologist, made all the difference. A spotter on the cliffs radioed in a sperm whale soon after we left the marina. We waited at a respectful distance while it breathed at the surface for several minutes, then it arched its back and lifted its fluke straight up. Nobody on board said a word. Two hours felt short, and there is no food on the boat, so bring water.

JWJonas W. · Freiburg, GermanyWhales up close
★★★★☆Small fast boat, max 18

The guide knew her stuff and the boat is quick. We found a small group of bottlenose dolphins and nothing else, and the swell got to me the moment the engine stopped. Sit low and watch the horizon.

ABAisha B. · Toronto, CanadaFew sightings
★★★★★Small fast boat, max 18

Pilot whales on both sides of the boat, a calf among them. The biologist answered every question my kids threw at her.

THTom H. · Wellington, New ZealandWhales up close
★★★★☆Hybrid eco catamaran

The boat is huge and it was full, yet there was a seat for everyone, and the upper deck gives a view all the way round. When the captain switched to the electric engines near a pod of spotted dolphins, the whole deck went quiet and you could hear them blow. That was our only sighting, and I wish they had kept looking longer before heading for the swim stop. Still a lot of trip for the money.

CDClaire D. · Nantes, FranceFew sightings
★★★★★Hybrid eco catamaran

My son spent the whole trip lying on the bow nets, and when a group of pilot whales surfaced alongside he was almost on top of them. We paid for drinks at the bar, which we did not mind. Be at the office on Praça do Povo half an hour early, as they ask.

RSRavi S. · Pune, IndiaWhales up close
★★★★★Hybrid eco catamaran

A sperm whale fluke from a big, calm boat for less than a dinner out. My dad uses a wheelchair and came along easily.

ELEmma L. · Gothenburg, SwedenWhales up close
★★★★★RIB with dolphin swim

We booked the dolphin swim knowing it might not happen. On the way out the crew explained the rules (only spotted or common dolphins, and only if they are calm). We found a pod of spotted dolphins that stayed relaxed, so we slipped in one after another, holding on to the boat with masks on. Maybe ninety seconds each, but three of them passed right under me. The €20 was charged on site at the end. Wear something you can get soaked in for the ride back.

MBMarco B. · Bologna, ItalyWhales up close
★★★★★RIB with dolphin swim

The RIB flies, and you sit so low that when the pilot whales came up beside us their blows misted my sunglasses. We stopped under Cabo Girão for photos on the way back. Bring a windbreaker, since the spray never lets up.

HSHannah S. · Denver, USAWhales up close
★★★★★Sailing yacht

Shoes off at the gangway and a glass of wine in hand, then the sail went up once we cleared the harbor. A pod of bottlenose dolphins found us rather than the other way round, and the snorkel stop at Cabo Girão topped off the afternoon.

GOGrace O. · Dublin, IrelandWhales up close
★★★★★Sailing yacht

There was no wind, so we motored out, yet the dolphins still came to the bow. Our teenagers liked the snorkel stop even more.

PVPieter V. · Antwerp, BelgiumWhales up close

Been already?

Tell the next traveler how it went

Share your morning or afternoon on the water, whether on a big catamaran or out on a RIB. We read every review before it goes up, and we publish the critical ones too.

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Sunscreen on

Book VipDolphins for your trip out

If you have one morning or afternoon in Funchal for whales and dolphins, we would spend it on VipDolphins' all-inclusive catamaran. Seventeen guests at most, a bar that is already paid for, and a swim under one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe on the way home.

You can hold a seat now, pay closer to the day and cancel for free until 24 hours before. Pack swimwear and a windbreaker.

~$88

per person · about 3 hours · from Praça do Povo

GetYourGuide Viator
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later
  • ✓ Open bar and snorkel gear included
  • ✓ No more than 17 guests

Good to know

Why whales live off Funchal, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of reading turns a blow on the horizon or a fin beside the hull into something you can follow.

Madeira is a volcanic island in the Atlantic, nearly 1,000 km (620 miles) south-west of Lisbon. The sea gets deep within a few miles of its shore, so animals that feed far down, like the sperm whale, come within easy reach of Funchal.

01Deep water a few miles out

Off many coasts you sail for hours before the water is deep enough for whales. Off Funchal the bottom falls away soon after the harbor, which is why a two-hour trip can still meet sperm whales and pilot whales. The species in detail.

02From whaling lookouts to spotters

Madeira hunted sperm whales until 1981, guided by lookouts called vigias who watched the sea from the cliffs. Today spotters on land do the same job for watchers, radioing the boats with what they see. The Whale Museum in Caniçal tells the whole story.

03Who you may meet

Short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins are around for most of the year. Atlantic spotted dolphins come mostly in the warmer months and common dolphins in the cooler ones. More than 20 species have been recorded off the island in all.

The sound most people take home is a pilot whale breathing out beside the boat, a short wet puff across a quiet sea.

04Reading the surface

A sperm whale shows a low, bushy blow angled forward, then lifts its fluke as it dives for the deep. Pilot whales travel as a tight row of black backs, and dolphins often ride the pressure wave at the bow. When each species is around.

05Keeping a respectful distance

Good operators slow down early and never chase. Blue Safari holds a WCA certificate, and Magic Dolphin switches to electric engines near the animals. Reviewers mention a local rule of two boats at a time for about 10 minutes. Stay quiet and share the rail. How the boats compare.

06Manners on board

Hold a rail when the boat turns, and keep your phone on a strap. Once you have your photo, give the front to someone else, and on Gaviao's yacht leave your shoes at the gangway. Whale watching with kids covers keeping small passengers safe.

20+Species recorded off Madeira

1981The last year of whaling here

580 mThe cliff at Cabo Girão (1,900 ft)

2–3 hA typical trip from Funchal

Want a swim on the way home? Cabo Girão from the water explains which boats stop under the cliff and what you see from there.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about whale watching in Funchal

Fourteen questions people ask before they book, answered in full.

How much does a whale watching trip from Funchal cost?

Fares on this page start at ~$39 for Magic Dolphin's eco catamaran and ~$45 for Gaviao's sailing yacht. Blue Safari costs ~$67 and Xpoint ~$67, while VipDolphins asks ~$88 with an open bar included. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which whale watching tour in Funchal is the best?

For most visitors, VipDolphins, because the group stays small and the fare covers drinks plus a swim at Cabo Girão. For the lowest price take Magic Dolphin; for more of the trip spent searching, Blue Safari.

When is the best time for whale watching in Madeira?

Boats sail all year, and dolphins are around in every month. Spring tends to bring passing baleen whales and summer Bryde's whales, while winter brings more swell and more cancellations. Month by month.

How long does a whale watching trip from Funchal take?

Blue Safari takes 2 hours and Xpoint's RIB about 2.5. The catamaran and yacht trips run about 3 hours with a swim stop included, so a longer trip does not mean longer with the whales.

Are whales guaranteed on these trips?

No. Every listing depends on wild animals, and reviews on all five boats mention days with dolphins only. Blue Safari and Xpoint claim very high sighting rates in their listings, but no one can promise a species. What lives out there.

What happens if we see no whales or dolphins?

Blue Safari gives you another ticket for free and Xpoint another trip within a year, subject to space. The other three listings make no such promise. If the weather cancels a trip, you are offered a new date or a refund. Plan B.

Can I swim with dolphins in Madeira?

Only on Xpoint, as an add-on. It costs €20, charged only if it happens, and you stay attached to the boat near common or Atlantic spotted dolphins for a minute or two. Local law allows it only when the animals behave in a certain way. The rules.

Should I choose a catamaran or a RIB?

A big catamaran is steadier and has toilets and shade. A RIB or small fast boat is quicker and sits lower on the water. The price is spray and bumps. The boats compared.

What should I bring on a whale watching trip?

A windbreaker comes first, since it gets breezy at sea even in summer. Add sunscreen and a hat. Swimwear and a towel go in the bag for any swim stop, and a dry bag helps on the RIB. The packing list.

Will I get seasick?

Possibly, as the Atlantic swell reaches Madeira's south coast. Big catamarans move least. Small fast boats and RIBs bounce, and any boat rolls once it stops near the animals, which is why VipDolphins asks people prone to seasickness not to book.

Can children come whale watching?

Yes, on most trips. VipDolphins takes children from age 3. Blue Safari needs them to be 6 and at least 130 cm tall, and two to three hours on the water suits most kids. With kids.

Do the boats have toilets and food?

Both catamarans have toilets on board. VipDolphins includes local snacks with its open bar. Gaviao serves drinks and Magic Dolphin sells them at two bars, along with snacks. Blue Safari has neither, so eat before you go.

Which trips stop at Cabo Girão?

VipDolphins and Gaviao stop below the cliff to swim and snorkel, with gear provided. Magic Dolphin stops for a swim on its 3-hour trips when the weather allows, and Xpoint pauses there for photos. Cabo Girão.

Can I cancel a whale watching trip for free?

Yes. All five can be cancelled free of charge on GetYourGuide up to 24 hours before the start, and you can reserve now and pay later. If the operator calls a trip off for weather, you are offered another date or your money back.

Read before you sail

Guides to whales and dolphins off Madeira

Ten questions people ask before booking, each with the long answer instead of the quick one.