Seventeen guests or a hundred on Funchal whale boats
Four of the five trips on this site take 20 people or fewer, and the fifth takes up to 100. Fewer guests means more room at the rail and more time with the guide when a pod surfaces. It also means a higher fare and more motion, plus some age limits set out below.
Why the number on board matters
When pilot whales surface beside a boat, everyone moves to the same side at once. With 17 people on board you step up to the rail, while on a boat with 100 you may spend part of the sighting looking past shoulders.
Reviewers mention a local rule of two boats with a group of animals at a time, for about 10 minutes each. That short window is why space at the rail matters more on a whale trip than on an ordinary harbor cruise.
Group size also decides how much of the guide you get. On a small boat you can ask what you just saw and hear the answer without a loudspeaker, and there is time for help with a camera.
Photos come out better with fewer people too. On a small deck you can move to the side where the animals are without asking anyone to shift, and the skipper can turn the boat so the whole group gets the light behind them.
Group sizes at a glance
| Tour | From | Max group | Length | Boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VipDolphins (our pick) | ~$88 | 17 | 3 h | Luxury catamaran |
| Blue Safari Madeira | ~$67 | 18 | 2 h | Fast custom boat |
| Xpoint Madeira | ~$67 | 18, or a private boat | 2.5 h | RIB |
| Gaviao Madeira | ~$45 | 20 | 3 h | Sailing yacht |
| Magic Dolphin | ~$39 | 100 | 2.5–3 h | Hybrid-electric catamaran |
The four small boats sit within a few seats of each other, so the real choice among them is the kind of trip. The big catamaran is in the table for comparison, and it has more going for it than the number suggests.
Blue Safari, a small boat with a science bent
Blue Safari's 2-hour trip from ~$67 takes 18 people at most on a custom high-speed boat. Its guides are naturalists or marine biologists, and land-based spotters steer the skipper toward the animals.
According to its listing it was Funchal's first WCA-certified operator, and the company works with researchers. It scores 4.9 from 2,000+ reviews on GetYourGuide, and a blank trip earns you a free second ticket.
The catch is how lean the trip is. Two hours with no swim stop and no food or drinks make it the barest of the five. Children under 6 or under 130 cm cannot come.
Eighteen seats and a biologist on board
Blue Safari keeps its group small and its guides expert, with a second ticket free if the sea stays empty.
VipDolphins has the smallest group
VipDolphins from ~$88 caps its luxury catamaran at 17, the lowest limit on this site. Guides work in English and Portuguese, and in Spanish as well.
A small group with an open bar and a 30-minute swim at Cabo Girão is why it is our pick. The weak point is only about 30 minutes of watching on a 3-hour trip, which our price guide weighs against the fare.
Xpoint and its private boat
Xpoint's RIB from ~$67 also holds 18, and it is the only trip here with a private boat option for up to 18. A family or a group of friends can take the whole boat, which settles the crowding question for good.
The guides cover English and Portuguese as well as German. The ride is open and wet, and one reviewer found parking near the marina limited, so leave time to get there.
Gaviao's yacht for 20
Gaviao's sailing trip from ~$45 caps at 20, and one reviewer had only six people on board. That depends on the day, so book expecting the full number.
It is the cheapest of the small-group trips and still includes drinks and snorkel gear. Shoes come off on deck, and the yacht does not suit anyone with limited mobility.
A sailing boat is also quiet when the engine is off, which suits a small group well. The trade is speed, since the yacht covers less sea than the motorboats and goes up to 3 miles offshore at most.
Does the big catamaran feel crowded?
Magic Dolphin can carry up to 100 people, five times the others. Even so, reviews of the trip seldom complain about crowding, and everyone gets a seat.
Two decks, a 360° upper deck and nets at the bow spread people out, so the crowd thins once the boat is moving. Expect to share the best side when animals appear, though.
One reviewer wished the boat had spent more time searching after the first sighting. That is a point about pacing rather than numbers, and it matters if you want a slow, patient trip.
What you give up on a small boat
The first thing is money. Except for Gaviao, the small-group trips cost noticeably more than Magic Dolphin's ~$39, and the gap pays for space rather than for any better chance of a sighting.
Smaller boats also move more in the swell, and VipDolphins' listing says its trip is not suitable for people prone to seasickness. Our seasickness guide and our boat comparison show which hulls ride most gently.
Age limits apply on some boats too. VipDolphins takes no one under 3, and Blue Safari no one under 6, so our guide for families is the place to check before booking with children.