Madeira Catamaran Tour: Dolphin and Whale Watching

Commence a soothing journey along the southern coast of Madeira aboard our cozy catamarans. This trip offers you the opportunity to observe dolphins, whales and sometimes turtles. In the summer season, if weather and sea conditions permit, you might even have the chance to take a dip in the pristine waters beneath the Cabo Girão sea cliff.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Experience a 3-hour trip by catamaran along the south coast of Madeira Island. We depart from Funchal Marina, giving a quick briefing about the trip and safety matters on board. The crew then starts their search for dolphins and whales, and any other marine wildlife, using binoculars equipped with a compass, doing their best with their experienced eyes….

What's Included
  • 3-hour dolphin and whale watching tour
  • Friendly and knowledgeable guide
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • We always recommend to bring: Sunscreen and windbreaker. For the summer months you could add a towel and bathing suit.
  • In the event you did not see any cetaceans, you will be offered the same trip again on an alternative occasion (valid for 1 year)
  • Swimming is subject to favorable weather and sea conditions
Location
Praça do Povo
Avenida Do Mar
VMT Madeira Kiosk - Funchal Marina. Check-In: 30 minutes before departure
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(590 Ratings)
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Carla_s
Feb 22, 2025
Both me and my daughter... - Both me and my daughter loved it. The staff were so helpful and friendly . We loved seeing the dolphins and also seeing madeira from the sea
Review provided by Viator
Jens
Feb 6, 2025
Great tour, great service - Nice tour and very friendly crew. Everything was easy and smooth. We did not see wildlife and got offered a second tour for free. The second time we saw Dolphins and Whales. Drinks and Cofde on board are reasonably priced. Overall a rewarding experience and excellent customer service.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caitlin
Jan 25, 2025
Dolphin sightings in Madeira - This was a really lovely experience, we saw two pods of dolphins - and if you didn't see any, you could go again for free another time. The boat was lovely with a big net seating area. Drinks and toilets on board
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Harri
Jan 9, 2025
Fin whale ! - Superb trip along the coast . We saw dolphins a group of pilot whales and a Fin whale ! Highly recommended trip! Beer on the way back !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Szg646
Dec 21, 2024
Afternoon Fun - Not much to share as you will pay what this company offer in their description. Worth the time and money. The whales are amazing up close. 👌👍
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roving47677569903
Feb 8, 2025
Be prepared for the weather - We were skeptical as we were going out in February (the coldest month in Madeira) but aside from a chill towards the end, the trip was solid. Saw some small whales, no dolphins though. For a Feb trip, bring a jacket and wear some good shoes (not sandals); it gets cold if the sun is not out. 🌥️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
723andreass
Jan 20, 2025
A beautiful experience for the whole family! - A clean, well-kept catamaran. Partly with Bimini (canopy), i.e. in rain or sun there is also sufficient protection. Unfortunately, we only saw a few small dolphins, no sign of whales. But it's not the provider's fault. We can recommend the ride without restriction! The price/performance ratio is right!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
180simonm
Jan 3, 2025
Wonderful Afternoon Trip - We reserved this trip the evening before at the marina kiosk. We explained we might not make it due to other trips we had booked. This wasn't a problem. We made it with about 30 minutes to spare!! The trip was really good. The crew were great and answered any questions asked. The catamarans are stable at sea which makes things a lot easier. The view of the sunset on the return was beautiful over the sea. Unfortunately we didn't see any whales or dolphins........ The good this about this is you can book another trip for free if there are no sightings!! This is valid a lifetime.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wikitravelpedia
Nov 14, 2024
Great afternoon on the ocean, with great views of Madeira. - Fun filled afternoon on the ocean with terrific views of Funchal and other parts of the Madeiran coastline. They said we would see dolphins, and we did, swimming right alongside the boat. Beer, wine and snacks were available on board.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Singhasam
Nov 13, 2024
Watching pilot whales - BRISK, choppy conditions could have turned our catamaran whale and dolphin watching trip with Magic Dolphin into a disaster. Instead it produced a vibrant combination of hilarious incident, swooping passage through the waves and the triumphant spotting of a pod of pilot whales towards the end of our voyage. We arrived on the quay and checked in at the ticket desk before joining scores of other people waiting to go out to sea. We didn't know it at the time but the large size of the catamaran was to play to our advantage and even then it was a wild ride on waves which started at barely a metre but got larger and larger the further we went out until we were rollercoasting down one and up the next. Boarding our catamaran was the usual scrum with eager beavers hustling for what they considered to be the best spot on board. We had the last laugh. By the time we got on board the higher deck was full and all the "best" places near the bows of the main deck were taken by daredevils keen to show they were having a good time. They had no-one to blame but themselves as we left harbour and the captain warned those on the main deck that they might want to move back a bit because conditions meant they might get wet. No-one moved and the rest of us thoroughly enjoyed what happened next. We had barely got out on to the sea proper when there was a thump and a wave came on board right through the thick of those who'd fought for a prominent position. There were shrieks of shock and a good deal of laughter as designer handbags were rescued and cool dudes tried to stay cool as the front of their sporty clothing took a drenching. They weathered that wave but another came and then another until finally the captain's message sank in and the diehards began to drift back to drier seating. By pure luck our seating on the port side seemed slightly drier and we ended up as the most advanced viewpoint although inevitably we got a few facefuls of seawater along the way. A few announcements for people feeling seasick told them not to go to the toilet which would be the worst place for them. The initial fizz and buzz of the drenchings and the swoop up and down waves died away and all focus swung on spotting the marine attractions we had come to see. An hour later and we were still waiting but towards the end a tip came in and we joined another group shadowing a pod of pilot whales. The captain followed correct modern protocol to give us our photo opportunity but not to stay too long that we made the whales uncomfortable with our presence. Full marks there. Almost before we knew it we were skimming back to Funchal at the end of a wonderful day we enjoyed for all the right reasons. Overall the catamaran had good facilities including drinks and toilets while the crew was very professional and very knowledgeable about marine life Top marks for the Magic Dolphin....and watch out you don't get soaked too!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
March 2025
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