There are a few things you must know about picking the best whale watching tours in Madeira: how to pick an ethical tour, when to go, and, finally, which company to book with.
Before I visited Madeira for the first time, I’d never seen a dolphin in the wild, let alone whales. Going dolphin and whale watching in Madeira was one of my top priorities.
Dolphin and whale watching tours depart every day from Funchal Marina, at 9 am and 2.30 pm, offering chances to spot species like pilot whales, sperm whales and bottlenose dolphins.
In this post, I’ll talk about how to pick the best whale watching tours in Madeira, as well as the best time to go, how to pick an ethical tour, and alternatives to whale watching in Funchal.
I have also summarised absolutely everything you need to know in my simple, straightforward guide to whale watching in Madeira.
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How to Pick The Best Whale Watching Tours in Madeira
1. Which location is best for your Madeira whale watching tour?
Dolphin and whale watching tours in Madeira mainly depart from Funchal. However, there are also tours from Machico (east coast) and Calheta (southwest coast).
The best place to go whale watching is Funchal. It has the most tour operators and a sophisticated marina.
The marina is located just below the old town, placing it within walking distance of most of the city’s hotels. If you’re staying in Lido or Canico, it’s a short bus ride away.
Funchal Marina – you can book in person, but tours often sell out, so I recommend booking online first.
However, if you are staying on the southwest coast (Paul do Mar, Calheta or Ponta do Pargo), the best place for whale watching in Madeira is Calheta. The family-run Lobosonda whale watching tour from Calheta is extremely popular.
Similarly, if you’re based on the east coast (in Machico, Porto da Cruz or Santana) it also makes more sense to take a whale-watching tour from Machico.
Tours from Machico also have the added bonus of seeing the island’s famous São Lourenço peninsula up close.
2. What time should you take a whale watching tour in Madeira?
Most of the best whale watching tours in Madeira have two daily departures: 9am and 2.30pm.
The 9am morning tours are the best time to go whale watching in Madeira. Dolphins and whales are usually easier to spot in the morning, because they chase their prey (small fish and squid) to the surface of the ocean.
My morning tour in Madeira
Morning tours usually experience calmer seas, and that means you’re less likely to get motion sick. Because the sun is still low in the sky, there’s less light reflecting on the surface of the ocean, which is great for photography and spotting fins.
This doesn’t mean that you should completely rule out the 2.30 pm afternoon tours, though. The angle of the sun from 3pm to 5pm can produce dramatic photos: stronger shadows and vibrant colours.
Dolphins often get more social in the afternoon, and large whales like sperm whales can sometimes be spotted resting (logging) at the surface on calm afternoons.
Most people book a morning tour, so the afternoon tours are usually less crowded.
3. ‘Sightings guarantee’ for Madeira whale and dolphin tours
The best whale watching tours in Madeira include a sightings guarantee.
Dolphins and whales are wild animals, so their behaviours are never 100% predictable. If you don’t get any sightings on your first tour, you can book a second tour for free or at a reduced price.
Some tours don’t offer a sightings guarantee, arguing that it adds pressure to the wildlife and doesn’t support marine conservation.
How to Pick an Ethical Whale Watching Tour in Madeira
Picking an ethical whale watching tour is key to protecting the animals in Madeira’s waters.
You should always pick a licensed tour that is certified by the Madeira Nature Tourism Board or the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN). Licensed tours must follow regulations on speed, the distance from animals and time spent around whales and dolphins.
Do not book a tour that advertises swimming with, feeding or touching dolphins or whales. These activities, while exciting at first glance, disrupt the dolphins’ natural behaviour patterns and have long-term consequences.
Here are some green flags to look out for:
- The boat doesn’t chase or circle animals.
- The boat does not revisit the same pod. This counts as chasing the animals.
- The boat stays 100 metres away from whales and 50 metres from dolphins that approach of their own accord.
- The tour doesn’t advertise swimming with dolphins.
- The tour highlights eco features, such as quiet engines, waste-free policies and hybrid or electric boats.
- The tour is led by a marine biologist who knows about whale and dolphin behaviour.
- Your tour lead asks you to avoid flash photography and using plastic bottles.
- The boat works with land-based spotters who use binoculars (not sonar) to locate whales.
The 6 Best Whale Watching Tours in Madeira
1. Magic Dolphin (Funchal)
Best for: An affordable and ethical whale watching tour
Cost: €35
Reviews: 4.5/5
I took the Magic Dolphin catamaran tour from Funchal after scouring the internet for the best whale watching tours in Madeira.
So, why did I pick it? Firstly, at €35 per person, it’s one of the most affordable tours out there.
It also has a 4.5/5 rating from over 7,000 reviews on Get Your Guide, which is a sign that most people loved their experience.
However, the two most important aspects for me is that it’s also ethical and includes a sighting guarantee. If you don’t have any sightings on a group tour, you can book another tour for a reduced price of €10 per person.
The tour takes place on a purpose-built eco catamaran. When sea life is present, they turn on the electric engines, which are silent and emission-free.
My guide was full of information on all the different whale species and their seasonal and daily activities.
In total, we spotted several pods of sperm whales and a pod of bottlenose dolphins.
The only downside was that the catamaran was pretty busy – there were perhaps around 30 people in total – which made it difficult to get a good view at times.
2. Ventura Speedboat Tour (Funchal)
Best for: Reduced motion sickness
Cost: €48
Reviews: 4.6/5
Having experienced motion sickness several times on boat tours around the world, I know first-hand how much it can away from the overall experience.
If you’re prone to motion sickness, travelling by speedboat can help you because they don’t have the rocking motion that catamarans or sailboats do.
The Ventura speedboat tour is the highest-rated speedboat tour in Madeira. It’s also ethical, with Ventura’s main mission being to organise responsible and sustainable activities around Madeira island.
Led by a marine biologist, the speedboat tours have strict rules on how long they spend with animals and the distance between the boat and whales.
The speedboat only fits 18 people, with each person allocated their own individual seat, so you don’t need to worry about navigating the crowds on a busier catamaran.
📅 Check availability for the Ventura speedboat tour.
3. Blue Safari
Best for: Small group whale watching tours
Cost: €60
Reviews: 4.9/5
If jostling for a good view is your worst nightmare, but you don’t fancy the sea spray you get on a speedboat, you may want to consider taking the Blue Safari tour from Funchal.
As well as keeping tour numbers limited, Blue Safari collaborates with marine biologists and researchers to monitor the cetaceans’ behaviour, health and migration. Your money is going to good places, that’s for sure.
Blue Safari also has a sighting guarantee, where you get a free second tour if there are no dolphin or whale sightings on your trip.
📅 Check availability for the Blue Safari tour.
4. Gavião Sailing Tour
Best for: The best sailing tour
Cost: €45
Reviews: 4.6/5
If you love sailing or fancy a slow-paced day at sea, the Gavião Sailing Tour, is a good choice.
Sailing is a slow-paced and relaxing way to watch for wildlife. Although you’ll be slower getting at racing to confirmed sightings, the trade-off is being able to fully soak in the views and watch the sails blow in the wind.
Sailing is not the best pick for people who are prone to motion sickness because the rocking motion is more pronounced. However, on this trip, you also get the chance to snorkel at Cabo Girão, where turtles are often spotted.
A complimentary drink is also included.
📅 Check availability for the Gavião sailing tour.
5. VipDolphins
Best for: A luxury tour with an open bar
Cost: €79
Reviews: 4.9/5
The VipDolphins luxury tour may be over double the price of the Magic Dolphin catamaran tour (my top-rated tour), but it includes an open bar, local snacks and three hours on a luxury catamaran.
It’s also a good choice if you really want to see Cabo Girão, the highest cape in Europe. The tour makes a 30-minute swimming stop next to the 586-metre-high cape.
This may seem like a waste of time if your main goal is to spot whales and dolphins, but most of the whale tours in Madeira last 2.5 hours, so in reality, it just adds on an extra experience.
The company is certified by the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation for the Observation of Cetaceans and features a marine biologist guide.
📅 Check availability for the VipDolphins luxury tour.
6. Lobosonda Stenella (Calheta)
Duration: 2 hours
Price: €57
Reviews: 4.8/5
If you’re staying on the southwest coast of Madeira, Lobosonda is a company you should know about.
Established by a family in the early 2000s, the company runs two types of tours: the Lobosonda Stenella speedboat and the Lobosonda Ribeira Brava traditional boat.
The Stenella speedboat tours are the most efficient for whale and dolphin watching in Madeira because they are quicker than the traditional boat.
The speedboat is also equipped with silent engines and led by marine biologists.
Lobosonda doesn’t offer a sighting guarantee, but their reasoning is that they don’t want to add extra pressure to the wildlife, which goes against their commitment to marine conservation.
📅 Check availability for the Lobosonda Stenella tour.
7. Lobosonda Traditional Madeiran Vessel (Calheta)
Best for: A traditional Madeiran adventure
Cost: €45
Reviews: 4.7/5
Also run by the reputable family-run Lobosonda company, the Lobosonda traditional vessel tour gives you the chance to spot dolphins and whales from a traditional Madeiran boat.
Named the ‘Ribeira Brava’, the traditional wooden fishing vessel was purchased in 2000 and carefully restored over three years.
The downside is that it’s slower than the more modern catamarans, so you may miss out on whale-watching opportunities if a pod quickly moves on from an area.
📅 Check availability for the Lobosonda traditional vessel tour.
I hope you found my guide to the best whale watching tours in Madeira useful! Feel free to continue the conversation in the comment section below, whether it’s to share your experience on one of the above tours or to discuss your Madeira plans.