Whale & Dolphin Watching in Madeira: Observe Cetaceans in the Madeira Archipelago

Embark on a thrilling sea tour in Madeira to observe the diverse range of cetaceans that inhabit the archipelago’s waters. Get up close to dolphins, whales, and even turtles for an unforgettable experience!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • P7RQ+JX - Come and explore the stunning Blue World, you can see some of the 28 species of Whales and Dolphins that frequent the seas of Madeira.
    On the way back, you can observe the volcanic beauty of the Ponta de São Lourenço Nature Reserve and dive into the crystal clear waters of Cais do Sardinha.
What's Included
  • All fees and taxes included
  • Life jacket provided
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Snacks
  • Pick up (10 € per person)
Additional Information

A trip to Madeira isn’t complete without a marine tour to spot marine mammals. Its prime location allows sightings of these creatures year round.
Experience the diverse marine life with 28 species of cetaceans that reside or frequent the waters around the Madeira Islands. Our sea voyages often include sightings of:

  • The Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
  • The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis)
  • The Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
  • The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
  • The Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)
  • Bryde’s Whale (Balaenoptera edeni)

Among the turtles, the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) is most frequently seen.

Join us to witness these amiable marine mammals and make your journey truly memorable!

Location
Madeira Sea Emotions | Whale & Dolphin Watching and Boat Tours
- Private car, must be parked in the covered car park inside the Hotel - Public bus, take the SAM bus 113 towards Ponta de São Lourenço and stay at the main entrance of Hotel Quinta do Lorde. The boats leave, at Marina's pontoon D or E
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(137 Ratings)
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Karinealsacevoyages
Jul 19, 2024
Enjoyable boat trip ! - We had a great time with Maria as guide. We did see dolphins and pilot whales (they look quite similar to dolphins) swimming together with babies. It was a very respectful boat trip (about 20 people on the boat) and we were the only one boat for a long time, then another boat (about same size) came and we left. We unfortunately did not see big whales but that’s how it is as the ocean is big …
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kippiejeroen
Jun 29, 2024
Super experience - Very enthusiastic host! Lots of dolphins spotted, even white ones! The host didn't know what she saw! Delicious!! I say do when you're in Madeira!
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Steb169
Jun 25, 2024
a great trip to the sea! - fantastic trip - we have seen a group of Pilot whales, including a new born baby. The skipper was extremly careful with the vessel, the Pilot whales were (and stayed) quite near. Also the trip provided an excellent view on the landscape of Madeira plus lots of explanation about these fantastic creatures!
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Claudiasousa202
Jun 15, 2024
Whale watching - First of all, it's really amazing to have a team that seem as excited as we are to see these animals. In what it looked to us as a bad day, because we hadn't see any species, Maria was really nice and tried to give us good vibes. In our way back to the island, César was the best driver we could have had, because he made us forget about the fact that we hadn't see any animals, due to his driving skills. We were having a really fun trip on our way back when, finally, our luck arrived! We were able to see the amazing pilot-whales. Maria is an animals' lover and it was really nice to see her dedication in taughting us the importance of respecting the animals and to be patient with them! That was really important to us. Thank you Maria and César. Thank you to the Sérgio (i really hope i'm not forgetting his name) who found the pilot-whales at the last minute!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quest302744
May 12, 2024
Sea Emotions tour highly recommended. - We made a nice trip looking for dolphins and whales. Unfortunately we didn't see anything the last time, but we did see more dolphins. It was well organized, clear explanations and just nice to see Madeira from the water. Tip, take a poncho or raincoat with you 😆
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146nastjan
May 7, 2024
Dolphins seen - It is clear that it is always a matter of luck whether you see the animals. The team was professional and did everything to ensure that the guests had a great experience.
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Gracam822
Apr 29, 2024
Whales and dolphins - We saw a large group of whales and many dolphins on the way back. It was a fantastic experience. Carolina and Filipe are great professionals! Thank you very much!
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Andreig632
Apr 18, 2024
Thank you, Fernanda! - We saw the beautiful creatures, it was hot, so have sunscreen and kinda chilly when you got back. Fernanda was awesome, told us a lot of things and she was very kind. PS some people got sea sick eventho they thought they won't. So you might wanna take a pill before. 10/10
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559meghanan
Apr 17, 2024
Beautiful and great experience - would recommend! - Fantastic experience! We took the tour from Canical rather than Funchal as we were told the chances of seeing whales or dolphins was higher. We had a lovely marine biologist who took us through what to expect on the boat and from the experience, explaining the different species of whales / dolphins we could expect to see. The tour in itself was great as we went quite far into the water to increase our chances to see an animal and we were thrilled and lucky to see many sperm whales. Would definitely recommend as it is a great and very personal experience as only 12-14 people are allowed on that one boat. You have to get lucky with such experiences, but it is worth the risk seeing these magnificent animals in their habitats, unbothered!
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Palina
Jul 7, 2024
A unique experience! - The tour was so beautiful. We saw the native dolphins, a larger group, and a few pilot whales. The marine biologist who accompanied us was very friendly, open, told nice facts about the animals and was absorbed in her work. Had we not seen any animals, we were promised that we could repeat the tour for free. It was a great experience. The speedboat ride was very pleasant and it is also well taken care of. It was just stupid that we had to wait about 45 minutes for one last passenger. That could have been sorted out in some other way, that was too long.
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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