Whale watching in Madeira from Funchal

Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this works

Visitors planning a boat trip from Funchal usually want to know two things: will we see anything, and which boat. For whale watching in Madeira, the trips leave from Funchal marina all year, and the island's waters have a long list of visitors: by 2013, 28 of the world's 78 known cetacean species had been identified around the archipelago, from several dolphins to the blue whale.

Twenty-three whale and dolphin trips leave from Funchal. Most last 2 to 3 hours; a few are long days out. Boats range from large catamarans to small fast boats and a sailing trip, 6 offer a small-group option, and every one can be cancelled free of charge.

Dolphins are the likeliest sighting, since some are present all year; the whales vary with the season.

Choosing a trip for a family

The common mistake with children is to book the longest trip. Two hours at sea is a long time for a small child.

For a Madeira whale watching family trip, the length matters as much as the boat. Of the 23 trips from Funchal, six last 2 hours and five 2 hours 30 minutes; nine last 3 hours, among them the large catamarans. A shorter trip suits small children; a catamaran gives more room on a longer outing.

A Madeira dolphin watching family morning also depends on the sea. Book a day with a calm forecast, and remember that every trip can be cancelled free of charge within its window if the weather turns.

Bring a hat, a light jacket for the wind at sea, sun cream and water, and keep binoculars for the older children.

What you might see, and when

Visitors often expect a whale on every trip. Dolphins are the regulars; whales come and go.

Some cetaceans are present around Madeira all year, others only in certain seasons. The bottlenose dolphin is seen year-round, and photo-identification studies point to a resident group in the archipelago's waters; the common dolphin, by contrast, is seasonal. That makes dolphin watching Madeira's surest sighting, in any month.

The whales are more varied: the island's waters are visited by around a third of the world's species, and the studies of the Museu da Baleia have followed pilot whales, sperm whales, Bryde's whales and beaked whales. Pilot whales and sea turtles are among the sightings reported from the trips.

So Madeira whale and dolphin watching year round is real for the dolphins; for a particular whale, ask the operator what has been seen that week before you book.

The boats

People often choose by the photograph of the boat. The kind of boat changes the trip.

A Madeira whale watching boat from Funchal is one of three kinds. The large catamarans carry the most-reviewed trips, of about 3 hours. Smaller boats run trips of about 2 hours, and six trips offer a small-group option. And one trip goes out under sail.

The reviews help to choose. The most-reviewed trip, the ecological catamaran, has 10,022 reviews at 4.55. The all-inclusive luxury trip of Oceano Pioneiro scores 4.92 from 2,885, and the responsible watching tour, which offers a small group, 4.92 from 1,851. Together the 23 trips have more than 36,000 reviews.

The operators based at Funchal marina include Rota dos Cetáceos, OceanSee, Magic Dolphin, VMT Madeira, RECMAD and Bonita da Madeira. Across the 23 trips, 16 operators take part, and the guides speak English on 22 of them and Portuguese on 18.

Ask before you book whether a biologist or guide is on board to explain what you see.

The rules at sea

The mistake is to judge a trip by how close it gets. The best operators keep their distance.

Boats watching cetaceans in Madeira work under licences and rules, and a boat may not follow the animals closely for more than 15 minutes at a time. The recommended conduct is to keep at least 100 m from the animals, never to pass through the middle of a group of whales or dolphins, and to keep noise and sudden changes of speed or direction to a minimum.

A good Madeira dolphin watching boat follows those rules, and a trip that does is the one to choose. Madeira whale watching year round depends on the animals being left undisturbed.

The Museu da Baleia itself, in Caniçal, tells the history of whaling on the island and the study of its cetaceans, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.

The Museu da Baleia in Caniçal details the history of whaling and cetacean study on the island.

Longer trips and other waters

People often stop at one trip. The sea around Funchal has more to offer.

The Desertas Islands, a nature reserve south-east of Madeira managed by the IFCN, are a refuge of the Mediterranean monk seal, the lobo-marinho, and full-day boat trips go there from Funchal. The reserve covers 12,586 ha, and Deserta Grande, the largest island, is 11.7 km long.

Whale and dolphin trips also leave from Machico, daily and all year, and from Calheta, and dolphins, whales, turtles and sea birds are seen all year round in the waters of Porto Santo.

Closer in, the Garajau marine reserve east of Funchal, 376 ha, has water clear enough to see life at more than 20 m; the snorkelling and diving trips go there.

For the rules on the trails and the sea, the IFCN's notices are the reference, and Visit Madeira lists the whale-watching operators. The boat tours guide covers sunset and pirate-ship trips.

Common questions

When is the best time for whale watching in Madeira?

Trips run all year from Funchal. Bottlenose dolphins are seen year-round, while the common dolphin and many whales are seasonal.

How long is a whale-watching trip from Funchal?

Most last 2 to 3 hours: six trips last 2 hours, five 2 hours 30 minutes and nine 3 hours.

Is whale watching in Madeira good for children?

Yes, on a calm day; a 2-hour trip suits younger children, and the catamarans give more room.

How close do the boats get?

Boats may not follow the animals closely for more than 15 minutes at a time, and the recommended distance is at least 100 m.