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Eco-Friendly Catamaran Dolphin and Whale Watching: Green Marine Adventure on Madeira Island
4.6
234 Ratings
Funchal
Experience the premier dolphin and whale watching adventure on Madeira Island with Magic Dolphin Eco. Go green with our eco-friendly catamaran and hybrid-electric engines!
Experience the premier dolphin and whale watching adventure on Madeira Island with Magic Dolphin Eco. Go green with our eco-friendly catamaran and hybrid-electric engines!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Magic Dolphin - We depart from the marina in Funchal and head offshore to encounter whales, dolphins, sea turtles and oceanic birds.
Our spotters on land use powerful binoculars to find the animals and send the boat directly to them!
Once we have explored offshore we typically cruise by Cabo Girão, the 2nd tallest sea cliff in the world. We then…
-
Magic Dolphin - We depart from the marina in Funchal and head offshore to encounter whales, dolphins, sea turtles and oceanic birds.
Our spotters on land use powerful binoculars to find the animals and send the boat directly to them!
Once we have explored offshore we typically cruise by Cabo Girão, the 2nd tallest sea cliff in the world. We then motor along the coast while the staff explain different points of interest like; Camara de Lobos Bay – a traditional fishing village; the world famous Reid’s Hotel where Winston Churchill used to stay during his visits to Madeira Island and much more!
You will be able to relax comfortably enjoy the beautiful views of the south coast of Madeira Island from our flagship vessel.
What's Included
- Professional, local guide
- Live onboard commentary
- Local taxes included
- Professional, local guide
- Live onboard commentary
- Local taxes included
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic drinks.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Alcoholic drinks.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information
Experience eco-friendly dolphin and whale watching at its finest on Madeira Island with Magic Dolphin Eco! This one-of-a-kind, purpose-built catamaran comes fully equipped with hybrid-electric engines - the only one of its kind in Madeira Island. It was intricately designed to guarantee passengers an unforgettable, safe and comfortable journey. The…
Experience eco-friendly dolphin and whale watching at its finest on Madeira Island with Magic Dolphin Eco! This one-of-a-kind, purpose-built catamaran comes fully equipped with hybrid-electric engines - the only one of its kind in Madeira Island. It was intricately designed to guarantee passengers an unforgettable, safe and comfortable journey. The hybrid-electric engines help reduce noise and emissions, making it a fantastic experience for our guests and our cherished sea mammals!
The boat includes double decker viewing areas, four trampoline nets at the front, two restrooms and two bars where beverages and snacks can be purchased.
Our certified crew is ready to provide everyone with an unparalleled experience. They are eager to share their expertise about the wildlife we’ll encounter, Madeira’s history and popular local spots.
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to late or non-arrival of cruise ship
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Location
Magic Dolphin
Avenida Do Mar
Please arrive at the Funchal marina 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time. All guests must check in with our friendly staff at our kiosk for a boarding pass. In respect to all of our guests the boat leaves on time. If you miss the boat, you will be not be issued a refund.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(234 Ratings)
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Faraway64953606557
Apr 2, 2026
Amazing - Great crew, great service
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John
Mar 8, 2026
Great tour - Fantastic tour. Excellent spotters and commentary . A must in Madeira
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J7092hkandyl
Feb 23, 2026
A fantastic experience - up close with some of the world's giants - An amazing trip. We found a school of approximately 7/8 Pilot Whales and the electric motor allowed us to get really close, without disturbing them. They swam slowly along for our 10 minute visit to their kingdom, before we left them in peace ( this is a rule of the area, that only 2 boats can approach at a time and must move on after 10 minutes).
Amazingly, we then came across 6 Sperm Whales and again we were able to approach in near silence and enjoy the privilege of being tolerated by them.
The crew were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and seemed committed to the well being of the whales.
A great experience!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Goplaces03632413423
Feb 18, 2026
Best experience we ever had. - An absolutely amazing experience. The staff was very friendly and incredibly knowledgeable when it came to the different dolphins/whales we've seen. It felt they were very respectful to the animals as well, from spotting the pods to approaching them with the catamaran without shying them away. We went in February and you definitely need a jumper and ideally another layer even when the sun is out (it was 18 degrees that day) as it's quite breezy when you're sat aboard a cruising vessel for 3 hours. There were some families with kids at the front of the bottom deck who got splashed early on and it looked they didn't have any dry clothes with them, i felt a bit sorry for them.
Price is absolutely worth it hands down. We saw some resting whales and 3 types of dolphin species. At one point we raced a pod of 30-40 dolphins into the setting sun, they were jumping and racing right next to our ship. The whole family had tears in their eyes, it felt so special.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quietlyconfidentme
Feb 10, 2026
Awesome trip - Wonderful three hour trip to view dolphins and whales. We had no expectations of actually finding these animals but were amazed to see bottle nosed dolphins and also pilot whales! The crew were courteous and informative and the catamaran was spacious and clean. We loved this trip and would recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juppi4431
Jan 27, 2026
Nice trip - Nice trip,we have seen pilot whales and dolphins
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_o
Apr 3, 2026
Great size boat with a... - Great size boat with a friendly crew.
We saw a large pod of common dolphins and stayed the allowed 10 minutes and then ventured west and was shown some beautiful views on the coast on the way back to Funchal. Having been on whale watching trip in differnt parts of the world, this felt more like a sightseeing cruise than a dolphin and whale watching trip. Nice all the same.
Review provided by Viator
Angelwings444
Mar 30, 2026
Fun afternoon at sea - Great afternoon out at sea. The boat was great, lots of room for everyone. It took about 2.5 hrs. The crew were excellent. There was 2 bathrooms and a small bar for refreshments. Would recommend to bring a jacket and snacks. We got to see Dolphins which was fabulous but no whales. Probably too early in the season. Beautifil views of tge coastline on the way back to the harbour. Would recommend and would certainly do it again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R1044ehjonathanp
Apr 8, 2026
Misleading Dolphin & Whale Watching Trip - Boarding was difficult as it is a big step down to tve boat, despite crew helping, not ideal for small children or people with mobility issues.
The boat is open to the wind and despite being a sunny day, the wind howls through, making it very cold.
There are only 2 toilets and with one passenger being so sick they locked themselves in the toilet for the whole trip, ended up with queues for the remaining toilet.
I felt there was no effort to locate the dolphins, just sailing around hoping to see dolphins, which we did twice.
The last hour was spent sailing along the shoreline, in an effort to use up the time, pointing out various landmarks and hotels.
Having done several of these trips in various countries, this was easily the worst. Cold, no effort to find where dolphins are and the last hour as I mention felt like wasting time until time to moor the boat.
The crew were friendly, but the trip simply wasn't worth the money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Djpitt1968
Apr 7, 2026
Didnt tick my box - Sorry, but i was really disapointed with this trip.
Spent 3hrs on the trip with 15mins dolphin spotting.
If you easily sea sick then avoid.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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