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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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Amanda_b
Jan 18, 2026
Afternoon out while cruising - We had a great time the staff were brilliant the cattermaran was clean and well looked after. We would do this again.
Review provided by Viator
Caroline_i
Dec 20, 2025
Crew Great, lovely trip,... - Crew Great, lovely trip,
saw whales and dolphins,
very informative.
8 year old grandchild loved the morning trip.
We all really enjoyed!
Review provided by Viator
364sonjac
Dec 10, 2025
Very nice experience - Really unbelievably beautiful, the crew makes an effort to offer people something and manages to do it, but also remains respectful of the animals.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jademarie15
Nov 20, 2025
Best experience ever. You must do this. - INCREDIBLE INCREDIBLE INCREDIBLE. What an experience! One of the best of my life. We were ao extremely lucky to see 4 species of dolphins/ whales. Such a buzz from the tour. 3 hours flew by. Feel very fortunate to have done this activity. First time doing anything like this and want to do it again already. Staff were just amazing, so knowledgeable and friendly. I could not fault it. Don't hesitate to book this excursion. Jade and Rob, UK.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jose_m
Nov 17, 2025
Fabulous experience - An excellent day for everyone who took part in the trip in this super catamaran. An excellent sunny day and in prima we can observe cachalots whales and dolphins for me was an immense pleasure, the whole team was of a great professionalism and with a lot of patience but in the end all were rewarded. If you like good feelings is to express good luck to the whole team José Machado
Review provided by Viator
Carolw977
Nov 11, 2025
Great boat trip - Lovely boat & friendly crew. Saw 2 pods of whales & dolphins. Opportunity to swim in lovely bay. Definitely go again Would highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolearob
Oct 31, 2025
Solo adventurer! - This tour was amazing! After a short while heading out to sea a large pod of Pilot Whales were spotted. Then soon after another pod... just being able to observe these whales doing their thing was indeed magical... while they have no clue that their presence is so calming :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helensheffield66
Oct 23, 2025
Don’t hesitate - Amazing trip. Whales galore ! Great staff. Don’t miss it. Timing was perfect, found loads of sperm whales and pilot whales. Would recommend but I think we were lucky !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jacqui203
Oct 12, 2025
Great trip for viewing dolphins and whales - Superb trip; we saw 2 different species of dolphin and some sperm whales, one a baby.
The boat was comfortable and clean; nicest toilets I’ve ever experienced on a boat!
The trip was full, but there were enough seats for everyone to sit down. The swim stop was only 10 minutes, probably because we had quite a long time watching the 3 different groups of animals, which was the main point of the trip.
Would recommend for everyone, including families with small children for whom life jackets were provided.
The crew were very helpful and knowledgeable and all spoke English.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Matt_brimble
Nov 4, 2025
Disappointing - My partner and I booked onto the Eco-Friendly Dolphin and Whale Watching tour with Magic Dolphin. We did see whales. Which was awesome.
But overall, the excursion was a disappointment.
The boat was very busy with people cramped into seating areas that did not feel like they had sufficient space for the volume of people in them.
We saw the whales early, thanks to arriving at a spot where other boats were already experiencing a sighting.
After approximately 45mins, we had had two sightings and we left to go East. There were no tannoy announcements as to what we were doing, and we never got one subsequently. There were some assumptions that we may have been looking for dolphin, no such announcement was made, and none were seen. Then we thought maybe we were going to a swimming spot (it was a sunny day), but we never stopped to swim, nor were offered the opportunity.
It felt very much just like we were being 'held at sea' until we reached the required time advertised for the trip. We didn't explore the coastline, we just went straight out from the marina, saw the whales, then took a slow loop back home (that made up 75% of the trip).
There was no atmosphere on the boat and once the whales had been seen the staff disappeared (they may have been tending to the multiple people vomiting, but as we weren't one of them, I could not comment).
We were excited for this trip, and we were grateful to see whales (through a crowd of shoulders on a packed boat), but I don't think it was value for money, particularly 'eco-friendly' and did not match the expectations or description of what I thought we would experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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