A Must See! - Definitely a worthy trip to see the wonders of the coasts of Madeira. We saw lots of pilot dolphins and a sperm whale, we got close enough to take great photos with no rush to move on. All in all an amazing trip!

Brilliant - We’ll organised and Carolina our marine biologist was hugely informative. Came across after about 40 minutes a pod of pilot whales, with some bottlenose dolphins. Then a bit further on we came across a pod of spotted dolphins and those that paid to swim by the side of the rib boat were able to do so. I recommend Rota as your go to for this type of experience in Funchal

Excellent trip from a well organised company - Had the dolphin and whale watching this morning, the staff were lovely, good sense of humour and knowledgeable. Unfortunately we couldn’t get to swim with the dolphins but as they explained beforehand if the conditions weren’t right then it wouldn’t be possible and we were explained, without prompting, that the refund would come automatically. The trip was successful with regard to watching though. Really liked the fact they didn’t get too close making sure the animals were comfortable over the human demands. Would definitely recommend to anybody wishing to get a well organised and professional trip.

Great experience - Our second trip with this team. First time last year we booked through our tour operator, this time we booked directly with them four weeks before we arrived. You can pick your choice time to go out, morning, lunch time or late afternoon. We chose the late afternoon tour and remembered to apply lots of sun cream this time after getting burnt last year. There were two ribs that went out this time with a very friendly and knowledgeable crew, we saw dolphins and pilot whales but the offer of a swim with the dolphins was not allowed due to them having young one in the pod. We even saw flying fish on the return journey. Well worth the money for this remarkable experience.

Great dolphin and whale watching experience - This boat tour company operates out of a mall located near the marina. It was a bit challenging to locate the storefront which is where the orientation was given on safety and what to expect during our cruise. We really liked the boat used for the cruise since we had chairs with backs and rails to hang onto. They even had sheltered areas on the boat to store any bags that you brought along. We cruised out quite some way from the coast before we came across Spotted dolphins. There were quite a number of them, and we lingered around them for about 30 minutes so that everyone got lots of photos. There were times when we traveled full speed and the dolphins would swim alongside us. Other times we would slow down and the dolphins would swim from one side of the boat to the other. Finally, we had to say goodbye to them and head back to port. We were very lucky on the way back to come across some pilot whales. We followed them for a few minutes before going back. Out boat had a captain and a guide who spoke excellent English.

Whale watching - We saw two sets of pilot whales - was lovely - other boats were closer which was sad - also got impression there was no chance of swimming with dolphins even if we saw them as likely young ones in pod

***CAUTION*** Only Suitable in Calm Seas & Sunny Weather - We had booked the trip 1 week earlier and unfortunately on 12th March there was light rain, low grey clouds and grey and choppy sea. As we left the port, it was clear in the poor weather conditions we were not going to see any whales, dolphins, turtles, etc and Rota probably knew that BUT did not cancel and reschedule the trip - and that is not acceptable. We spent over 2 hours there and back, riding a bucking bronco, rollercoaster getting soaked and the extent of their search was simply to motor to the fish farm and then motor back to port. Other reviews at different times of the year when the weather has been good, indicate this has been a great experience; so our advice is CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST & BOOK CAREFULLY… otherwise this is a ‘rip-off’ and you are quite literally just taken for a ride!

Be very careful before booking this trip. - Very disappointing. I would give no stars if possible. This was a very unpleasant experience the driver's speed causing the rib to repeatedly rise out of the waves and smack back down to the water, it was a cross between a rollercoaster and a bucking bronco. Other passengers were screaming every time the boat hit the water. This is not relaxing. Do NOT go on the trip if you have any back, neck, head or retinal issues. You sit straddling the chair holding a metal frame. This is NOT comfortable. You will be bounced up and down and up and down with force. As others have commented they drive you really fast to a pod of dolphin then get you back to Funchal port via the coast. I didn't want a coastal tour, I was hoping to see the short fin pilot whales as well as the dolphin. As soon as they spot something it is a quick watch and then back to port. I was hoping to learn from experienced and passionate marine biologists, the staff in the office and on board seem uninterested and certainly did not exhibit any sense of customer care. There is nothing on the website or leaflet about any health and safety or any considerations for people with underlying medical conditions. The staff in the office and on board seemed bored. I was hoping for a privileged wildlife experience in the hands of experts. In stead I felt physically abused, I still have back ache 3 days later. One of the other passengers shouted to the driver that he was a f*****g moron. He seemed to be doing it for fun - just to upset us all. Once we complained they calmed down. Also note that they tell you to use the toilets in the centre before departure but they DONT tell you the toilets need cash, 50cents. If you still want to do this trip spend your EUR55 carefully , wait until you see the weather conditions and perhaps there are more opportunities outside of December for multiple species. I learned nothing.

An experience to unfortunately forget - Unfortunately our experience of whale and dolphin watching was not a good one. We went out on a rib boat and were really looking forward to what we hoped would be a memorable afternoon. Whilst fully accepting that we were at the mercy of mother nature in terms of what we would see, the entire afternoon was a complete damp squib, literally. We were told it was likely that we would get a little wet due to the conditions. However, this was an understatement. Within approximately 20 mins we were drenched from head to toe including shoes wet through. We could have been standing under a shower, so wet were we. Nobody was prepared for this and we strongly believe that the crew should have properly explained what the conditions would be like before setting off and given everyone the option whether they still wanted to go out to sea. There were people of the rib requesting to go back to shore (the request was not accepted) as not only were the conditions at sea pretty bad but the cold weather coupled with the sodden clothes resulted in a number of people shivering with cold, which is how they remained for the best part of 2 hours. All really unpleasant. To round the afternoon off we didn't see any whales although we did came across several dolphins. Not what we had been hoping to see but we accept that whales being in the area is not something the crew have any control over. All in all we have to say the afternoon was really unpleasant, really uncomfortable and nothing liked we hoped it would be. I'm sorry to have to give such a review and I am sure others will have a far better experience, but this really was a day to forget.

Not the best for seeing wildlife - Spent more time showing off the speed of the rib rather than looking for wildlife Came in 30 mins early too. Saw both dolphins and pilot whales but could have spent more time looking