Water activity

Funchal: Dolphin and Whale Watching Sailing Trip

Activity provider: Gaviao Madeira
Water activity

Funchal: Dolphin and Whale Watching Sailing Trip

Activity provider: Gaviao Madeira

From US$ 37.69 per person

Board a yacht to enjoy the beauty of the Madeiran coast. Look out for dolphins, whales and sea turtles, and go snorkeling.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
Spanish, English, Portuguese

Experience

Highlights
  • Enjoy dolphin and whale watching on a boat tour
  • Go swimming and snorkeling to see marine life
  • Admire views of the beautiful coast of Madeira
Full description

Hit the waters near Cabo Girão in search of dolphins and whales on a cruise trip from Funchal. Learn amazing facts about the animals from your guide. Take a dip in the water and use the snorkel provided, or relax with a drink in your hand before your sailboat docks back at the Funchal Marina.

Set sail from the marina in Funchal, where you will board the yacht. Search for dolphins, whales, and sea turtles up to 3 miles from the coast. With some luck, you will see lots of native wildlife in their natural environment. 

As you keep an eye out for local wildlife, make a stop for snorkeling. Swim in the sea or use the snorkeling gear at Cabo Girão, the highest sea cliff in Europe at 1,903 feet (580 meters) above the sea.

Alternatively, admire the towering cliffs and the scenic coastal landscapes from the boat while sipping on a complimentary drink served on board.

Includes
  • Round-trip sailboat cruise
  • Guide
  • Captain
  • Crew
  • 1 drink
  • Snorkel
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food
Not suitable for
  • People with mobility impairments

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet at Gaviao - Dolphin and whale watching trips in the Marina do Funchal.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Sunglasses
  • Sun hat
  • Swimwear
  • Towel
  • Sunscreen

Not allowed

  • Oversize luggage

Know before you go

  • In case of cancellation due to bad weather, an alternative day will be offered, or a full refund
  • The sail will be used if there is adequate wind on the day
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 344 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.8/5
  • Transportation
    4.8/5
  • Value for money
    4.7/5

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Star rating:

Very nice! We therefore even booked twice. 1x in the evening the sunset tour; really fantastic, beautiful view of the island, beautiful sunset, no dolphins seen then, but the crew can not do anything about it. Crew was very nice and accessible, told things about the island. Booked in the morning the second time, it was equally fantastic and then also saw dolphins. A big plus is that this activity is small-scale, the group is not that big, the atmosphere was cozy both times.

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October 16, 2022

Highly Recommended! We had very cool guides and it was very personal. After some sailing we could actually see pilot whales up close. At the same time, care was taken to ensure that the animals were not hunted and that there were not too many boats around the animals. The swimming area was also perfect. There were also drinks on board. It should be well known that a sailing ship can rock quite well, especially in strong winds like ours ;D

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October 14, 2022

Unfortunately we missed out on swimming due to spending longer looking for dolphins, which was the reason we booked the trip on the first place. Didn’t get much of a tour/commentary on landmarks as we were told we would. Sea was also very very choppy, appreciate this can’t be helped but a bit of forewarning would have been appreciated so I could have taken a travel sickness tablet

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September 28, 2022

Product ID: 369151