You can go whale and dolphin watching in Madeira in any month, because several species live around the island all year. Spring to autumn adds more visitors from the open ocean. Whatever the season, these are wild animals: no trip can promise a sighting, and a good operator will tell you so before you board.
The sea around Madeira reaches a depth of 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in some areas and is home to an extremely rich fauna. Deep water close to the coast is what brings large ocean animals within reach of a short boat trip.
Madeira has resident populations of short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins that can be seen year-round, and sperm whales and striped dolphins are spotted regularly throughout the year.
The species seen most often include the common dolphin, the spotted dolphin, the bottlenose dolphin, the sperm whale, the pilot whale, Bryde's whale and the loggerhead turtle. Cuvier's and Blainville's beaked whales are regularly present too, but their shy behaviour makes them harder to spot.
Watching is possible all year, but the best season tends to run from spring to autumn: common dolphins are mostly seen in winter and spring, while Atlantic spotted dolphins and Bryde's whales are seen from spring to autumn.
Fin whales are seen mainly in winter and spring and sei whales in summer, while blue, humpback and minke whales, Risso's dolphins, killer whales and false killer whales turn up more rarely. Treat any of these as a bonus, not a plan.
Calm seas make spotting easier, so keep a spare morning in your plans in case a trip is moved for weather. Our guide to the best time to visit Madeira covers the weather and festivals month by month.
Funchal's marina has a wide range of operators, and boats leave it every day, all year round, with the capital as the backdrop. On the sunny southwest coast, trips also leave from Calheta, whose marina is the second largest on the island.
From Funchal, the Whale & Dolphin Watching Boat Tour from the Coast is a short speedboat trip in a small group, and the Sunset RIB Boat Tour with Optional Dolphin Watching pairs the south coast at sunset with dolphin and whale watching as a bookable option.
Thanks to the island's high cliffs, spotters called vigias search for cetaceans from high vantage points and guide the boats to them, much as the vigias did in the mid-19th century, when whaling was carried out in Madeira. Today the same skill helps boats find the animals with less time spent searching at sea.
Regional Legislative Decree 15/2013/M regulates the watching of marine animals in the Madeira archipelago, including cetaceans, sea turtles, monk seals and seabirds, with a licensing system and a limit on the number of boats.
The rules include a minimum approach distance of 50 m (164 ft) and at most 10 minutes per boat with the animals; when several boats are with the same group, they all leave after at most 40 minutes, and the group is then not approached for 2 hours.
Free swimming with cetaceans is not allowed in Madeira; common and spotted dolphins may be watched underwater only by swimmers who stay attached to the boat by a rope.
There is a whale-watching exclusion zone to the east and north-east of Madeira, an area that scientific studies identified as important for calving, feeding, resting and socialising. If a skipper turns away from a group, it is usually the rules at work, not bad luck.
Whale watching in Madeira is a year-round activity, and a trip can also bring turtles or a visit to the small colony of Mediterranean monk seals on the Desertas Islands.
Madeira's protected areas include the Garajau, Rocha do Navio, Desertas Islands and Selvagens Islands nature reserves. The sea is part of what they protect, so treat every encounter as a visit to someone else's home.
Ask how many people the boat carries, whether a guide explains what you see, and how the crew decides when to leave a group. A smaller boat feels closer to the sea; a larger one is steadier and has more shade.
Bring a hat, sun cream, a light jacket for the wind and something for motion sickness if you need it. Keep your voice low near the animals, and enjoy the moment rather than chasing the perfect photo.
Any month works, since pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins are resident. Many visitors prefer the months between spring and autumn, when more ocean species pass by.
No. Whales and dolphins are wild, and no honest trip can promise them. Spotters on the cliffs and calm water help, but every outing is different.
Not freely. The in-water exception covers only two species, common and spotted dolphins, and swimmers stay tethered to the boat with a line.
No closer than 50 m (164 ft) under the regional rules, and for no more than 10 minutes per boat.
