This activity is specialized for the wild life lovers. Magic Dolphin Sea Safaris is purpose build boat with 500 Hp engines gives us to easy maneuver to get to the whales and dolphins faster then the any other boats in Marina Funchal. Our spotters on land gives us the direction where the Whales and the Dolphins are before we depart. The quality of this trip is, often you will see 2 or 3 different species in 2 hours. Having 500 HP engines gives us smooth ride with no motion sickness. Only 18 people are allowed for each trip and we have 2 certified guides will give you personalized service to make your experience of a life time. Wild life sighting is guaranteed, if you did not see anything on the first trip we will offer you the second trip completely free of charge.
Our priory is to find the wild life Whales and Dolphins. After we have seen Whales and Dolphins on our way back we come closer along the beautiful cost line of Funchal Bay enjoying spectacular scenery of Madeira Island. Our guides will provide you with lots information not only about the wild life but Fauna, Flora and the history of Madeira Island.
Camara do Lobos is a small picturesque fishing village where Sir Winston Churchill used to spend his afternoons painting and enjoying the view of the Bay of Camara do Lobos. We go closer to the shore so you can see this beautiful fishing village from Atlantic Ocean.
It was good but felt that once they found a pod of pilot whales they just went back to the coast to waste the other hour and didn’t try to find any other wild life
Very good, i was lucky to see 3 different species, even seen a sperm whale give birth, both driver and speaker was good, would do it again
Fantastic fun and well worth the money. We saw so many breeds of dolphin and learned so much. The guys were so knowledgeable
Fun and ethical with great tour guide Francisco
Great trip, the excellent guide was a marine biologist explaining everything so well and we saw lots of dolphins 🐬
What a great day out!! Glad we chose this boat trip, excellent guide and captain and felt fun and safe on the 'speedboat '. The fast boat makes it easier to get to sightings of whales and dolphins And the sightings!!! Wow!! Jumping Bottlenose dolphins, and some coming around the boat too, a huge pod of striped dolphins jumping out all over the place was probably the highlight, and a brides whale too. Nice to see the Cory's Shearwaters up close too. Brilliant day out
Had an amazing time onboard, we saw Pilot Whales, a turtle and dolphins. The guide was really knowledgeable and kept us updated on what was happening throughout the journey across the sea. We felt safe the whole time and its the closest we’ve ever got to dolphins - we’d absolutely do it again!
Fair price for a very enjoyable experience.
Poor experience overall. Hardly any information shared with the group. No mention of any bird or whales and while I understand that you can’t guarantee a sighting some information would have been good. The 2 boat crew spent practically all the time talking between themselves and sharing information and facts about sea birds and marine life was was hardly mentioned. Sorry but cannot recommend this tour.
The staff was excellent and we saw both dolphins and whales. I highly recommend this tour and will book it again in the future
Highly recommend the sea safari power boat trip. The boat ride itself was exhilarating and great fun. Older kids would love it. We also saw a great number of pilot whales and common dolphins which was amazing, particularly when they came close to the boat. Our guide/ marine biologist was also very informative about the animals we saw. Would definitely recommend using Magic Dolphin 👍
Our tour had to be rescheduled due to the weather, however Magic Dolphins were very helpful coming up with an alternative date and time. Initially I was a little apprehensive about the fact that my particular tour was on a very fast ‘Zodiac’ rather than the more sedate Catamaran, needn’t of worried the ride was fast but comfortable with padded cushion and good hand grips. On our tour we saw 3 different species of dolphins which was amazing, only little niggle was that most of the action appeared on the other side of the boat. Definitely recommend the dolphins are amazing.
Fantastic trips, as always, third year and out every day morning and afternoon. Friendly helpful staff at the booking kiosk and a great knowledgeable crew who hope to see as much as you want to. This week's trip we saw; Bottlenose Dolphins, Common Dolphins and Striped Dolphins. Numerous Pilot Whales, 5 Sperm Whales and unusually 7 Fin Whales including a mum and calf. The company follow Marine Law and don't stress the animals, they close engines off or stay parallel at a distance to the animals and this usually brings the animals to the Catamaran or RiB. They stay for 10mins and tell you which side is best for viewing and ensure everyone sees the animals well. You also get information on the local area and sightseeing hotspots to visit as you return to the harbour close to shore. Cannot praise them highly enough.
Saw approximately 20-30 common dolphins in the 2 hours. The staff were fantastic we had a marine biologist tell us facts about the dolphins and the local laws they have to abide by and the captain was very good at making the journey safe and entertaining. We went on a speed boat which made the journey more fun as you could cover more areas quickly and the dolphins seemed more interested in it than the bigger boats.
We had a great experience. Not long after setting off we saw one dolphin. We then went further out and was met my a pod of common dolphins who came up to the boat and swam with us. It was a great experience and the guide was very good. I would recommend this experience.
Good information throughout the trip, no guarantee of experiencing sea life but we did see sperm whale, mother and baby that made the trip.
Really good rib boat trip. We saw pilot whales and dolphins. Lots of good knowledge shared by the crew. Really recommend it.
What a fantastic trip, we saw bottle nose dolphins to start which was nice. Then the real excitement began when we saw a sperm whale breach in the distance, our driver sped in that direction and we were lucky enough to see a breach not more than 3m from our boat which was incredible. Next there was a sperm whale swimming basically under our boat, she came up spyhopping to check us out before her calf came over as well, they were so close we could have touched them, it was incredible. The passion and excitement showed by both our captain and the marine biologist was infectious, they were both so knowledgeable and so in awe of these awesome animals 100% would recommend
It was simply amazing! - we saw a lot of pilot whales and they came so close! The crew took the time to explain everything about their behaviours, there was a baby pilot whale next to the mother and it is interesting to know the way they sleep. I can highly recommend this trip which is fun-pact and also relaxing with great views over the island of Madeira!
Great trip - good fun on the rib and we saw lots of the Pilot Whales which are native to the area. Great guide, very knowledgeable.
Absolutely brilliant. Excellent marine biologist and boat captain. I was nervous but sitting at the back it was fine. Beautiful dolphins and two types of whales, really blessed! Well done to all.
Captains were dolphin friendly they gave us a lot of information of the creatures we saw it was an awesome experience! They were so nice ! If you wanna see them, choose this way not dolphin shows!
Booked as a solo traveller. Clear booking confirmation and departure point easy to locate on Funchal marina. After a safety briefing we sped out of the harbour. After only twenty minutes we were at a depth of 1400 metres when an adult female sperm whale was spotted. We had good, close up sitings and were able to watch the whale rolling and blow. Our marine biologist gave insightful information throughout. There were 18 of us in the boat and the boat turns so everyone can take photos and videos. I sat at the back which is less bumpy when the boat bounces over the waves. However, I found this exhilarating and with all the spray too. We did head to another site towards the Deserted Islands in search of bottle nosed dolphins but unfortunately didn’t manage to see any. It was though a fantastic two hours on the water; especially as seeing a sperm whale that close is a rare and special thing. The temperature at sea is the same as on land so no special clothing is required. Bags can be safely stowed. Magic Dolphin adhered to marine conservation guidelines whilst at sea, which was important to me. Highly recommended.
Amazing trip! We were lucky enough to see spotted and bottlenose dolphins. A worthwhile experience with an experienced biologist as our guide.
pod of spotted dolphins, which came right up close to our boat! I really liked how ethically this tour was done; only a maximum of 2 boats were allowed around the wildlife at any one time, and each boat was only allowed to stay around the animals for a maximum of 10 minutes. Also, the boat we were in didn't go too fast so it wasn't a rough journey. Also. the company said that if we didn't see any wildlife then we would be able to rebook another tour free of charge - which I think is a great idea!
The entire experience was incredibly cute and memorable. We were lucky enough to spot two different species of dolphins, one of which was especially playful and absolutely adorable. A special shoutout to our guide, Clara, who made the trip even better. Her knowledge of the local marine life was impressive, and her sense of humor truly stood out. The only minor downside was the seating, which could have been a bit more comfortable. Additional thanks to the staff members who accommodated us when we arrived late and helped us attend another activity without loosing our money.
Very good tour. Smaller boat than the large catamaran tours so it's not crowded with lots of other people. Saw plenty of dolphins, whales and a turtle. Tour operators were very good, and would definitely recommend.
Very good saw plenty wildlife and our guide Clara was lovely , friendly and knowledgeable.would recommend
My family did this activity last April 13. The operators are very kind and attentive to our needs. The boat was sturdy and layout of passengers seats are agreeable. We felt safe the whole time. However the activity fell short of expectations as we weren't able to see (and was hoping to see) whales. I understand that there's no assurance so given that fact - I hope they would have a scheme wherein travelers can get the opportunity to have another ride with them for free in perpetuity in case the creatures being marketed/advertised don't show up. This is how an operator from Vancouver Canada does it. That way it's not so disappointing for travelers and there's something to look forward to in the future. It's also a way to encourage tourists to come back (if that's what the city wants). So we didn't see whales BUT we saw dolphins which is GOOD. We saw some birds too but there was no discussion about them at all. Maybe the operators can improve on that since they included birds as things to see in this activity. Lastly I think it's also important that the travelers make their own research about seasons when whales are mostly active in the area so they themselves can make their own assessment if it's worth doing this activity at any particular season.
We saw dolphins, whales and amazing views of the coast. The tour guides were lovely and informative. The boat was really fun to be on if you like a bit of speed and excitement!
The guide had a lot of knowledge of the animals and an important part was to respect them by overall rules with respect to number of boats and maximum time by the animals at a spot.
The biologist and captain were professional and charismatic and cheerful, we had a great time and were lucky enough to see some dolphins and whales! Trip took 2 hours and it’s truly amazing!
It was very informative and Clara was very passionate about her job. We managed to see pilot whales, bottle nose dolphins and even o Portuguese man of war! Obviously there is no guarantee of seeing them but just the thrill of being on the waves - it's amazing.
We had an excellent sea safari experience. We saw two pods of pilot whales, grey dolphins and Spotted Atlantic Dolphins which was very unusual for this time of year (sadly nature is getting confused by warmer climates). Great to see these beautiful animals in their natural habitat, and not in a zoo which is so wrong (*their lives are reduced by half in captivity). It’s a RIB boat which is small and fast so can get to the wildlife quicker than the larger vessels. The crew are extremely knowledgeable and very respectful of the wildlife.
Amazing trip. We were lucky with the weather. Our guide was fantastic....helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. Boat pilot was also great and between them they knew exactly where to find dolphins. We felt so privileged to see 3 separate groups feeding and took some fab pics. Really well organised and a must do recommendation 😁
It was very nice. The crew told us a lot about the animals we saw and were very nice. Boat was nice and the tour was comfortable. Just do it!
What a great morning. We chose the speed boat over the catamaran having seen both and we made the right choice. Professional guides get you up close, but not invading the dolphins territory. They came and swam alongside us, not us chasing them. In 2 hours we saw 5 different pods of dolphins and 3 different species. Fantastic day out.
This was a highlight of our trip here to Maderia! The journey itself was enjoyable and we saw two large pods of Pilot whales and a turtle! A really beautiful experience. Natasha was the Marine Biologist onboard as our guide. She was friendly, very knowledgeable about the local sea life and was more than happy to answer all of our questions. Her enthusiasm and engagement with everyone onboard really added to the experience. Magic Dolphin’s ethos came across as very respectful of the wildlife that we were trying to see, aiming to limit and minimise any stress tours like this might cause for the animals, which was important to us and nicely explained. We opted for the speedboat to limit any sea sickness and this was definitely a good choice for us too ☺️ Would definitely recommend!
Fabulous experience! Even though it was windy and we got very wet, it was so much fun! Aside from that, Clara, our guide shared interesting information about the bottle nose dolphins that we saw.
Saw a lot of dolphins up close, great guide! Highly recommended. Bring a windbreaker/waterproof jacket since you will get wet.
The staff here were very friendly and made sure everyone was comfortable before the trip. We saw a small pod of dolphins quite early in the trip but they didn't want to come too close, such is wildlife. As it was explained, these dolphins encounter boats regularly and are therefore less likely to play near the boats. After this encounter we headed west in the speedboat but didn't encounter and whales and very few birds. I don't have a problem with this, wildlife is very unpredictable. What spoiled the trip for me was the fact that we came back to Funchal hugging the coast, which gave great views of the local fishing villages, cable cars, cliffs etc and I'm sure that everyone else was happy with this but as I really wanted to see wildlife I knew we would be unlikely to see anything close to shore so I realised halfway through the trip that our chance of seeing any whales had gone. I am lead to understand that there are spotters watching from high vantage points to spot whales for the boats, I'm not convinced that this is the case. We had done another trip based on the eastern peninsula and it was great. As I have said, staff were very friendly though.
We saw a whale on the distance but nothing else. Several people were unfortunately seasick. The guide was excellent but sadly there were no pods of dolphins.
Amazing. We only saw one group of dolphins. But they were so close to the boat. We could see their little eyes looking at us.. We loved it.
Excellent experience. Super friendly and super simple process booking and boarding. With seeing animals it’s always a bit of a gamble. Saw amazing dolphins and even a baby dolphin. Highly recommend.
Loved every minute! Marine biologist informative and passionate. We saw a shark, common, spotted and striped dolphins and a man o war jellyfish. Best trip to see the marine life up close for sure! We also booked up Magic Dolphin luxury catamaran and a second sealife safari trip during our stay. Both trips amazing!
Very good experience, saw 2 pods of Dolphins and a Portuguese Man O War. Would do again hopefully see some Whales
We hade a lot of waves and that made the excitement bigger We see just a few dolphins and unfortunately didn’t see whales Nevertheless the tour was wonderful
My teen daughter and I absolutely loved this! One of the best experiences we’ve ever had. Our guides were kind and very knowledgeable. We spotted Bottlenose dolphins, Common dolphins, and Pilot whales. The speedboat was so much fun!
The sea was thick with pilot whales this day my friends. Natasha the marine biologist was also very enthusiastic and nice! Whales can get very close to the boat and even swam under it. Good way to see marine life.
We were lucky to see 3 different pods of dolphins during the experience although I would have loved to see a turtle too. A well organised trip, the speedboat was great fun and no sea sickness!
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