Private Dolphin And Whale Watching Tour In Madeira

A fantastic experience! The staff were absolutely wonderful, and we had an amazing time. We enjoyed every moment! ❤️

Brilliant - good views, and stunning crew

An unforgettable experience! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We saw everything we hoped for: dolphins right next to the boat, and whales too. The crew knew exactly where to take us and gave us plenty of time to enjoy every moment. Everything was well organised and we felt safe the whole time. Highly recommended!

We spent a long time deliberating whether to pay the additional cost of a private tour, and without question we made the right choice for us as a family, with children who don't like big crowds. It was an absolute joy to sit as a family of 4 on the deck of the Miranda and our children, aged 11 and 13, were enthralled as the waves gently splashed us. We were well taken care of by the crew, and having access to a toilet took any stress away from the journey. We were really lucky and saw a pod of dolphins close up, but honestly it would have been a fabulous ocean experience even without that. The crew also took us to an area with crystal clear water to snorkel. We loved the email we were sent afterwards that summarised what we had seen...it was a fab souvenir. We were also sent an amazing file of photos of the trip.

We had a wonderful experience on the boat trip! The crew were young, friendly and incredibly kind, and they made us feel welcome and comfortable from the very beginning. The atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable, and everything was handled with care and professionalism. They were attentive throughout the trip and genuinely wanted us to have a great time. A beautiful way to enjoy Madeira from the sea, made even better by such a lovely crew. We had a great time and would definitely recommend the experience! ❤️

Great crew, we spotted a lot of dolphins with there baby's which was amazing to see . If we ever woud do this again, it would be with the same compagnie. Thank you very much.

We booked this boat trip for a friends bonding time outing and it exceeded every expectation. The crew was professional, warm, and incredibly discreet — they struck the perfect balance between attentive service and letting us enjoy our own experience together as a group. The boat itself felt luxurious from the moment we stepped on board. But the real highlight was nature putting on a show for us: we were surrounded by nearly a hundred dolphins at one point, which was genuinely breathtaking. We also got to swim in the sea near the Madeira coastline, and the whole experience felt wonderfully immersive rather than just another tourist activity. Whether you’re planning a special outing with friends, family, or colleagues, this is an experience I’d recommend without hesitation. Thank you for giving us a day we’ll all remember!

A very pleasant trip with excellent guides Eva and Manny. Spotted maritime wildlife, enjoyed the view and had a great swim. An afternoon well spent.

Manny and Glauco were fantastic - so knowledgable and made the whole trip really warm and fun, taking care of the whole family. We were lucky enough to see dolphins and a whale! A real highlight of our trip.

Wonderful private boat trip to see whales and dophins, and we managed to see both plus flying fish and a couple of turtles! We got LOADS of photos sent to us after, and also plenty of information about the animals throughout the trip. We could have snorkelled as well, but opted out as the water was a bit too cold for us! Thank you so much to Sergio and Glauco, we had a great time.

This was the most amazing experience and one my husband and I will never forget. Right from booking with Rosa to meeting Julia and Rui and leaving port on Miranda. Both Julia and Rui had a great knowledge and we were all incredibly fortunate to see around 15 dolphins, flying fish and sea birds. Everything was catered for fresh towels, refreshments and Rui took pictures which where sent to my email to download. We were also able to stop for a swim. just incredible. Brilliant experience so worth the money and would definitely recommend. Thank you On Tales for creating the BEST experience ever. Loved it !!

We were very lucky to see a finwhale feeding and several daulphines of different kinds. But we also were hosted by two very nice and polite young people (host and captain). Many thnks to them for an unforgettable afternoon. And not to forget the receptionists. Very kind. Many thanks for making it possible.

Really nice staff, pleasant atmosphere, good service. We were lucky to see both dolphins and whale. The perfect tour

We had a wonderful experience on the Miranda with Sergio and Julia. We booked the private tour and it was perfect for us. Julia was extremely knowledgeable about the animals and we really enjoyed our time with both her and Sergio.

Amazing experience. All staff friendly and helpful

Outstanding trip with Julia and Sergio Very knowledgeable about marine life and saw dolphins

On Tales is a great operator and provides fun, lighthearted atmosphere with a lot of green wine, swimming, dolphin chasing (sadly for us, it was a mid-day and we were not lucky. but neither were others). Beautiful cruise, very good boat, excellent staff and oh God, their sunscreen is the best ever and I am still looking back thinking that I should have had asked what make it is....

We had an excellent experience with On Tales. I was probably their most annoying customer of the year, asking a million questions about the trip before finally booking, but Mayung was super patient and answered everything clearly and in detail - in fact communication throughout was impeccable. On the day of our excursion everything was ready for us as expected, the Miranda boat was comfortable and well equipped, and Rodolfo and Bruno on board were friendly and knowledgeable, answering all our questions about the island and its sealife. Most importantly though, they found us a pod of Sperm Whales! A mother, children and a huge male, we even got the iconic “fin in the air” shot when she dived. A very lucky and rare sighting, and made the trip worthwhile and then some. Rodolfo even gave us a great recommendation for a drink in the evening (Groovy bar - live music) Overall a highly recommended company and trip

Thank you for the wonderful time, it was great and the team was friendly and really welcoming. Definitely recommend and will be back

Luka and crew were gracious and well informed on both the island and the sea creatures, knowing exactly where to go for us to thrill at close views of a a pod of whales. It was an enjoyable afternoon

It was a truly exceptional experience! Luca and Chiara were amazing! We learned so much about the island and the marine wildlife and the best part is that we saw incredibly rare whales and it was such a highlight of our honeymoon! I highly recommend!!

We had a couples private trip in Miranda. Smaller boat but with good view from seats and cabin with all mod cons. Skipper Rudolph and hostess Beatrice were perfect- informative, cheerful and attentive. Rudolph found us dolphins which was exciting. But the trip would have been worth the money even if none found. Swimming of boat lovely end to trip. Icing on cake…free photos taken throughout the trip. Highly recommend this company

Very personable tour guides, photographer on every boat in incredibly accommodating amazing views of the island. Also a very high chance at a front row seat to tons of dolphins!

Absolute best day of our holiday! We were very well looked after from booking to the day of our trip. We saw a pod of bottle nose dolphins. Even saw a rare pyrosome colony. We had lovely sparkling wine, beers and soft drinks. Can’t thank this amazing company enough for such a fantastic day, made our holiday! Thank you so much.

We had a wonderful trip on a small private yacht. Even though we didn’t spot any dolphins, the experience was absolutely amazing. My older son even got the chance to steer the boat, which made it extra special for him. We also had our baby with us on board, and it was no problem at all – he even fell asleep during the ride. We always felt very well taken care of, with drinks provided and all our wishes respected. I would love to do it again and can highly recommend this tour to families as well!

Fantastic company from the moment we booked until the end of our experience. The boat was fantastic and the 3 crew so professional and friendly with amazing knowledge of the ocean and its animals. This company have a spotter on land to direct the captain. We saw dolphins and whales and sea birds! I would highly recommend this trip and this company!

From the moment we booked this trip on the Internet to when we met the staff correspondence was excellent. All the members of staff are friendly helpful and want you to have a good time. Highly recommend the Dolphin trip. It was a shame we didn’t see any dolphins, it was too windy and choppy but the staff made up for our disappointment with their friendliness and fun.

Great experience for our family in a private boat together with Rodolpho the skipper and Bruno the photographer. Lot's of discussions and explanations. Great time. The view of the coast, the swim, all Great. As for the dolphin's, this à bit overrated as the time close to them is very limited, the number of boats around them scare them quickly and the dive as quickly. Good experience though but do not expect an Instagram experience. It's a living experience so it goes as it should. We saw a baby dolphin though. That was cool. All in all we highly recommend, its worth every penny

We booked this as a private dolphin and whale watching experience, which was the name of the Viator ad . The crew were lovely and the views were great, but ultimately the dolphin/whale part did not materialise. I understand that it happens sometimes but then the marketing should be different so you know what you are paying for ( which is a boat ride with a possibility of seeing dolphins/wales). I would have given it one star if it wasn’t for the crew.

A great crew that really takes care of you and knows their animals. We saw dolphins, turtles and flying fish ! The experience was super friendly and the swim at the end capped off the experience.

We had a fantastic day today on our private dolphin and whale watching tour. We saw much more than we expected. Two different species of dolphins in large pods, just everywhere around the boat. You could almost touch them. It was so much fun to see this. Delicious drinks on board, a lovely swim, and two very nice team members from On Tales. In a word, fantastic and definitely recommended.

A great trip. Even without seeing dolphins the coast is beautiful and there was other wildlife to see. And of course a chance to swim out in ocean. The two crew were also excellent, informative and fun. I particularly liked that they took many photos during the trip, which are then shared, so you could focus on enjoying the views rather than staring at screens.

It was an amazing adventure. The Crew on land and on board were so nice to us. On board the captain and another Crew member answered all of our questions and gave us interesting information about a lot of different things around madeira. We also saw a group of Dolphins, playing around the boat for a few minutes. Only because the captain pulled out a little longer than another boat. Was really worth it. I can only recommend it. Thank you so much!

Fantastic experience. Rodolfo and Chiara were so friendly and amazing, so much knowledge about the island and wildlife we did and didn’t get to see. Information before, during and after the trip was great, especially the details after confirming everything we saw. We’d all highly recommend this trip. Thank you to everyone involved making it such a special day.

We had a fantastic experience with Beatriz and Bruno. Myself and my two siblings (all adults) chose the private Miranda boat and it was very comfortable. They have beverages on the boat we had lovely sparkling wine and beer and water. A spotter up on the hill tells them where the dolphins are and then they sail towards them. We saw a big family of dolphins very close up. They take loads of pictures for you so you can focus on enjoying the experience and not worry about your phone falling in. We were able to sit on the front of the boat for this part of the journey. After we saw the dolphins we went half of the way home and had a swim in the ocean before going the rest of the way. I wouldn’t recommend if you get sea sick because it was quite bumpy and we were told this was the calmest the sea gets. It was very calm but just the boat moving forward is going up and down a bit. I get car sick but I didn’t feel sick on the boat.

We had an amazing time on the boat tour with Luca and Rudolpho! They were very friendly, knowledgable and looked after us so well on the trip. We were all made to feel very comfortable and we saw a very big pod of dolphins which was an unbelievable experience! It was important to us to do a trip which was respectful to the animals and they were brilliant, having a spotter on the coast to help find them and then keeping our distance when we approached waiting our turn to get closer. We had a little snorkel and swim before heading back too which was lovely and refreshments were provided on board. Thank you so much to the team for the amazing experience, we can’t wait to come back to Madeira again hopefully soon!

I recently went on a dolphin watching tour, and I can confidently say it was an outstanding experience! I highly recommend this company 100%. They were incredibly professional in every aspect, ensuring that everything went smoothly from start to finish. The communication was excellent, keeping us informed and excited about the adventure ahead. The staff was attentive and supportive throughout the entire trip, making sure that everyone was comfortable and having a great time. One of the highlights was receiving numerous photos from the journey, which was greatly appreciated and added a personal touch to the experience. If you're looking for a memorable dolphin watching experience, look no further! This company truly exceeded my expectations!

We had an unforgettable time at sea with Luca and Chiara as our captain and crew! Luca has an amazing eye for spotting marine life — thanks to him, we saw a large pod of dolphins up close. Chiara was equally wonderful, sharing interesting facts about Madeira and the dolphins, taking great photos of us on the boat, and making sure we were always comfortable and hydrated. It was the perfect day out on the water. Friendly, knowledgeable, and thoughtful — we couldn’t have asked for a better team. Highly recommend this experience!

We had such an incredible experience with On Tales - they looked after us so well and the crew were so kind, thoughtful and attentive. We saw two pods of dolphins, went swimming and snorkelling in the sea, and learnt so much about the local wildlife and area. We can’t thank you enough!

We had booked for a Sunday afternoon trip but unfortunately due to sea conditions this was cancelled. Rosa and the team were very apologetic (even though there cant control the weather) and we were booked for the following afternoon. We had booked Miranda for a private trip a family of 5. Onboard we met Ricardo and Chiara who were both very welcoming and after a quick safety briefing we were on our way. At first it looked like we were not going to see anything but Ricardo was in constant communication with our boat skippers and the land based spotter. Our initial viewing was with two Atlantic Common Dolphins, we then saw a very graceful Corys Shearwater, and the most spectacular viewing was saved until last, three Whales just a few metres from the boat. Ricardo and Chiara were so knowledgeable about what we had seen, the waters around Calheta, the villages seen from the water and the coastline. In our opinion booking a trip with OnTales if you are in Madeira is a must, this was an experience that none of us will ever forget. Thank you to Rosa, the on shore team and especially to Ricardo and Chiara.

We had the most amazing experience on the water today with on tails. We saw lots of dolphins and whales and had a great swim in the ocean. The views from the coastline of the waterfalls and the beautiful scenery was stunning. It was an amazing adventure and a terrific day. Can’t recommend enough.

Brilliant morning, set off and almost immediately saw a pod of dolphins. Crew were helpful and informative. Very comfortable boat, wish we had booked longer!

We had an unforgettable boat trip with Captain Rodolpho and his wonderful assistant Chiara. From start to finish, we felt warmly welcomed and very well taken care of. The information they shared about the sea and the island of Madeira was fascinating and made the experience truly enriching. Their passion, kindness, and attention to detail made this tour a highlight of our stay. We’ll definitely join them again next time we’re in Madeira – thank you for this beautiful memory!💖☀️💖☀️

Our dolphin experience with Luca and Rodolfo was truly one of the most magical experiences we’ve ever had. Seeing dozens of dolphins swim joyfully around our boat felt like a dream. What made it even more special was Luca and Rodolfo’s energy. They were warm, passionate, and made the whole experience unforgettable. You could tell they genuinely love what they do, and that joy was contagious. Thank you for an extraordinary experience. Highly highly recommend.

The team at On Tales were really friendly and knowledgeable and couldn't do more for us, they were fantastic. Our boat 'Miranda' was brilliant. The kids loved the cabin and sitting up front on the boat provided a fantastic view. Our captain Luca and Martin were great spotters and really made the trip. We were very lucky to see a couple of Fraser dolphins on our tour alongside a sea turtle, a Portuguese Man O,war, and a flock of Cory's. Unfortunately no whales this time but maybe next time around. Martin was on hand to take plenty of pictures of our adventure so we could just sit back and enjoy the moment. I would highly recommend this trip. Thanks to all at On Tales.

Absolutely incredible. Loved seeing the island from the sea, watching the dolphins and pilot whales with a baby only a few days old.

A great trip, where we saw a lot of dolphins. Our crew was very professional, friendly and accommodating, and was very attentive to the small children we had in the group. Highly recommended from here.

My wife and I booked a private charter on the Tales Gringo boat. While we were staying in Madeira, the staff reached out because they suspected bad weather for the day we were booked. The team worked really hard to try and accommodate another option for us but our tight schedule did not permit us to make a change. The company immediately refunded the full payment. When the day that we had booked arrived, we witnessed, first hand, why they were concerned. Terrible winds. We will definitely be back and will definitely rebook with Tales. An extremely professional group.

Great Hospitality from The phone receptionist to the ground staff and Both captains they all were very friendly, professional and very nice to me and my family they took very nice pictures of us i will definitely recommend to all my friends and people who read this , than you all !!!