Dolphins & Whales By Vmt

It was a very nice tour with the Catamaran. We have seen 2 big Whales. The ship wasn‘t fully Booker, so we had enough place to move over the whole ship to get the best view.

Unprofessional and harmful to local marine life During our boat tour, we repeatedly saw several other tour providers operating completely unethically. Because these companies don't invest in land spotters, they simply wait for respectful operators to find marine life and then rush over aggressively. Instead of keeping a safe distance or turning off their engines, they crowded the animals, clearly stressing them out and forcing them to dive away or flee. This not only ruins the experience for everyone on the water, but it also actively harms and traumatizes the local wildlife. If you care about animal welfare and responsible tourism in Madeira, please avoid operators who chase wildlife and choose companies that follow proper ethical guidelines instead. Unless you get extremely lucky and animals randomly surface right next to your boat, you won't actually see much with companies like this anyway. Since they don't have spotters, they rely entirely on jumping on other groups' sightings—which immediately scares the animals away and leaves you with a ruined view.

Don't be surprised if you don't see whales or dolphins, they are protected species, you're going into their habitat, first day i was hoping to see but we don't force them to see us,next day i was lucky to see a whale (not just me), but I would say is ,I have never met so friendly staff that helped me boarding and disembarking boat as I have a prosetic leg ( not to say I can't do that myself) was safety first, I boarded first which is commen scence, then disembark last, now I don't mind people if they don't put whatever in tip box for crew who where Magnificent not just me because of my disability but looking after,for safety reasons, as I said I disembark last, but what I did was watched people just going past and not putting ( doesn't have to be much) I put money in box and then other people followed doing same, crew seen that and thanked me,yeah don't get me wrong everyone doesn't have to, but maybe that's just me (hopefully not), Magnificent staff,even at their kiosk, that was on a Wednesday ,then Friday, they were truly amazing, if anyone visits Maderia with any disability you've got to do that, they will help and make sure you enjoy, it's a pity I will not remember all of their names i can't mention one because the rest might be offended (I don't think so) they will understand, so please everyone visit that beautiful island and I recommend them 100%.

Firstly, it cheaper if you book online. We have been twice, lovely twin and a great experience both times

I don't like to leave poor reviews but feel this is justified. Couldn't help but feel a " can't be bothered attitude" on the boat, very little commentary on the boat, expected a bit more about the area, staff looked miserable especially the Lady. Sailed for 3 hours just to vaguely catch a glimpse of some whale fins in the distance, which was described as a great siting! then we was off saying we would not have time for a swim otherwise. The swim stop was 10 minutes which was ridiculous! I know you can't guarantee nature & they have to abide by the rules, but we were left very disappointed & felt more effort could have been put in.

Nice relaxing cruise on catamaran - and we saw pod of dolphins. Boat crew were friendly. Not too many people on board so plenty of room to spread out. Nice trip along coastline followed by a swim. Great to be out on water.

An amazing day out you get to see dolphins and then when they get to the end they drop anchor so you can jump off the front of the boat and go for a swim in the sea and then back, we were luckily enough to encounter a pot of dolphins

An enjoyable cruise on a catamaran. We did see dolphins. The staff were friendly. There were toilets and a drinks and snacks were available. Even though there were a lot of people on board it didn’t seem crowded. We were upstairs so the dolphin views were not the greatest. There was an opportunity to swim as well.

This was an amazing experience. The company was great, the boat wasn't too busy and they had great knowledge on where to find the dolphins and they delivered on this. We saw lots of dolphins and it was well worth spending the money on this trip.

This tour is a half day trip out from Funchal to spot dolphins and whales. The boat was a good size and didn't feel crowded even though there were a lot of people on board. There's a bar selling drinks and snacks and there are toilet facilities. The boat stopped in a bay to allow people to swim in the sea if wanted and the view of the coast on the sail back into Funchal was great. The dolphin / whale part of the tour was not so great. Obviously these are wild animals in their natural habitat so there's no guarantee you will see anything. We did see some dolphins. The tour stuck to eco guidelines and only stayed close to them for the max. 10 mins which was a positive. However there was very much a sense of "we've seen dolphins now, we are done looking". Once we'd spent the 10 mins we just powered off to the bay. We weren't particularly interested in swimming and less than half the boat went into the sea. We would have preferred to have less time for swimming and more time actually looking for whales, as this is what the trip is sold as, however, it was a nice morning out on the boat regardless.

Lovely few hours onboard, seen 4 different groups of dolphins. Catamaran was spotlessly clean, staff helpful and friendly, tour on time leaving and arriving home. Really enjoyed the swim.

Fantastic experience. We say lots of dolphins and the crew were good fun. It’s a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Would highly recommend.

Went on a morning whale and dolphin cruise with my wife and two children (ages 11 and 7). Got there early and joined the line as it was forming, so we were close to the front and had a good choice of seats when we got on. My wife and I chose to sit on a front bench on the lower level, while our kids made straight for the netted area -- this is at the front, and you can lie down on the net and see into the water. My daughter was nervous at the beginning (she's not a big fan of boats), and didn't really enjoy being on the netting, but when she moved back a bit and sat to one of the sides, she was fine and started to love it. My son spent a long time on the nets, though he too moved back and to the sides later in the journey, and we gave up their places on the nets. We saw a large group of dolphins not long after setting off, and got very good up-close views of them. Then we saw a small group of whales later and got a good up-close look at those too. The catamaran was very smooth -- none of us got seasick, which was great, as my wife and I have both been seasick on other dolphin and whale watching tours that we have done in different countries in the past. None of us went swimming when we stopped (my wife and daughter had ear infections), but those who went in the water all seemed to really enjoyed it, and the rest of us got to admire the lovely view of Europe's largest cliff. Overall it was a very relaxing, enjoyable cruise. Our kids loved it. Highly recommended.

Criticism first. We went over to the kiosk early to double check everything and while very nice, didnt tell us we needed to come back to the kiosk to get a plastic boarding card nearer the departure. No biggee but we did end up joining the wrong queue, and ended up being advised by someone nice checking that queue. In this operators defence the kiosk next door were pretty terse, where as this lot were very nice. Once on the boat, very competent, good value and didnt gouge you on the drinks.

We had the opportunity to see the Dolphins and had them swimming and jumping around us :) The stop and having some time to jump in the water was refreshing and views are cool from the sea side.

Three hours trip with ten minutes viewing of dolphins. Expected more for the price and what was advertised

Great boat tour. We saw a pod of dolphins and enjoyed the stop to swim. It is a beautiful view of Funchal from the water.

Catamaran was not overcrowded, we saw some dolphins and swam in a bay with other tour boats (not much to see, we were snorkelling). Pleasant experience, wouldn't do again though.

We were less than 1000m out of funchal harbour when we met a pod of 30 dolphins! Had a swim and also saw a large whale several times... all in all, not a bad morning...

Everything went as promised. Whale activity was minimal and very difficult for everyone to see. Nature cannot be predicted or promised. The cruise itself could’ve been 1 hour less.

Great boat, friendly staff. But, spend more time looking for whales rather than swimming . Appreciate may be hard to find, but at least look.

Very good experience. We managed to see a whale and many dolphins.

Perfect catamaran, no surprises re wawes or water splashes. We saw a bit of wales, no delphines as was mentioned in advertisement. Good crew 👍

Relaxing trip on large catamaran with plenty of space to sit or stretch in the sun. We saw Bryde whales off the coast but unfortunately no dolphins this time. Lovely swim in the waters just off the tall cliffs. Perfect way to spend the afternoon

This was a lovely trip. We saw a large pod of spotted dolphins, several whales and two loggerhead turtles. We also cruised to some of the highest cliffs in Europe and were offered a swim. Very enjoyable.

Amazing experience, 100% worth it. Saw lots of dolphins and 4 whales (2 different species!) Staff were lovely and cracked good jokes.

The trip was nice and there where a safe and calm atmosphere. We saw a whale and it was explained why the approach was mindful and it was a great experience. We had hoped to se dolphins and did not. Nature is unpredictable and we got to see flying fishes instead.

We had a lot of fun. Saw dolphins and a whale. Cruise on the coast was great as was the swim. The staff was helpful

Amazing from start to finish wonderful Staff

Good boat trip,saw two types of dolphins,and a turtle. Also had chance for some sea swimming if we wanted.

Very well run cruise, the crew were friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The hospitality on board was excellent. We had perfect weather and were lucky enough to see Dolphins, Wales and turtles. We would highly recommend this cruise if you get the chance.

It was not exactly which I hoped. Even we had the opportunity to watch Atlantic spotted dolphins, but we were allowed to spend only 10 minutes in their zone. The rest was sailing till a cultural point, where people could swim in the ocean. Disappointing a bit.

Very good trip. Nice sunny day with smooth waters. Unfortunately we didn't see any dolphins or whales but they honoured their promise and we had another trip a couple of days later free. This time we saw some dolphins leaping about. Worth going for the Catamaran ride and a bonus to see dolphins or whales.

Very peaceful glide across waters - worked well with young kids. Saw dolphins and a whale. Swimming was great - could jump off or walk in. Time spent out on water was the right amount. Would recommend to others.

Really nice team, and fun experience. We saw a brydes whale and a dolphin group. You can buy some drinks on the boat also.

We loved every moment of the tour and we were incredibly lucky to spot both dolphins and a whale! It was our first time visiting Madeira with our 6-year-old son and this was truly the most wonderful experience of our trip. We highly recommend VMT to anyone visiting Madeira. The team is exceptionally kind, professional, and knowledgeable, and they made the entire experience unforgettable. Thank you for creating such special memories for our family!

Helpful staff changed my booking time at the last minute. We boarded a large catamaran with plenty of room for everyone to sit on benches or sit/lie on the net between the hulls and then motored out from the harbour and over to a spot where a pod of large Bottle-Nosed Dolphins were idling about. The guide explained we have 10 minutes to watch so a snot to stress the dolphins, then we went further on and saw a much larger pod of smaller Striped Dolphins skimming about. after this, a looping return via Camara de Lobos and past Reid's Palace back to the harbour, with a swim option that no one was quite warm enough for. Drinks are available from the bar. A gentle, pleasant experience. It was slightly cloudy and everyone needed to wrap up in coats although on land it was T shirt weather.

Lovely Catamaran trip, unfortunately didn't see any Dolphins or Whales but they did offer us the opportunity return for a free. trip Friendly staff.

Excellent morning out for 3 hours.

First of all, the staffs were nice and friendly. I gave it a 3 stars, bc it was a little bored. The three hrs. I saw two small tails off the water. I didn’t like it much and didn’t have a good time. It was cold and windy, I got a headache after. I’d do this activity last.

We booked at Easter and were going to use the ‘Eco’ boat as it had better ratings and a top deck but this was fully booked. Sussed out where we needed to be the previous day which is a booth right by the dock with the pirate ship, other catamarans 30 minutes before departure. On the day checked in, got a boarding ticket and queued up, it’s all very efficient with plenty of staff in company shirts. Lots of room with shaded area, bar with snacks and two toilets. After setting off we saw several dolphins within 20 minutes which swam close to the boat, got a couple of great videos! After that initial encounter we didn’t see anymore dolphins or whales but did come across a flock of shearwater sea birds. Returning close to land we had a quick swim before cruising back along the coast back to port. We enjoyed it, cost €35 with TA, it was 40 through Jet2, top tip would be to bring a top as it gets fresh in the wind out in the sea, thanks to all the VMT staff, great day!

Very friendly guides 😊 I just wish they would tell us some interesting facts about sea life in Madeira . Anyway it was a good experience. We got to see many dolphins.

Nice trip with dolphin and sperm whale. Really nice trip! excellent super ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great catamaran and crew, we saw small whales, unfortunate no dolphins. Tip: install electricity flushed toilets because nobody understands these manual pumps. More choice in the food would be great!

Had an enjoyable whale and dolphin watching tour (we were lucky enough to see both, even though it isn't the best season for whales). The catamaran is fast and low to the water, giving great views. I was impressed that the boat (and the other tour boats out at the same time from other companies) actually obeyed the rules about no more than two boats near the cetaceans and no more than 10 minutes. In my experience that isn't always the case. There was a bar and toilets on board, although I didn't use either. The seating was a bit uncomfortable with only two sets of benches cushioned, which my elderly mum found more difficult. I don't know if the boat would be very accessible for people in wheelchairs.

Great journey out to see whales and dolphins! We were lucky and saw 2 kinds of dolphins and pilot whales! The crew and captain were professional, friendly and fun to travel on the ocean with.

Amazing experience from start to finish! The team was friendly, professional, and made us feel completely safe the entire time. It was fantastic not only for adults, but especially for the kids , they absolutely loved every moment and are still talking about it! The activity was well-organized, exciting, and a great value for the price. Everything ran smoothly and exceeded our expectations. It’s the perfect choice for families looking for fun and unforgettable memories. We felt welcome, relaxed, and very well taken care of. Highly recommended to anyone and we would definitely do it again!

Simply amazing, beautiful place to visit, matched by sighting a pod of whales! Well worth the money for the tour with less people

This trip certainly delivered on the dolphins and whales - we saw three False Killer Whales (rare at this time of year, we're told) and dozens of Bottlenose Dolphins who swam with the boat for what seems like ages! There is also an interesting stop below the highest lookout point. Some brave souls went swimming there, but it was pretty cold on board, so we were not tempted. The reasons for not giving 5 stars are these: No one explained the functioning on the marine toilets, so as sailors, we seemed to be the only people who flushed them. At one point the dolphins came very close to the boat and I had a lovely view, and a crew member basically barged me out of the way so she could take a photo. And another crew member promised to send some photos of us with the dolphins in view - we gave him a good tip, but the pictures were never sent. So, it was an amazing experience, but I'm not convinced they are the best tour operators of the many available.