Whale And Dolphin Watching Tour From Funchal

Excellent trip, well organised, lovely company to deal with, saw whales ! Would highly recommend this company.

Great experience worth everything penny, guide very knowledgeable. 👍

This is a great way to see the whales and dolphins, the boat is relatively small so its easy to see everything on both sides of the boat. There was so much to see - the best trip yet for the variety and quantities of wildlife. Both the pilot and guide were very knowlegable and friendly.

Booked this experience well in advance, received a text message less than 24 hours before the trip claiming that there was an issue with one of the boats asking us to change time/day. This then meant one person in our party could not attend, no refund given, this was denied. On the date of the original booking we walked past the marina and saw that the boats were out, so clearly lied to. Having since looked at other reviews it appears this happens often with the same reason given. The actual boat trip for those of us able to attend was good, it’s a shame that poor customer service lets this company down.

Their smaller boat is a perfect set up for everyone to be comfortable and have a good view of cetaceans. The guides were great at locating them, letting us view them without interfering in their movement, and giving information. We went with this company for the opportunity to swim with the dolphins, which doesn't really seem to be a thing, but the viewing was great!

This trip was amazing from start to finish, it is the highlight of our holiday. The staff were friendly, accommodating, organised and knowledgeable. We felt safe at all times and the boat ride itself was exhilarating! We managed to see 2 different species of dolphins and some sperm whales. The dolphins were in large pods and very playful. We only booked the dolphin watching but were asked during the trip if we wanted to swim with the dolphins and then pay the extra cost at the end of the trip. My husband did this and said it was a memory he will never forget, an incredible experience. If you are thinking of doing this trip, stop thinking and just book it- I don’t think that you will regret it.

We went on a whale and dolphin tour last Saturday and it was superb. Exceptionally well run - the staff were brilliant. Very well informed briefing by Raquel (Marine Biologist) about how things were to run and what we may see. She was very knowledgable and certainly knew her stuff. We saw 3 Blaineville Beaked Whales - quite a rare sighting, followed by a huge pod (70 - 100) spotted dolphin who were racing beside the rib. It was spectacular. An incredible experience. I was very lucky to swim a bit later with a small pod of spotted dolphin and the experience will stay with me forever. Unfortunately my husband suffered from a bad bout of sea sickness during the trip but the crew and the staff back at base were very attentive and extremely kind. Thank you to Raquel and all the team you were brilliant! We will be back!!

Really well organised tour. Saw two different types of dolphins, Blythe whale and flying fish. We were out for about 2:45 mins

I’ve booked this experience for my birthday two months in advance, one day before the tour, I’ve received a message from them saying that their boat got a problem and they could not make it. Despite things like this are unpredictable and can happen, I found frustrating that there was no flexibility from the company on trying to add us in one of their other tours that day , and they simply canceled with no other options on the date we booked. ( The other time slots were working fine, at least in the morning as I saw it in the place) The communication was also vey minimal so we did not really understand what happened. They give me my money back with no problem

Great experience with a speed boat, saw some turtles and dolphins. Unfortunately whales stayed submerged even though the crew tried their best.

Well organised with enthusiastic and well informed guide . We saw at least two species of Dolphins . These tour boats are very respectful Of the animals , allowing two baots at a time for a period of 10 mins to stop and observe . Boat was spotless . we had safety briefing on shore and were given life jackets . We were also shown places of interest on Madeira from the boat . The tour lasted 2.5 hours . A must do in Madeira .

Was such a fun experience! Would recommend wearing trousers rather than a dress due to the way the seats are. Julia was such a good tour guide, as well as Andrea who drove us in the speedboat. Would love to do it again

Great experience. Guide friendly, professional and knowledgeable. We were lucky to see a Monk Seal, a Bryde’s Whale and a large group of dolphins. Guide checked in to make sure everyone was okay regularly throughout the trip. Offered a chance to swim in the sea towards the end of the trip.

This was an amazing experience! We loved it! They had guides in the mountains spotting wildlife, they were protective of the wildlife following guidelines to keep them safe, and we got to see 2 types of dolphins and 2 different whales. They were mindful to have you sit where you would be comfortable (get sick, want adventure) and were also mindful to make sure everyone could see. It was memorable for sure and we would highly recommend!

What an amazing experience we had today, the safety measures are first class, the Marine Biologist Theresa was fantastic looking after everyone on board, I get terrible sea sickness but she made sure that I could still enjoy the experience. The knowledge around the animals we saw today was brilliant, and watching a pod of sperm whales lift their magnificent tales was outstanding. The dolphins swam around the boat for some time allowing us to get photos and videos, I even saw a dolphin breach. Highly recommend.

It was fantastic day. Thanks for all. Good organising, perfect people. Everyone who coming to Madeira must have this experience. Thanks and waiting next time to see you again!🫶

We saw three different species on our 2 and a half hour trip including the spotted dolphin, which allowed us to swim incredibly up close with them. We also managed to see three sperm whales and a family of bottlenose dolphins. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly so we were able to learn new interesting information throughout the trip. Highly recommend! P.S the meeting point was not where it said it was on Google Maps, it’s down by the marina itself.

Well organised, very friendly staff. Saw whales, dolphins and a lone turtle.

Absolutely brilliant tour! Saw so many sperm whale, pilot whale and dolphin. Was thoroughly enjoyed by all the family. Great family experience and definitely an experience to remember. The boat captain and guide were great, informative and very respectful to the animals. Thank you.

Tragic customer service experience. Opening this review I admit I was late (10 minutes) and take accountability for it: didn't really expect anything when I walked in, but the absurd conversation with person at the counter made me write this. There was insane traffic on the way in, had 15 minute error margin, wasn't enough - that's on me. When I walked in with the kids I asked if it's the place as it was empty, the girl looked at me and said 'yeah but the boat's already gone' with a shrug. I asked if it would be maybe possible to move it to another time today? "No, everything's full he he" this literal smile and micro-laugh that made me write this. So I asked about next day and the day after that, same answer - finally she admitted they just don't reschedule (I figured as much but still worth to ask - no expectations, humans tend to be just nice and help out sometimes). By the way - I checked the app and everything except of one time it was wide open in their calendar. Now, get this - we sat down outside to plan what to do instead, and 20 minutes later a bunch of people went out (I have a picture), went into this company's rib and that was the point where the boat actually left. So she probably didn't let us in because of 'reasons' or whatever. No coherent answer was given. Instead of "Sorry dude, I know it's crap but I can't let you in as they already started, and we just don't reschedule - I'm sorry" I got lied to twice, while getting laughed at. A bit of honesty and empathy wouldn't make me write this review. Insanely frustrating experience, if they train their boat operators and spotters as good as they do reception people, you better not board as you might not be coming back.

We were really lucky to see both whales and dolphins on our trip. Our guide and captain were both really knowledgeable and friendly.

Amazing experience and tour guides shared knowledge of whales and dolphins Definitely a great tour to experience the ocean

We booked this we'll in advance of coming on holiday, and we were not dissapointed. Great morning out on the Atlantic Ocean with dolphins, turtles and a Sun fish. Highly recommend!

What a fantastic experience from start to finish. The marine biologist on our tour, Rachel, was knowledgeable and very friendly. I really liked that due to regulations you can only stay in one area with dolphins for a set amount of time. We were so lucky and saw bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, a Bryde’s whale and a hammerhead shark (tail fin). The boat itself is awesome, loved the speed back along the coast. Highly recommend, even if you’re not as lucky as us to see a whale.

This was not an enjoyable experience.the seats on the boat were very small and close together so very uncomfortable for the length of trip and rough seas. We had to wait ages for some people from a cruise ship so set off late. It was far too rough to see any wildlife so after 2 hours of being bashed about we came back wet, tired and having seen nothing. Free return trip was not mentioned but I wouldn’t do it again anyway. I really think in those conditions they must have known nothing would be seen and that it would be uncomfortable so should have cancelled.

Excellent experience and we were lucky enough to see sperm whales s as well as common dolphins. Staff were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about marine life conservation. Overall well worth doing and great value for money.

BEWARE: Reached out to cancel our tour due to change in travel plans (3 months in advance of scheduled tour) the this company is not issuing me a refund. They are claiming their "platform" is not working and they asked that I send my bank account information. When I explained I was not comfortable doing so, and suggested they could mail me a check, they also refused to do so.

My first ever trip on a RiB and it exceeded expectations. Went from feeling very nervous beforehand to thoroughly enjoying it. Being a spur of the moment decision we were without any jackets but they offer the use of complementary windcheaters so we were comfortable throughout the 2 1/2 hour trip. They use spotters on land to tell them where the wildlife is so we were fortunate to see both Sperm Whales and Bottle Nose Dolphins and the team on board were very informative and knowledgeable about the wildlife we saw. We finished the trip with a fast run back along the coast which was great fun. Highly recommend.

Had an excellent 3 hour tour and were lucky enough to get very close to different pods of pilot whales, they were literally next to the boat, so great for photos. There was a Marine Biologist on board to provide information and to answer any questions. We were lucky to have Teresa, her enthusiasm was infectious and she was extremely knowledgeable. Would thoroughly recommend.

Went out on the Sailing boat, not the Cat. Was a bit rough going out to where Whales are spotted. Took a good hour to get there, but so worth it. Saw Pilot Whales, crew very knowledgeable and respectful to the marine life. We had a great time, would recommend. If you don’t want to get wet, sit inside on the sail out to the whales .

We went on a trip on Thursday 30th October in the morning and saw a sperm whale, pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins. We sat at the back of the boat where we couldn't feel any of the splashing and crashing of the waves so was very comfortable. It also meant we could stand up the whole time and see everything clearly. We also had a fantastic and very knowledgeable guide in Carolina who explained about the protection and laws around protecting the wildlife. I've been lucky enough to travel around and go on many whale tours and this was by far the best when speaking from a conservation and ethical perspective.

Fantastic trip out with this group. We saw and got respectfully close to 7 or 8 sperm whales including juveniles, lots of pilot whales and a few bottle nosed dolphins. The sightings were beyond our expectations. The boat was a rib which made for a wild ride as we chased the animals around the coast. I chose the rib because I thought it would be fast which it was, and it made it easy for the crew to follow the instructions from the onshore spotter. However, we had a couple of delicate stomachs in our party who lost their breakfasts and we all got really really wet, regardless of where we were sitting. Thoroughly recommend this tour though,,,very good driver and guide. Thank you!

Well organised and uses RIB rather than larger boats. Not for everyone as need to be reasonably agile on the RIB and probably not good if you get queasy. Advantage is they are fast and adaptable, so once there is a sighting you are first there. They use land based spotter to direct to likely sightings. We went on the 9am trip and saw beaked whales, bottle nosed dolphins and amazing pilot whales. Knowledgeable crew made our day. Second time with RDC would use no other

Well dolphins are considered in the whale family but the trip was basically to see dolphins, don't expect to see whales. Added , is a quick swim and than back to the habour. Friendly staff and knowledgeable team.

Really amazing tour guides, you can tell they really care! I’m sad we didn’t get to go swimming though even though it was advertised ?

great visit and guides, we were lucky to spot a pod of dolphins and pilot whales, all safe and respectful for the animals.

Great experience from start to finish. Meeting point was clear, briefing was informative and efficient. Boat had sufficient space (small locker underneath seat, larger backpacks by your feet). Marine biologist guides were really knowledgeable (in multiple languages!). Saw a big pod of pilot whales and kept a respectful distance from the animals. Unfortunately no swimming but still spent a good 2h 15 on the water. Overall would recommend!

I booked this company as a birthday surprise for my daughter who was turning 9. We were out with some of the family so I thought it would be a nice activity. The day of the trip, we got a phone call from company saying that unfortunately they had double booked and could we change our booking to the next day. I explained that no, it was a birthday surprise and my daughters birthday was that day. The lady was rude and said that if she doesnt manage to move another booking to accommodate us, then she will ring me back. An hour later, another phone call off another lady, asking us if we would move to a 7pm trip instead of the 4pm one we had booked….we had dinner reservations booked and by now, we were thinking what had we spent nearly €500 on… Arriving at the shop for briefing was okay, a bit of a disorganised mess as there were lots of people unsure where to go and having different wrist bands on We were directed in a crowd of people down to the harbour and told to stand in one side for blue bands and one side for green bands We were allocated a boat, and within ten minutes we saw 5 bottle nose dolphins, so of course at this time, we thought it would be a good trip. I later found out these dolphins are the only creature anyone really ever sees and it’s in the one spot as you leave the harbour. We then went travelling for about 45minutee non stop to the middle of the sea to be told the spotters had seen whales, but now they have gone. I understand that it is always touch and go seeing sea life as I’ve done many of these trips around the world, but it did feel like they were just fobbing us off. Also, after speaking to other past customers, no one ever gets to swim with dolphins, it is a way of selling tickets, and then refunding you the small difference (as it doesn’t ever happen) even our advisor at the Royal Savoy told us that no one ever swims with dolphins in Madeira. So after being on the rib for an hour and a half, with still half an hour time remaining, we were informed we were heading back early as there was nothing to see. A little puzzling as the next boat was getting sorted to head out on the next trip. Very clever way of making money, but 100% wouldn’t recommend and the whole experience spoilt my daughters birthday

We went for the 9am departure and everything ran smoothly. The crew were knowledgeable about spotting sites and during the experience we saw pilot whales, spotted dolphins and a distant sperm whale. The crew were respectful of the wild nature and got as close I as feel should be expected. The guide on the boat shared lots of information and was happy to answer questions. I was delighted with what we saw and loved the opportunity to see these creatures in their natural habitat- my children did too. I would recommend this trip.

A company that can not be trusted! They closed the tour in 1.5 hours, while communicating rudely and trying to blame me for their mistake. Very unpleasant! Only stress and ruined plans!

Great trip. Well worth the time. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Got to swim in the sea around the boat and saw plenty of dolphins.

We loved our trip out on a rib with this company. The guide was extremely knowledgeable about the animals and the team were all very respectful of giving them space while getting us amazing views. Being in the rib made us very agile for getting to the places where whales and dolphins had been spotted, and we had some great sightings of several dolphin species as we as some rarely seen whales. I would highly recommend this trip for those focused on seeing and learning about the wildlife.

Booked a group of 4 of us on the boat trip but got cancelled out with under 24 hours notice - because they had accepted a whole group booking and no longer had room for us. Rebooked a day later. Team on the boats were friendly and knowledgeable but we spent 2 hours hammering across the bay and saw nothing at all until the last 10 minutes - when we queued behind 4 other boats to see 4 harassed bottle-nosed dolphins. I came away genuinely feeling that we should all leave these beautiful creatures alone.

Misleading description. It should have been possible to swim during the Tour- it was not and partial refund for that was denied. Since that was the objective for us, we just wasted time and feel scammed.

We had an amazing experience and saw lots of spotted dolphins and a Sperm whale. Seeing the whale was quite emotional. We chose this company as it was recommended by the guide book, but also because they employ marine biologists so our guides were very knowledgeable. Thank you for a fantastic experience!

Amazing and helpful staff. Saw so many dolphins on the way and explanation too. Ethical visits and even helped me to figure things out when my plane couldn’t land in Madeira. Highlight of my trip

We had a really nice time. The tour was organized, started on time, included a brief intro, and then we hopped on the boat and off we went. They have spotters on land who radio to the boat when they see animals. We visited three different groups of pilot whales and only encountered one other tour boat. The speed boat was comfortable and, what can I say, it was just an easy, enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

This Atlantic Ocean excursion was truly impressive. The guides were friendly, supportive, and well-informed. We observed Risso and Atlantic spotted dolphins swimming and leaping near the boat, a sight that was deeply moving. Highly recommended for a memorable experience.

Don’t believe that you will see whales We just saw some dolphins for 5 minutes And the boat will brake your back it’s too small it will make u so dizzy because it’s not stable it’s a survival boat !