Whale and Dolphin Watching in Calheta, Madeira Island
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Calheta, Portugal
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Go whale and dolphin watching, a unique experience from Madeira. Board a boat with your experienced captain and crew, then set out for the open seas to search for these friendly marine mammals. Learn about these fascinating creatures through your crew's informative commentary.
- Catch sight of Madeira's local whale and dolphin population
- Enjoy coastal views from the deck of the boat
- Learn about the marine mammals from your expert crew
- A small group ensures a personalized experience
What's Included
- Driver/guide
- Live commentary on board
- Local guide
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- H2O MadeiraAvenida D. Manuel I - Porto de Recreio da Calheta, 9370-133 Vila da Calheta, Portugal
We ask you to do the check-in 20 minutes before departure at our Store "H2oMadeira", at the Marina of Calheta (Level 0). (https://g.page/h2omadeira?share) Parking: The marina's car parking lot is the closest and least expensive one in the area (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ly1e8j92jBX8EQMt6)
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not wheelchair accessible
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- No pets are allowed on board
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
I had an absolutely amazing experience dolphin watching with H2O Madeira! From start to finish, everything was incredible. Seeing Madeira’s coastline from the Atlantic Ocean is simply breathtaking — the views are remarkably beautiful and unforgettable.
I was beyond happy to see dolphins swimming so close to us, especially in January, which made the experience even more special. The weather was sunny and pleasant, making the trip perfect. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared many interesting facts about the dolphin species around Madeira, which added so much value to the tour.
A special mention to our skipper, who made sure we had plenty of fun during the boat ride. The final drive back to the port was especially enjoyable and such a great way to end the experience 🫶🏼
I highly recommend H2O Madeira to anyone visiting the island — truly an unforgettable experience!
Reviews
4.9
based on 1,379 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Amazing! We went out on our booked date but the sea was rough and they explained they were not sure we would see anything but they would try… we gave up after 30 mins and was offered a refund or to rebook. We came back the next day, saw 4 whales, loads of dolphin and a turtle! The team were so passionate and it felt like they really wanted viewing's.
We got a tip off for some ‘ghost whales’ and they sped off to try and spot them! They seemed genuinely happier than us to see them!
Great boat, great crew and great experience x
This was one of our favorite (if not our most favorite) whale/dolphin watching trips! I had read the chance of seeing wildlife was best in the southwest part of the island and we were not disappointed - spotted dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, a bottle nose dolphin and a pod of Pilot whales! Really fun and very capable captain (he took the swells perfectly) and very pleasant and knowledgeable guide. Perfect amount of time on the water. I love that they took photos and emailed them to us. Wonderful day and outing!
Awesome! Loved the boat ride! We saw whales and dolphins, the guides were knowledgeable. Overall highly recommend !
I had an absolutely amazing experience dolphin watching with H2O Madeira! From start to finish, everything was incredible. Seeing Madeira’s coastline from the Atlantic Ocean is simply breathtaking — the views are remarkably beautiful and unforgettable.
I was beyond happy to see dolphins swimming so close to us, especially in January, which made the experience even more special. The weather was sunny and pleasant, making the trip perfect. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared many interesting facts about the dolphin species around Madeira, which added so much value to the tour.
A special mention to our skipper, who made sure we had plenty of fun during the boat ride. The final drive back to the port was especially enjoyable and such a great way to end the experience 🫶🏼
I highly recommend H2O Madeira to anyone visiting the island — truly an unforgettable experience!
We had good weather on our trip which made a huge difference. We saw a shark, bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, and risso’s dolphins. The guide was knowledgeable and the driver was great. I especially liked how the guides respected the dolphins and didn’t spend too long with a pod. I also appreciated that they collected random plastic when it came up in the ocean on our trip.
Great experience, saw bottlenose and spotted dolphins. The whole family had a great time including the young children
Plus: We saw Dolphins, nice guide
Minus: no whales, long time just drive around seeing nothing, but the guides tried their best
If I could leave 10 stars I would. I’m a poor sailor and worried I couldn’t do this but with simple rules of riding waves like a horse and always looking to the horizon I did it all and didn’t feel ill.we saw dolphins and sperm whales despite their being a storm last night and a very honest conversation about our chances. This was one of the high of my life with my son for £73 - go for it -skilled crew captain and watchers - I felt safe and have had the experience of a lifetime
Fantastic experience and brilliant crew. Amazing experience for all the family members and the little ones loved it too. Thank you ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We cant control wild life but i want to thank the entire team for the amazing customer service and for making the tour super fun. Love that they provide professional copies of what they captured from the tour and immediately send us copies too. I usually get motion sick and did take supplements to decrease the chances. The tour did not affect me one bit and i did sit at the very back,as instructed by the guide.
Cheers!
We really enjoyed this trip and would definitely do it again next time we're in Madeira. The day we booked for was really bad weather. The guides managed expectations, but still took us out on the boat for 30 minutes to see if we could find any wildlife. We did spot a couple of spotted dolphins, but the guides decided the conditions were not good enough to continue. The office booked us onto the next day without stress and we saw a pod of 30+ bottlenose dolphins which was magical, and common dolphins hunting. The guides are very knowledgeable and I appreciated that this tour didn't disturb the wildlife. We even picked rubbish out of the ocean. The speedboat was also great fun. Would definitely recommend this company.
Very slick operation. We saw common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales. Team even collected litter from the ocean.
I would suggest it needs to be made clearer that people who have injuries, or are elderly or pregnant, would likely be best to avoid this trip as it takes place on a rib travelling up to 37 knots and is very bumpy at points!
Really fun watching the dolphins playj and the boat ride was a nice way to see the beautiful coast from another perspective (even tho the seas were really rough). Exxcellent guide and crew.
Sounds like the odds of seeing Whales are really low all year round so would probably make that clearer.
Tried very hard to find whales but found dolphins. Not Always easy to find on this kind of tour. Great tour director though
Fun ride and saw many dolphins. The guide was very informative, and was caring when I started to feel nauseous. If I wouldn't get sea sick, I would do the tour again.
Excellent experience for the whole family! Our 7 year old daughter enjoyed it very much. Awesome tour guides. Would definitely do it again.
Absolutely the best whale and dolphin watching experience ever! We are two full pods of dolphins AND a whale!!! Our guides were so determined to find a whale that the tour ended up being 3 hours and it was worth every minute!!! My 8yo was in HEAVEN!
Honestly the best part of my 12 day trip! It was so perfect and the tour guys were great. We saw lots of amazing creatures!
Experienced Staff, knowledgable with the marine species and the conservation of the ocean, friendly and professional.
We saw plenty of dolphins of two different species. The boat ride was fast and superfun. They knew where to go to find the animals. We were not lucky with whales but the guys tried… Great trip
Crew was nice and friendly, I would say knowledgible ( but me And my fiance Are zoologists ). Was great experience, we saw ať least tree species of whales. Thank you guys!
Very friendly agency, professionals, we were able to see two different type of dolphins, a sperm whale 🐳 and a careta careta turtle 🐢........and a fun ride at the end of the tour.
An amazing trip out, we saw Fin Whales and a Humpback Whale. The guides were knowledgeable and great at helping us spot the whales from a distance.
I would not hesitate to book again!
Great experience! We had a wonderful time. Great explanation and good view on the dolfins! Absolutely worth!
Great experience. The boat was very small, but ideal for viewing the dolphins. We saw two different types of dolphins; there were numerous sightings of each type. We saw them jumping out of the water and swimming next to and below the boat. The staff were highly knowledgeable and very friendly. They were also keen to ensure that the dolphins weren’t disturbed by the boat. I can thoroughly recommend the tour.
Awesome trip, I see sperm whales, highly recommended tour in são Miguel island, and lovely, friendly staff.
Perfect trip, excellent service
Saw a lot of dolphins,pilot whales en even seals,there only live 40 near deserta island
Absolutely loved this excursion with my wife and two kids. The guys running the trip were genuinely thrilled at the wildlife and seemed to have an absolute ball, as well as being really knowledgeable about the animals. Their joy was infectious and they had as much fun as we did. We also ran over time as there were more animals to see, so no rush at all to hurry you off the boat. We saw dolphins and whales and had a race with a flying fish- it was quite magical. Very highly recommended!
I have seen a whale before. This trip, I've seen plenty, though none of the photos came out great, showing only the back of whales. It was nothing like photos of national geographic. The marina is about 35 minutes west of Funchal. We were all wearing masks even though we were in the ocean. It was a cold, grey day. Better bundle up. I was so glad that I wrapped up in a scarf. The staff were quite helpful. I've gained some knowledge about whales and dolphins. The dolphins loved jumping around and they looked bigger than the ones I saw in the Caribbeans. It would better to go in summer. In a grey December cold day, it was less enjoyable but nothing can do about the weather. There are no Uber in the areas after the ride. They helped me to call a taxi (at lower rate) to go back to my hotel.
It was a great trip. Although we didn't see any dolphins we were thrilled to see whales including a baby whale
From $70.94
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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