Bird, Whale and Dolphin Watching

For privileged views of seabirds, dolphins & whales, join our whale watching trips off Machico, Madeira led by responsible naturalists, who follow the best practices of the World Cetacean Alliance. Climate positive, 200% of CO2 emissions are offset.

  • Madeira Island, Portugal

    Discover Madeira ocean's wildlife on this marine adventure! Enjoy cetaceans and seabirds framed by the amazing landscape of the island's east tip.

    • Price

      50 EUR person

    • Target species

      Seabirds (Cory's and Manx shearwaters, Fea's and Bulwer's Petrels), Dolphins & Whales.

    • Itinerary

      The trip departs from Machico harbour wall, in Machico and rides in search for birds, dolphins & whales.

    • Schedule

      This trip has a duration of 2 hours. Morning or afternoon trips are equally good to watch marine wildlife.

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    Highlights

    Watch Seabirds, Dolphins and Whales at close range
    Easy parking close to Machico harbour
    Experienced professional sailors, birdwatchers and naturalists as crew

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    Inclusions

    Shock mitigation seats (that absorb the impact of waves) for all passengers
    An hydrophone may be used to hear the cetaceans, if sea conditions allow.
    English, Spanish and Portuguese speaking crew

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    Recommendations

    Take a warm & waterproof jumper, fast drying clothes, appropriate footwear (tennis or sandals), sun protector and a tie up hat.

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    Group size

    Minimum people to run the trip: 8
    Maximum group size: 12
    Staff to Guest ratio: 1/6

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    Meeting point

    South wall of Machico harbour, in Machico (SE Madeira). VR1 Dual carriageway, exits 25 and 26. Easy parking by the marina. Return transfers from Funchal, Caniço and Santa Cruz city centers are available on request for a surcharge of 10 EUR per person.

  • eco

    Climate Positive

    Trips only run between mid-April and mid-October when more species are around Madeira; not everyday and only when the boat is fully booked (or almost) to minimize the impact on wildlife. We are proud to say that our past trips have had no negative impact on the environment, and since 2023, we offset twice the amount of CO2 emissions.

The adventure starts immediately after leaving Machico harbour, in search of a feeding frenzy of seabirds normally associated with dolphins and/or whales. The crew is always looking for seabirds and cetaceans so there is no itinerary on this trip and it is always dependable on weather and sea conditions.

The essence of these Madeira whale watching trips is to respect and understand nature, knowing that everyday is different, that the ocean is big and wildlife is not guaranteed. We are a proud boat trip operator who strives for the sustainability of this ecotourism activity! Consequently we operate in an area with less sea trip operators, therefore minimizing the impact and disturbance on marine wildlife.

The Atlantic Ocean around Madeira Islands can be considered blissful for marine mammals, as more than 20 species of cetaceans have been recorded to these warm waters, roughly one quarter of the entire world's species. Though almost all these marine species use Madeira waters as passage point, feeding area or for giving birth to its calves, cetaceans can be watched all year around.

Many ask when is the "Whale Watching Season in Madeira?" or "What is the best time to visit Madeira?" Having said that we observe Whales and Dolphins all year around, lets be fair, May to October is the best season in Europe for Wildlife and Madeira is no different. This is the time when sea conditions are better to spot cetaceans and when a bigger number of seabirds and sea mammals are around. Between November and February seabirds are hardly observed and the number of cetacean species around is smaller, being the Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala macrorhynchus, Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus and Short-beaked Common Dolphins Delphinus delphis the most sighted species in the winter.

The aim of Wind Birds' bird, dolphin and whale watching trips is to establish a connection between you and these magnificent marine animals in their natural habitat and to allow you the chance to admire the beautiful natural scenery of Madeira.

Upcoming Tours

To maximize your Madeira whalewatching and birdwatching experience, these trips only run between mid-April and mid-October. Departures from Machico harbour.

Jun29

Madeira Whale Watching12 places available

Jul2

Madeira Whale Watching4 places available

Jul5

Madeira Whale Watching8 places available

Jul7

Madeira Whale Watching12 places available

  • Madeira Whale Watching Short Finned Pilot Whale Globicephala Macrorhynchus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Sperm Whale Physeter Macrocephalus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Fea Petrel Pterodroma Feae Deserta
  • Madeira Whale Watching Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops Truncatus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Bulwer Petrel Bulweria Bulwerii
  • Madeira Whale Watching Sperm Whale Physeter Macrocephalus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops Truncatus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Cory Shearwater Calonectris Borealis
  • Madeira Whale Watching Short Finned Pilot Whale Globicephala Macrorhynchus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Sperm Whale Physeter Macrocephalus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Fea Petrel Pterodroma Feae Deserta
  • Madeira Whale Watching Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops Truncatus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Bulwer Petrel Bulweria Bulwerii
  • Madeira Whale Watching Sperm Whale Physeter Macrocephalus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops Truncatus
  • Madeira Whale Watching Cory Shearwater Calonectris Borealis

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have other questions, please contact us.

  • What languages do your staff speak?

    Our naturalist leaders are bilingual with standard languages being English and Portuguese. Our birdwatching specialists speak English and know most of the bird names in this language.

  • What should I take for this boat tour?

    We recommend you bring a warm and waterproof jumper, hat or cap, sun protection lotion, and a bottle of water. Please do not bring walking boots onboard, instead bring sandals or tennis shoes.

  • The weather conditions are bad. Do you still run the tour?

    If the forecasts for the day of your activity are not suitable for whalewatching and birdwatching or not safe to operate, we will try to postpone or cancel it (refundable).

  • What type of payment do you accept?

    We accept Visa, MasterCard, Amex and cash. Google Pay and ApplePay are also accepted.

  • Do you guarantee the wildlife to see?

    We aim to watch wild species and do our best to find them, though we can not guarantee them. We can not refund customers or offer another trip if we do not see specific birds or cetaceans. As an example, on sea trips that we do not see cetaceans, we end up covering a distance that is the same between Madeira and Porto Santo (25 nautical miles) as opposed to a trip that we see wildlife.