Few places in Europe let you go whale watching all year round. Madeira is one of them. The island rises steeply from very deep Atlantic water, so you don't need to sail far from Funchal to reach the open ocean, and some species stay here through every season.
Around the Madeira archipelago, close to 30 species of whales and dolphins have been recorded. That's roughly a third of all the cetacean species known worldwide. So which ones can you realistically expect to see, and when? Here is a practical guide, based on years of sightings around the island.
Two things make Madeira special.
Depth close to shore. The island is volcanic and its slopes keep going down steeply under the sea. Deep water, the habitat of sperm whales and beaked whales, starts within a short boat ride of the coast.
A crossroads in the Atlantic. Madeira sits on the route of several migrating species. Researchers have shown, for example, that humpback whales use Madeira as a crossing point on their migration in the north-east Atlantic (Alves et al., 2025).
The result is a mix of residents, which can be seen at almost any time of year, and visitors, which pass through in certain seasons.
According to research teams working in Madeira (the ECHO project at ARDITI), the most frequently recorded species are the common bottlenose dolphin, the short-finned pilot whale, the Atlantic spotted dolphin, the short-beaked common dolphin and the sperm whale. Here's when each one is usually around, based on the frequency of observations compiled by local naturalists at Madeira Wind Birds.
Common bottlenose dolphin. Seen all year, with more sightings from March to October. Studies have found that some bottlenose dolphins return to Madeira again and again, and a part of the population shows signs of residency (Dinis et al., 2016).
Short-finned pilot whale. Seen all year, mainly from November to April. Pilot whales often rest at the surface in tight family groups, which makes for calm, close-up encounters.
Sperm whale. Seen all year, mainly from March to September. This is the largest toothed whale on Earth. Sperm whales were hunted in Madeira until the early 1980s, and today they're protected and listed as Vulnerable.
Atlantic spotted dolphin. Possible all year, but mostly from March to November. These playful dolphins often come over to ride the bow wave of the boat.
Short-beaked common dolphin. Mainly from December to May, and often in large, fast-moving groups.
Bryde's whale. Usually April to October. This baleen whale is one of the stars of Madeira's summer, and it's often seen in coastal waters.
Some species turn up less often, mostly in spring and summer:
And then there are the rare sightings that every crew dreams of, such as blue whales, humpback whales, orcas, false killer whales or Blainville's beaked whale. You can't plan for these, but every year a few lucky trips get them.
There's no bad month. It depends on what you'd like to see:
If you're only in Madeira for a few days, book your trip early in your stay. If the sea is too rough, the trip can be moved and you'll still have time to go out.
Our Whale & Dolphin Watching Tour leaves from Marina do Funchal and lasts about 2.5 hours. It runs every day, all year round:
Before leaving the marina, the crew gives a short briefing about the species you might meet. At sea, we work with land-based spotters who scan the ocean from the coast and tell the boat where the animals are. This saves time and greatly improves the chances of a sighting.
We go out on our RIB boats, Tiger and Tiger II. They're fast enough to reach the animals quickly and small enough to keep groups intimate.
And if no whales or dolphins are seen on your tour, you can come on a second trip free of charge.
Ventura has been doing this since 2001, and our motto is "respecting wildlife". In practice, that means approaching slowly, never chasing or surrounding the animals, keeping engines low near them and letting them decide how close they want to come. A good encounter is one where the animals carry on with their day as if we weren't there.
If you fall in love with Madeira's coastline, there's more to see from the sea. Our classic sailing boat sails along the south coast to the foot of Cabo Girão, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe, and we also run special trips to the Desertas Islands, a nature reserve and sanctuary for seabirds and marine life.
Ready to meet Madeira's whales and dolphins? Book your trip or write to us at bookings@venturadomar.com.
Sources: ECHO project, ARDITI ("Cetaceans around Madeira", with references to Dinis et al. 2016 and Alves et al. 2018, 2025); Madeira Wind Birds, "Cetaceans in Madeira" (seasonality based on frequency of observations); tour details from venturadomar.com (November 2026). Sightings are never guaranteed and seasons vary from year to year.