Dolfijnen en walvissen spotten per catamaran vanuit Funchal

Fun filled afternoon on the ocean with terrific views of Funchal and other parts of the Madeiran coastline. They said we would see dolphins, and we did, swimming right alongside the boat. Beer, wine and snacks were available on board.

BRISK, choppy conditions could have turned our catamaran whale and dolphin watching trip with Magic Dolphin into a disaster. Instead it produced a vibrant combination of hilarious incident, swooping passage through the waves and the triumphant spotting of a pod of pilot whales towards the end of our voyage. We arrived on the quay and checked in at the ticket desk before joining scores of other people waiting to go out to sea. We didn't know it at the time but the large size of the catamaran was to play to our advantage and even then it was a wild ride on waves which started at barely a metre but got larger and larger the further we went out until we were rollercoasting down one and up the next. Boarding our catamaran was the usual scrum with eager beavers hustling for what they considered to be the best spot on board. We had the last laugh. By the time we got on board the higher deck was full and all the "best" places near the bows of the main deck were taken by daredevils keen to show they were having a good time. They had no-one to blame but themselves as we left harbour and the captain warned those on the main deck that they might want to move back a bit because conditions meant they might get wet. No-one moved and the rest of us thoroughly enjoyed what happened next. We had barely got out on to the sea proper when there was a thump and a wave came on board right through the thick of those who'd fought for a prominent position. There were shrieks of shock and a good deal of laughter as designer handbags were rescued and cool dudes tried to stay cool as the front of their sporty clothing took a drenching. They weathered that wave but another came and then another until finally the captain's message sank in and the diehards began to drift back to drier seating. By pure luck our seating on the port side seemed slightly drier and we ended up as the most advanced viewpoint although inevitably we got a few facefuls of seawater along the way. A few announcements for people feeling seasick told them not to go to the toilet which would be the worst place for them. The initial fizz and buzz of the drenchings and the swoop up and down waves died away and all focus swung on spotting the marine attractions we had come to see. An hour later and we were still waiting but towards the end a tip came in and we joined another group shadowing a pod of pilot whales. The captain followed correct modern protocol to give us our photo opportunity but not to stay too long that we made the whales uncomfortable with our presence. Full marks there. Almost before we knew it we were skimming back to Funchal at the end of a wonderful day we enjoyed for all the right reasons. Overall the catamaran had good facilities including drinks and toilets while the crew was very professional and very knowledgeable about marine life Top marks for the Magic Dolphin....and watch out you don't get soaked too!!

Great trip. The spacious catamaran was ideal for 3 generations of our family. The small ones loved being out on the net across the bows and the older ones enjoyed the seats and shade across the middle. With whales and dolphins located early, we enjoyed the trip to the cliffs, we even saw a flying fish!