Distinctive Dolphins in Madeira

The ocean is usually my favorite place but right now, I feel a bit salty.  Towards the end of my trip to Croatia my phone dropped in the ocean and is completely dead which was a bit of a downer but our trip was still terrific!  While I work on get back u0p and running – and going through what photos I managed to save, I wanted to share a different travel adventure!

When planning my trip to Madeira I knew the majority of my activities would focus around the water. In addition to booking scuba diving when doing my research I saw that the most popular excursion out of the capital, Funchal, was dolphin and wail watching. Dolphins have always been my favorite animal and when i was little i wanted to be a dolphin trainer so clearly that tour was a must.  And when of my top travel bloggers, Yaya and Lloyd, in their Madeira post recommended a tour from Rota dos Cetaceos I knew that was the one to go with.

This I booked ahead (and good thing as it sold out) and on my first morning I boarded a small rib boat that was fast and bumpy but was able to get up close and personal. The tour was called Whale & Dolphin Watching and from 9am to near noon on my first morning I boarded a small rib boat and jetted off fast in search of sea creatures.  It was windy and a bit chilly but it was only a short while until we came across a pod of Madeira dolphins.

One of the best things was when we were super close to the dolphins I got a chance to put on a mask and jump in the water and swim with them.  Swim is honestly a bit of a misnomer as the Madeira dolphins moved so fast I held on to a rope off the side of the rib and went along for the ride.  The entire time I was in the water with them I was kicking myself that I did not bring that I usually use when scuba diving.  For every dolphin I saw on the surface there were at least five times as many under the surface.  Still, an unbelievable experience I will be sure not to forget!

Like most recommendations from the Hand Luggage Only boys I would also recommend Rota dos Cetaceos if you plan on a trip to see the Madeira dolphins.  Then a few days later I decided to go on a different kind of “dolphin tour” – a giant catamaran. We saw dolphins for a few minutes at a  distance but it was more a gorgeous sailboat ride across the bay. There are few places I have found more beautiful than the Madeira Archipelago and a trip to see dolphins is a define must for any visit.