Whale Watching Worldwide

oat capacity for operators is on average 36 passengers, with trips costing around $45 per adult and $24 per
child. Tours can be arranged for trips between two hours and a half‐day cruise.
Both smaller and larger cetaceans are sighted – within the Madeira Archipelago, around 21 cetacean species
can be sighted, some frequently and some occasionally.
Main species: Large cetaceans:
Bryde’s whale, fin whale
Tourists:
International
Domestic
Small cetaceans:
bottlenose dolphin, short‐beaked common
dolphin, false killer whale, Risso’s dolphin,
short‐finned pilot whale, pantropical spotted
dolphin, striped dolphin
80%
20%
Types of tours: Boat‐based, half‐day trips, full‐day trips,
dedicated, opportunistic.
Average adult ticket price: $45
Estimated employment
numbers:
44
Main whale watch season: February to August
Acknowledgements:
Claudia Gomes of Lobosonda, Pedro of Rota dos Cetaceos and Ana Dinis of Madeira Whale Museum
References:
Freitas, L, Dinis, A, Alves, F, Nóbrega, F 2004, ‘Cetáceos no Arquipélago da Madeira. Projecto para a Conservacao dos
Cetáceos no Arquipélago da Madeira’, Ed. Madeira Whale Museum, Machico, pp. 62
Nicolau, C, Dinis, A, Ferreira, R, Assis, C, Freitas, L 2007, ‘Characterization of Whale‐Whatching Activity in Madeira
Archipelago (SE North Atlantic), Portugal’. Madeira Whale Museum. Canizal, Madeira, Faculty of Sciences, University
of Lisbon.
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