I had this trip on my last day in Madeira, with my friends. We really appreciated the trip, and we had the opportunity to visit Desertas Islands, to try stand paddle and canoeing, to see a monk seal and a lot of dolphins!! Unfortunately, there were only 2 boards to do stand-up paddle and no all of us could try it. Same for the snorkeling masks. We would have liked to stay in the islands more! Nevertheless the staff was very nice and helpful, above all the woman (I don't remember the name, unfortunately). I truly recommend this experience!!
great value for money and we will definitely do it again.
A full day trip to the Desertas Islands was a wonderful experience. The crew were excellent and the guide was very knowledgeable and it was a great experience to go ashore and discover the little museum for the monk seals and learn about the wildlife on the islands (very different to Madeira). We had the chance to kayak through the sea cave and you could paddle board if you like, all included in the trip.
A great highlight was getting back on board to a wonderful selection on the buffet, plenty of food for everyone and drinks included.
We loved the professionalism of this company and the great care and respect they have for the animals, there were so many photo opportunities with dolphins, whales, turtles and sea birds but the crew respected the fact that we were in their habitat and did not crowd or chase anything.
If you do one trip in Madeira make it a full day with VMT Madeira, great value for money and we will definitely do it again.
We chose Gaviao for the fact it was a smaller boat which held less people. Our knowledgeable captain was joined by 2 very friendly crew members, and as there was only 8 of us, my boyfriend and I were able to sit on a giant beanbag at the very front :) We hadn't been out for long when the captain pointed out Atlantic spotted dolphins. They're so beautiful up close, and they stayed alongside us for a while, racing and diving. Further out we saw a couple of pilot whales, and the engine was switched off so that we could watch them without bothering them. They chose not to come as close as the dolphins, and the crew respected that by not chasing them! There was also an opportunity for a little swim before heading back to Funchal. I loved every bit of this experience and highly recommend it!
We had such a good experience last Friday (3pm boat trip) with Gaviao Madeira. Crew is easy to get along with and lets you do your own thing, but at the same time is very keen to chat or educate on the sealife/Madeira in general.
While we were enjoying the sun and some drinks, the crew spotted some dolphins and we got to see a group upfront who swam with the boat for a while. The crew cares about ethically approaching these groups of dolphins, which means not being disruptive to their natural habitat and behavior. After seeing the dolphins up close we turned around and had a swim in calmer water.
In short, very cool experience and a crew that seemed to genuinely care about providing us with a great experience (while being mindful of sealife). Far exceeded our expectations.
I truly recommend this experience!!