I can highly recommend this sailingtrip! Friendly and professional captain and crew took us out for a beautiful trip. They located groups of Pilot Whale and common Atlantic Dolphins, could see them very close but without disturbing. Had a great trip along the coastline south of Funchal. Skipped the snorkelling - this was December and too cold water - but this gave us a reason to get back :-) We choosed this trip just because it was a smaller, more quiet vessel, less people onboard and a chance to get more close to nature and animals - we were very happy about our choise!

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.

Beautiful boat. Lovely to have the sail up. Not crowed so you had your own space. Skipper navigated us to see dolphins and then a lovely swim with fish in a little bay. Nuno the ‘skippers mate’ was great company and knowledgeable. Other guests were also friendly. The Madeira wine was fantastic! We had a great time and would thoroughly recommend this trip.