Whale and dolphin watching from Calheta marina

Boats leave the marina beside the beach for the deep water off Madeira's south-west coast, which drops away fast enough that cetaceans are close in. Bottlenose and common dolphins are the usual sightings, with Atlantic spotted dolphins, pilot whales and, with luck and season, larger whales. Trips typically run around two and a half hours, and spotters on land radio the boats onto the animals.