This activity can be conditioned by the weather and conditions of the sea. We can, in case of bad weather or uncomfortable sea conditions, cancel the trip by fully refunding the amount paid or rebooking the trip to another time.
2 Hours 30 Minutes
Daily Tour
12 people
English, Français, Portuguese, Spanish
Experienced by Get Your Ticket. Recommended as a 5⭐ Marine Wildlife Experience.
Ages: 5+ | Duration: 2h–3h
Join a team of marine biologists on an educational wildlife experience, where you will explore the ocean beyond Ria Formosa Natural Park in search of dolphins and other marine species in their natural habitat. This small-group tour offers a more exclusive and informative experience, combining wildlife observation with real marine research carried out during the trip. The boat leaves through the channels of Ria Formosa before entering the Atlantic Ocean, where the team begins searching for cetaceans and other marine life. Depending on the season, you may observe Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Striped Dolphins, marine birds, sharks, turtles, and occasionally larger whale species such as Fin whales, Minke whales, Sei whales, and Humpback whales. During the activity, marine biologists collect scientific data for ongoing research projects while sharing valuable knowledge about local marine ecosystems.
Special tip ❤️: Spring months often offer the highest variety of marine species, including occasional whale sightings.
Daily departures operate all year round.
Tour duration depends on how quickly marine wildlife is located.
Minimum participation is 4 adults.
Maximum group size is 12 participants including children.
Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed, as animals are observed in their natural habitat.
Unsure or need more info?
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Family & Group discounts available + Multi-activity packages!
Our tours are subject to weather and sea conditions. In the event of unfavorable weather conditions, we will contact you to reschedule or provide a refund. Additionally, the company reserves the right to cancel a trip if it does not reach the minimum number of passengers. Customers will receive a full refund in such cases.
NO. It is very important to be aware that this is a 100% natural tour in the open wild and not a zoo! Therefore we can never guarantee for sure that cetaceans will be sighted, but we can promise we will do our best to find them. Since our launch until now, 94% of the tours were successful (data 2019+2020), but nature is nature and sometimes it happens!
This number is the result of opportunistic data collection on board our vessel since the beginning of our activity. We log every Dolphin Tour – with or without sightings since June 2019, so we can gather accurate information. Our team collects opportunistic data in every single tour regarding dolphins occurrence, behavior, ecology & many other inputs.
NO. We will try our best to find cetaceans for more than 2h30, and we can search for a little bit more ( if the skipper determines the conditions are good to continue). However, if the tour starts but the sea is unexpectedly rough the tour may be cancelled with refund.
You may see a large variety of animals! The Ria Formosa and waters surrounding the Algarve are very rich in biodiversity.
You may see;
Birds: Flamingos, Spoonbill, Kingfisher, Osprey, Black Winged Stilt, White Stork, Oyster Catcher, Cormorant, Atlantic Puffin, Northern Gannet, Great Skua, Shearwaters
Dolphins: Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Orcas/Killer Whales, Striped Dolphins, Risso’s Dolphin, False Killer Whales, Short Finned Pilot Whales, Spotted Dolphins (very rare)
Baleen Whales: Fin Whale, Minke Whale, Sei Whale
As well as: Hammerhead Sharks & Turtles
Top Quality
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Small Groups
Travel in small groups of less than 12 people
Marine Biologists
Travel with highly knowledgeable experts
Local Agents
Our local agents will advise you in the best way possible to find best options for you
Customer Service
Speak to our team quickly via Whatsapp, call or email and we will answer any questions you have about this activity as quickly as possible
Member Since 2023
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Passeio pela ria Formosa