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About us

We stand for Water, Whales, Whale Watching, Whale conservation, Wellness and for Welcome. Lobosonda is a whale watching company respectful of all marine biodiversity operating in Madeira since 2003.

We believe that our work is far more than a source of income and are committed to the Ocean and all its marine biodiversity. As a thank you for all the beautiful sightings of marine mammals, we had over the past years, the Lobosonda team works with heart and soul daily on ocean issues and its protection.

We will take you into the “blue office” a beautiful and sensitive workplace. In the Ocean there are also laws that apply, the most important one: respect! Each species has a different character, varies their behaviour and the daily condition of the animals also plays a role on each sighting. Therefore we cannot guarantee sightings on every sailing but, our team does their best daily. Each sailing is different and unique, a good and respectful team work translates itself on the success rate of our sightings.

The coming together of people and marine mammals is special and should remain special. It is our mission and responsibility under the existing rules to make encounters with marine mammals that do not harm them in any way so its our focus daily to get this right.

Our History
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Info Center Calheta/Marina
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Pricing

With our two different boat types we offer the right alternative for every guest.
There is a cosy and a sporty version and no matter how you decide,
we strive to create a nice tour and encounters with the marine mammals for you.

Ribeira Brava

Our tradicional fishing boat
has place for 16 people.

Stenella

Our state of art speed boat
takes up to 12 people.

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Snorkelling with Dolphins
Our challenge is to give our guests an unforgettable experience while treating the animals respectfully…

Whale Watching

The observation of whales and dolphins has become known worldwide in English as whale watching. Dolphins are of course also covered by the phrase, as they belong to the toothed whales. Marine mammals are a source of great fascination all over the world. Since 2003 we are offering whale watching tours off the south west coast of Madeira island. And as a responsible company this activity is much more than “just” a business.

Rather, it is on one hand such a precious gift that we ever have the opportunity to be able to spend time with these wonderful animals. On the other hand, it is a big pleasure to share these moments with other people and to create awareness for these animals. Therefore the following points are very important:

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Our Approach

We always give marine life
top priority on our trips
as we are actually intruding
on their world with our boat.
Therefore, when we spot a group
of whales or dolphins,firstly,
we always check how they are behaving.
What are the animals doing?
Are they moving into one direction,
are they hunting, or searching for food?
Are they resting, socializing,
or do they come voluntarily
and playfully to the bow of our boat?
Lot’s of these information
we will get from our spotter,
which locates the animals
with his big binoculars for us
and then guides the boat towards them.

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Whales & Dolphins

Cetacea is the order to which
all cetaceous animals, that is whales,
dolphins and porpoises belong.
All dolphins are whales,
or to be more precise, toothed whales.
But not all whales are dolphins!
The biggest dolphin is the Orca,
which can measure up to 9 meters in length.
But no matter how big they are,
Orcas still belong to the dolphins.
On the other hand, the pygmy sperm whale,
that only grows to about 3 meters in length,
still belongs to the whales.
The whole classification is rather complex,
and for those who know less
about these animals, easily confusing.
For this reason, we made an effort
to introduce these fascinating creatures
in the simplest possible way.

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Marine Protection

Madeira island is located
in the middle of the blue Atlantic Ocean
and from almost everywhere on the island
we have the view unto the sea.
There, in the big Blue,
the basis of all life
on our planet originated
through the production of oxygen.
The oceans are therefore,
the cradle of all life.
This alone should be reason enough
for us to be more aware of the sea
and protect the ocean and its inhabitants.
For this same reason
we have gathered some online petitions
that stand up for the protection of cetaceans,
the ocean and all its marine life.
Take action by clicking below…

Sightings

Since 2003 we have provided our whale watching tours and since 2007 we have recorded our sightings support in scientific work regionally, nationally and internationally. However, aggregated monthly statistics do not guarantee sightings! Experience and sightings show that nature is constantly changing and has its own “cycles “. There is no doubt that human activity and development is impacting heavily on the marine environment. This list below are guidelines based solely on our own data.

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Success of our Trips

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90.1%
RIBEIRA BRAVA
(2012-2017)

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95.4%
STENELLA
(2012-2017)

statistic graphics by mdmaik – maik lippke

  • "What a fantastic experience, getting so close to a huge group of interactive
    dolphins! Shame no whales, but it's luck of the draw on all of these trips.
    Very happy, and thankyou!"
    Irene Mackay (Facebook . 01.04.2017)
  • "Toller Anbieter für Wal (Delfin) - Watching. Wir haben den Fischkutter gebucht und
    waren über zwei Stunden auf dem Meer. Diverse Delfine haben uns begrüsst. Tolles Erlebnis.
    Lobosonda ist zu empfehlen."
    Ivo (Google+ . 07/08/2017)
  • "Great informative guides, they don't rush in rather respect the animals and let them
    approach us which is highly admirable. Look no further this is the best company in Madeira!"
    Marius Simkus (Facebook . 29.07.2017)
  • "Tolle naturnahe Touren, die die Tiere und die Umwelt respektieren. Sehr hohe
    Sichtungsquote. Eine absolute Empfehlung. Wer die Natur und das Meer liebt,
    muss eine Tour mitmachen. Dazu kommt, dass die Mitarbeiter extrem nett und
    sympathisch sind. Man merkt, dass alle hier mit Leidenschaft dabei sind."
    Marc Gruss (Google+ . 23.07.2017)
  • "We had a wonderful trip this morning and were totally thrilled with our encounter
    with three pilot whales! Claudia was very informative and we thoroughly enjoyed
    the whole experience. Thanks guys, it was the highlight of our holiday!"
    Lesley Mclelland (Facebook . 16.02.2017)
  • "Tolle, sehr lehrreiche Fahrt! Unsere Kinder waren auch begeistert."
    Tim Dunker (Google+ . 20.07.2017)
  • "We took the midday inflatable boat trip and were lucky to see sperm whale mother
    and calf and third spark whale. Then we were joined by a school of spotted
    dolphins who tried to race us. Our guide and captain were excellent speaking in
    German, English and French. Really enjoyable couple of hours.
    Highly recommended"
    David G (TripAdvisor . 07.06.2017)
  • "Wir hatten mit Astrid und Luis einen wunderschönen Ausflug auf dem Meer. Allein
    die Fahrt mit dem Fischerboot war schon toll und dann haben wir auch noch Delfine
    gesehen. Was will man mehr…"
    Simone P (TripAdvisor . 12.06.2017)

Meet our Crew

Lobosonda started in the summer of 2003 as a family business with only 3 team members.
Now, 12 years later, we already have a team of 12 people working with us. May we introduce ourself?

Rafael Gomes

Rafael Gomes
Maintenance & Co-founder

Claudia Gomes

Claudia Gomes
Co-founder & Whale watching Guide

Luis Pereira

Luís Pereira Roque
Captain
Old School Sailor & Fisherman

Fatima Kutschbach

Fatima Kutschbach
Whale watching Guide

Marion Loch

Marion Loch
Booking & Reservations

Joana Gomes

Joana Gomes
Manager

Daniel Jardim

Daniel Jardim
Skipper and Guide

Carlos Drumond

Carlos Drumond
Spotter “vigia”

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Filipe Bettencourt
Skipper

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Luisa Canha
Front Desk

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Marlene Cabral
Front Desk

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Paula Thake
Marine Biologist

… & our Boats

A fast and modern zodiac has recently joined our traditional, laid-back fishing boat.
The two are different, but both have their advantages, and guests may choose the one they like best
or decide to have a go on both one after the other.

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Ribeira Brava

Our cozy, traditional fishing boat
“Ribeira Brava” restored and maintained with
lots of love carries 16 passengers
and 4 crew members.
Its well designed and stable for Atlantic waves
so perfect for observing whales and dolphins.

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Stenella

Our Zodiac “Stenella”
glides over the sea and
can accommodate up to 12 guests
and 2 crew members. It provides us with
the capacity to reach marine mammals spotted
further away quickly.

Gallery

Here you will find a photo selection of the best images we have captured on our daily trips.
We hope you enjoy our photos, they come from fantastic moments we experienced with these animals...


Madeira Island

Situated around 900 km (560 miles) to the South-West from the European mainland, Madeira rises from the Atlantic as part of a mountain range. Also known as “the flower island”, she lies between the Azores and the Canaries, and has an area of approx. 30 x 60 km (18.6 x 37.3 miles). The uninhabited Desertas Islands, are a protected area for monk seals among others, and Porto Santo is another inhabited island in the Madeira region. The latter, Madeira’s smaller neighbor has a sandy beach stretching 9 kilometers (5.6 miles).

Madeira came into being millions of years ago as a result of a geological hotspot, and was officially discovered in the year 1419 AD. The tallest mountain of Madeira is the Pico Ruivo at 1,861 m (1156.371 miles). Fans of mountaineering are welcome in Madeira, but many also go hiking along the water canals, known locally as levadas. So what is keeping you at home?

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Fauna & Flora

Madeira is famous
as the floating garden in the Atlantic,
but its importance
in relation to the underwater world
has begun since the
of the 21st century.

Which plants and animals can be found
in the waters of Madeira and
why is biodiversity, especially underwater,
so great in Madeira?
Find out more on the link below.

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Macaronesia

Besides the Azores,
the Canary Islands and Cape Verde,
the archipelago of Madeira
also belongs to the
Macaronesian “Fortune Isles“.
All of these islands share
a volcanic origin.

How was the origin of Madeira
as one of the Fortunate Isles?
Find out the answer below.

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Some local Trips

Calheta is a village in the
South-West of Madeira.
Besides the central village of Calheta itself,
the municipality also contains
Arco da Calheta, Estreito da Calheta,
Jardim do Mar, Paúl do Mar, Prazeres,
Fajã da Ovelha and Ponta do Pargo.
There is a wide variety of attraction in the
municipality whether your are interested in
nature, sport or culture.
What Calheta region has to offer!
Get to know all of our tips in the link below.

Our Daily Trips

Like old school sailors we keep our daily trip journals & reports,
feeding our blog on a daily basis with the best selection of photos and stories to tell,
registering everything.

Contact

Our trips go out 2 or 3 times daily throughout the year. Due to our policy, which is working only with small groups, our tours are well booked,
so please make sure that you book in advance. We would love to welcome you on board and have the pleasure to share this experience
with you and your family, during anytime of the year…

We have temporary relocated our shop due to construction works at the cliff behind the Harbor. You can find us in a quiosque in the garden next to the car park (blue building). For more information click on the map.

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Av. D. Manuel I, Porto da Calheta
9370-133 Calheta, Madeira – Portugal

GPS: 32°43’02.2″N, 17°10’14.1″W

Info-Center: Jun – Sep: 08:30h – 20:00h
Oct – May: 09:30h – 19:00h (closed on Sundays)

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Booking: (+351) 968 400 980
(Jun – Sep: 08:00h – 20:00h . Oct – May: 09:00h – 19:00h)

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Contact us directly via email:
info@lobosonda.com

Keep up with us…

Get to know what we are up to, find much more information about our trips and community. Get to know the cetaceans world best tips and help us stand up for the causes that protect our ocean. Send us your email and we will send you some love!

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