The 7 Best Sao Miguel Island Dolphin Watching Tours

1.From Ponta Delgada: Whale and Dolphin Watching Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 4,109 reviews · 3 hours · from $82Our pick

Sail from Ponta Delgada with a marine biologist or nature guide to look for whales, dolphins, turtles, and seabirds. Choose a catamaran or Zodiac boat at booking. The three-hour outing includes a safety briefing, wildlife commentary, and a second tour if no animals are seen. Spring is best for migrating baleen whales, while dolphins and sperm whales appear year-round.

“it was a dream come true, we saw a group of 4 sperm whales and couple others and the rare thing we also saw striped dolphins”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.São Miguel: Swim with Wild Dolphins in the Open Ocean

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 369 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $176

Join Picos de Aventura at Marina Pêro de Teive for a 2.5-hour small-group trip along São Miguel’s coast. After a safety briefing, guides such as Ines and Veri help you spot wild dolphins and explain respectful behavior. You may enter the water several times, but you must be comfortable swimming in open seas without a life vest.

“This experience was amazing!! I loved it so much I booked to do it again the following day! Without a doubt, one of the best experiences of my life! Guides were super friendly, encouraging, knowledgable and their first priority was the safety of the dolphins as well as us all having a great experience. When it was my turn to swim a massive group of dolphins were swimming all around me and with their babies. Nothing could beat that! Overwhelmed with emotions seeing them peaceful in their natural habitat. You could even hear them communicating under the water! Would highly recommend to anyone!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Whale and Dolphin Watching in a Zodiac Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 230 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $82

Set out from Angra do Heroísmo in a fast Zodiac for 2.5 hours of whale and dolphin watching. A spotter on Monte Brasil guides the skipper by radio, while your Portuguese, English, or Spanish guide explains cetacean behavior. Expect open-sea motion, strong coastal views, and a real chance of seeing dolphins, sperm whales, or other species.

“Great tour, good guides, lots of amazing pics. Definitely recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Half-Day Dolphin and Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 219 reviews · 3 hours · from $70Best value

Set out from Angra do Heroísmo for a three-hour whale and dolphin trip with Picos de Aventura. A skipper, biologist, and lookout explain cetaceans, safety, and respectful viewing. You may see sperm whales, dolphins, turtles, or even humpbacks, with Ilhéu das Cabras as a possible coastal highlight.

“Luis and Joao were amazing, made everyone feel safe and have a great time, even those who got sick. The team went out of their way to ensure we saw whales and boy did we see a lot. What an adventure will definitely return and recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Azores: Swim with Dolphins Atlantic Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 29 reviews · 3 hours · from $136

Set out from Vila Franca do Campo with a marine guide and skipper in a specialized Zodiac boat. Watch for wild dolphins, and if conditions and animal behavior allow, enter the water in pairs for short periods. Then snorkel near the coast. The tour runs from late autumn to early spring and is limited to 10 people.

“Ha sido genial, hemos visto delfines en varias ocasiones y hemos nadado con ellos 2 veces. No sabemos inglés y la guía que era española ha tenido la amabilidad de ir traduciendo lo que iba explicando. Tienen muy en cuenta tu seguridad en el mar y por ello te explican bastante previamente. Luego buceamos por el islote unos minutitos. Por poner un pero… estaría bien que pudiésemos nadar más de dos veces con los delfines. Pero por el resto, genial, una experiencia emocionante!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Boat Tour and Swimming with Dolphins

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 8 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $147Top rated

Join Water4fun in Angra do Heroísmo for a 1.5-hour boat trip and guided swim with dolphins in the open sea. A marine biologist explains dolphin behavior, while a group of up to eight uses provided safety equipment and stays connected to the boat. English, Portuguese, and Spanish support is available.

“A great experience! Turned up 30 mins early which was a good idea as a bit tricky getting into the provided wetsuit but once ready, went on on the fast boat and very quickly found a pod of common dolphins. We had several opportunities to get into the water and got to see the dolphins passing close by the boat. All felt very safe and really enjoyable see these beautiful animals from the boat and in the water.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.São Miguel: Whale Watching & Wild Dolphins Swimming Full-day

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 6 reviews · 6 hours · from $247

Join marine biologists from Picos de Aventura for a morning whale watching trip and an afternoon swim with wild dolphins. You will ride a fast semi-rigid boat, use provided snorkeling gear and wetsuit, and share a picnic lunch at the marina. Whale watching can hold 24 people, while the dolphin swim is limited to 8.

“We hebben een geweldige dag gehad. In de ochtend hebben we de whale watching gedaan. We hebben de Sei whale en twee verschillende spermwhales gezien in het gezelschap van een groep spoted dolphins welke met ons mee zwommen en speelde in de golven van de boot. Daarna kregen lunch en konden we op adem komen. S middags zijn we met een select groepje wezen snorkelen met de bottlenose dolphins. Op de terugweg naar de haven werden we nog ingehaald door een vliegende vis.”

Check availability →Read our full review