Whale Watching Season mid-February to end of May
Whale Watching - Observe Humpback Whales
The Cape Verde Islands are one of the most important breeding grounds for humpback whales. They can be found in the northern Atlantic from June to January before migrating to the warm waters of the Cape Verde Islands for the mating season. In January/February, the first humpback whales from the North Atlantic reach the coast of Boa Vista to mate and give birth to their young. They can often be observed from the beach, but usually far out at sea. To get as close to them as possible, we recommend a „Whale Watching Tour“ with our yacht or our Zodiac. The whale watching tours start in mid-February and end in mid/late May. Humpback whales are very acrobatic: they jump out of the water, look out of the water with their heads, slap the water with their tail fin (fluke) or hit the water with their huge side fins. Sometimes, however, we only see their humps and flukes as they dive back into the sea. Immerse yourself in an unforgettable adventure on the water. With our manoeuvrable boats and our experienced crew, we will take you to the most impressive whales in our region. Feel the wind in your hair and the adrenaline in your veins as you observe these majestic sea creatures in their natural habitat. Our boats are comfortable, safe and offer enough space for all passengers so that you can enjoy the tour to the full. Whether you are an experienced nature lover or a first-time whale watcher, our whale watching tours by yacht and Zodiac are the perfect adventure for everyone.
Important notes
If you are not sure whether you are seaworthy, you should take a travel tablet before travelling. The wind can be somewhat fresher at sea than on land. Depending on the weather, please bring a windbreaker or similar. Please check whether you have received a message from us (by email or WhatsApp) before the start of the tour. There are days when we have to cancel boat tours due to strong winds and/or high waves. This can sometimes happen at very short notice, as our weather forecasts are not very reliable and sometimes we can only make a decision on the morning of the tour.
The choice is yours: motor yacht or Zodiac?
Our Zodiac "Ocean Blue"
Technical data
10 m long | 3 m wide | 2x 150 hp | 14 seats + crew | sun and shade areas
Special features
- perfect for travelling on the open sea and close to the coast
- very fast and very manoeuvrable
- equipped with a hydrophone to hear and record whale song if necessary
- the Zodiac is the most frequently used boat for whale watching tours worldwide
Trips
- 3-hour tours in the morning and afternoon from the beginning of March to the end of May
Our Yacht "Simply No Stress"
Technical data
15 m long | 5 m wide | 2 x 375 hp | space for 20 guests + crew | sun and shade areas | toilet on board
Special features
- Perfect for cruising on the open sea
- fast and manoeuvrable
- high flybridge for better visibility
Trips
- 5-hour early season tour from mid-February to the beginning of March
- 3-hour morning and afternoon tours from March to the end of May
- 7-hour tour from March to May
You can choose from these trips
Half day trip Zodiac
- Season 2025: 3 March to 24 May
- Duration 3 hours
- from 55 € per person
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Half day trip Yacht
- Season 2025: 3 March to 23 May
- Duration 3 hours
- from 65 € per person
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
Full day trip Yacht
- Season 2025: 6 March to 15 May
- Duration 7 hours
- from 145 € per person
- Thursday
Early Season trip Yacht
- Season 2025: 11 February to 1 March
- Duration 5 hours
- from 90 € per person
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions. If you have any further questions, please feel free to send us an e-mail or contact us via WhatsApp.
What can you expect on the day of your whale watching tour?
You will be picked up at your hotel at the time confirmed by us. We then head to the harbour in the capital Sal Rei, where we transfer to the yacht or Zodiac by rubber dinghy. On board our seaworthy boats, a crew with many years of experience in whale watching tours off Boa Vista awaits you. You will first receive a personalised, detailed briefing in German with lots of interesting facts about the humpback whales. All tours are accompanied by biologists so that none of your questions remain unanswered. After the briefing, we head out to sea at a leisurely pace, where good eyes are required to spot the whales. We need patience and, of course, a bit of luck – after all, this is a natural spectacle. After returning to the harbour, your vehicle will of course be ready for the transfer back to your accommodation. Depending on the wind and weather, you should have a jacket with you on the tour. You should also be prepared to get a little wet. Protect yourself from the sun and it may also be advisable to wear (fixed) headgear.
Why whale watching with us?
The deck of our motor yacht „Simply No Stress“ is already approx. 2 metres above sea level. If you take a seat on our flybridge or our sun deck, you will be sitting another 1-2 metres higher. This results in a much wider and better view and our chances of spotting whales are correspondingly high. With the Zodiac „Ocean Blue“ we don’t have the same visibility as with our yacht, but the co-operation between the two boats doesn’t put the Zodiac at a disadvantage. Our manoeuvrable Zodiac gives you a unique view of the whales from a new perspective. As we can travel on different routes with the boats, we cover an even larger area and thus further increase our chances of sightings. Both boats are in contact with each other and inform each other about sightings. Both boats are manoeuvrable and can change direction quickly if, for example, animals appear behind the boat. Sometimes we are lucky and the first animals appear close to the shore. However, this is not always the case. However, with our yacht and also our Zodiac, we have the chance to reach whales sighted far away in a short time. As soon as we get close to the animals, we naturally slow down, because our top priority is the well-being and protection of the whales. The yacht offers sun and shade and if it’s too chilly in the wind, you can even take a seat in the spacious cabin. There are also a few places in the shade on the zodiac.
We always go only with small groups and on every trip a biologist will be with us.
You will get a very informative briefing at the beginning of the trip and also during the trip we will answer every question.
Why is there an Early Season Tour?
The first whales reach us at the end of January. Of course, the number of whales at this time is still significantly lower than in March and April. They are usually sighted further away from the coast and mainly in the south of Boa Vista. To have a chance of sightings this early in the season, you have to plan a longer time at sea. The duration of the tour is therefore between 4 and 6 hours – depending on how quickly we were successful.
Are the whales disturbed by the engine noise?
The last few years have given us a very clear answer to this question: NO. It is even important to approach the animals slowly with the engine running, because the whales only know that something is above them by the sound of the engine. The right behaviour when approaching the animals is important. In recent years, we have had encounters with whales where they have come within a few metres of our yacht. It is crucial to reduce speed as much as possible when approaching the whales. As far as possible, boats should not approach the animals directly from behind or in front, but parallel to them.
Are there rules for whale watching tours on Boa Vista?
After the 2024 season, a law was finally passed to protect whales. Here are the most important rules that emerge from the law
- Boats should move as parallel to the whales as possible, not travelling directly behind them, not directly in front of them and not travelling directly towards them from the side. Of course, this is not always easy to follow, as we usually don’t know in advance where the giants will surface next. It is therefore also important to reduce speed as soon as we get close to the animals.
- We should keep a distance of 80 metres from adult animals and 100 metres from mothers with babies. However, our whales here sometimes have their own ideas and come very close to our boat. In this case, the boat naturally remains in place and is not navigated at that moment.
- A maximum of 3 boats should be in the approach zone of a group of whales at the same time. If possible, only 1 boat should be in the close observation area. This applies in particular to mothers with babies.
- Mothers with babies should be observed at close range for a maximum of 15-30 minutes. Of course, this should always be decided on the basis of the behaviour of the animals. An acrobatically playing baby with a relaxed mum can be observed for longer; however, if a mother and her baby are moving rather quickly and thus show that they want more distance, the time should be kept significantly shorter. Adult animals should not be observed up close for longer than 45 minutes.
- If we find awake animals that dive for a long time, there is a possibility that they are singing. We can find this out with our hydrophone on the Zodiac. If a song is audible, the engine can be switched off for a short time to record the song. Otherwise, the engine should always be running so that the whales have an orientation as to where the boat is.
- Whale watching under sail is not permitted, boats must always be motorised.
- The presence of a biologist is still not mandatory – but we still have biologists on board.
How far out to sea do we have to go to see whales?
That varies greatly. There are tours where we drive straight out of the harbour and have the first whale right in front of the boat. Most of the time, however, you have to travel a little further to spot these marvellous creatures. Sometimes we go up to 7 nautical miles out to sea. On other days, they may be in the immediate vicinity of the coast. Either in the north or in the bay of Chaves. Unfortunately, you can’t rely on this.
How much experience do we have with whale watching tours?
The crew on our boats have been successfully travelling the seas during the whale watching season for many years. Such a well-trained eye and, above all, the experience of approaching the animals cannot simply be replaced by luck. From year to year, we see an increase in our success rate in sightings and, above all, in close encounters with the animals. Our expert guides are happy to share their knowledge of the whales with you and make sure you get the most out of the tour.
What happens if the swell or wind is too strong?
In this case, it may happen that we have to cancel or postpone a tour at short notice. We will of course offer you an alternative date. Dear guests – we do not do this to annoy you, but solely for safety reasons. Our motto „Safety first“ is for your safety and well-being. We are aware that other providers still organise their tours despite very bad forecasts, but for our company we make decisions that are not based on making money at all costs, but on providing you with great experiences.
What happens if I get seasick?
If you know that you are not seaworthy, you should not book the tour.
If you are not sure about your seaworthiness, you can take precautions with accupressure bracelets or travel tablets.
If you still get seasick, it is advisable not to go below. Stay above deck, look at the horizon or lie down and close your eyes.
Please note: once the boat has left the harbour, we will not return until the end of the tour. The tour will not be cancelled if someone on the boat becomes seasick.
Is there a guarantee of sightings?
As this is a natural spectacle, we cannot guarantee that we will see whales on every tour. We know that our videos and pictures raise high expectations, but please bear in mind that we are out at sea almost every day in the morning and afternoon during the whale watching season. That’s a lot of hours in total during which we take photos and videos of the animals. Your whale watching tour, on the other hand, takes about 3 (or 7) hours. As the whales do not perform their acrobatic skills to order, there is of course not a big „spectacle“ every time. Sometimes we just have to be satisfied with the sighting of a fin. Finding the whales is the ultimate goal, everything we then get to see is an encore of nature!
What do I need to know about whale watching tours?
In principle, you should be seaworthy for the boat tours. If you are not sure, it is best to take a travel tablet against seasickness before the tour. We also have tablets on board the yacht. The wind can often be fresher at sea than on land. It is therefore advisable to take a jacket or jumper with you. There are days when we have to cancel excursions due to the conditions at sea (very strong winds and/or waves that are too high). Sometimes this can also happen at very short notice, as the weather forecasts here are not always reliable and we can only make decisions based on the actual conditions. For this reason, we ask you to always check whether you have received a message from us by e-mail or WhatsApp before your boat trip.
Are the tours guided in English?
Yes – the tours are guided in English both on the yacht and on the Zodiac.
Is there a photo service?
Our photo service: for 18 euros you can purchase a photo package from us after your tour. The package contains the 50 best pictures from previous seasons, as well as the best pictures of the day. Naturally without logo and in very high quality.