We leave from the Quinta do Lorde marina, located at the eastern tip of the island, in the village of Caniçal, late Monday afternoon, so that we arrive at Selvagem Grande at lunch time on the following day. This first leg of the trip will take about 20 hours, depending on the winds and conditions at sea. This will be an opportunity for you to see how a sail boat is navigated.
During the first hours of the trip, take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the landscape of Madeira, as seen from the sea. With a bit of luck, you might see some dolphins, and who knows?, even whales.
The low, sweeping flights of Cory's shearwaters will be a constant scene, as well as the visit of some Bulwer's petrels. Up until nightfall, there may even appear petrels (Pterodromas), Manx shearwaters and Madeiran Storm-petrels.
Following a good dinner to regain the energy spent in the first hours of the journey, you will need to rest because the second day holds some surprises for you.
In the morning, you will already be able to make out the outline of Selvagem Grande, the flocks of Cory's shearwaters, which become more and more frequent, and the White-faced Storm-petrels which appear to crash into the waves.
In the distance, Selvagem Grande appears to be a lifeless, abandoned rock in the middle of the ocean, but as the wind pushes the boat closer, the natural treasures are revealed and the island comes to life.
After lunch, we disembark and one of the guards of the Madeira Nature Park will give a guided tour of the island, where you will find thousands of Cory's shearwater nests, the rock walls where the little shearwaters, Bulwer's petrels, and Madeiran Storm-petrels breed, and on the top of the island, the holes where the silent White-faced Storm-petrels hide.
The Berthelot's pipits accompany you on your voyage of discovery and sometimes you will encounter other Passeriformes that use this island to rest after many miles of flight.
Under the rocks you will find the little geckos and the lizards, who scamper away as soon as they're uncovered.
At dusk, delight yourself with the sunset and the return of the Cory's shearwaters to their colony, turning the sky a different shade of colour and making their distinct call.
For Wednesday, the sea conditions permitting, we have scheduled a visit to Selvagem Pequena, which lies about 11 miles away. Given the fact that the restricted access to this island is controlled, our reconnaissance trip will be entirely by sea.
On the morning of the fourth day, you can use the opportunity to dive in the limpid waters and observe the rich diversity of fish that gather at shallow depths. After lunch, the boat will weigh anchor for a reconnaissance visit around Selvagem Grande and leave for Madeira at the end of the afternoon.
Most of the return voyage will be made during the night, with arrival in Madeira scheduled for the early afternoon of Friday. As we pass close to the Ilhas Desertas, you will have another opportunity to observe the Zino's/ Fea's petrels and the other seabirds that breed on those islands.
Price per person: 1,150 €
Just once a year... Make your reservation!
