Dolphin and whale watching in Lanzarote: boats, chances and prices

Dolphin watching in Lanzarote is a short outing of 1.5 to 2.5 hours from the south of the island, not a whale safari. What you almost always see is the bottlenose dolphin, which lives on the east coast all year; the rest (Atlantic spotted dolphin, striped dolphin, pilot whales, the odd whale) depends on the day. If someone sells you "swimming with dolphins", what you actually get is a swimming stop well away from them: approaching closer than 60 m is prohibited.

Which dolphins and whales you can see in Lanzarote

The waters off the east and south of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura have 28 recorded species of cetacean. The bottlenose dolphin is present all year on the east coast, exactly where the boats from Puerto del Carmen and Puerto Calero sail. Beaked whales, sperm whales and pilot whales also live here, but in deep water.

The operators add their own lists: spotted and striped dolphins (Senda Eco Way, from Puerto Calero), common and spotted dolphins on the route to Lobos (Lanzarote Sea Tours), and pilot whales and Bryde's whales on the Senda trips resold by Marinalia.

Chances of seeing dolphins: what the operators say

The agencies' figures don't agree. OK Lanzarote talks of dolphins on "approximately 60 %" of its trips. Canco says the chances are "close to 100 %", but on the same page makes clear they can never be guaranteed. Líneas Romero, H2O, Senda Eco Way and Lanzarote Sea Tours simply say sightings aren't guaranteed.

Expect to see them on most days, but not as a certainty. No operator offers a free repeat trip if they don't show up; the price pays for the boat, not the dolphin. Some agencies claim the chances are slightly better in the afternoon, but that's their opinion, not verified data.

Licensed boats: the yellow "Barco Azul" flag

In the Canary Islands, taking tourists to watch cetaceans requires prior authorisation from the regional government (Decree 178/2000). Licensed boats fly a yellow flag with the "Barco Azul" (Blue Boat) emblem. The published official list (dated September 2022) includes 257 boats across the archipelago and only 5 in Lanzarote:

Of those five, the ones currently selling bookable dolphin trips are Biosfera Jet (Lanzarote Sea Tours' speedboat in Puerto del Carmen) and, probably, Wave Rider I, which matches the name of H2O Sports' "Waverider" RIB. The Líneas Romero catamarans and the Senda Eco Way boat don't appear on that list, which may be out of date: ask about the licence when you book and look for the flag on the boat. The list and the regulations are on the Canary Islands Government's cetacean watching page.

Can you swim with dolphins in Lanzarote?

Not with wild dolphins. Royal Decree 1727/2007 treats swimming or diving within 60 m of a cetacean as disturbance, just like touching them, feeding them or separating a calf from its group. So when a product says "with swim", it means a stop to swim or snorkel in a cove, away from the animals.

The rules the boat has to follow, according to the text of Royal Decree 1727/2007:

• Around the dolphins there's a 500 m protection zone. Inside it, 4 knots maximum.
• 0 to 60 m: exclusion zone. The boat doesn't enter; if the dolphins approach of their own accord, the engine goes into neutral (with dolphins it may hold its course and speed).
• 60 to 300 m: no more than 2 boats at a time; no entry if a mother and calf are alone.
• 300 to 500 m: waiting zone, also with a maximum of 2 boats.
• The boat approaches diagonally, at an angle of about 30° to the animals' heading; never head-on, from behind or at right angles. No circling the group, reversing or making noises to attract them.

If a skipper chases or circles the group, they're breaking the rules.

Speedboat or catamaran: which format to choose

There are three formats, and the price difference comes down to the size of the boat and the number of passengers.

Large speedboat (from €35)

Lanzarote Sea Tours' Biosfera Jet leaves Puerto del Carmen harbour at 12:00 (some agencies also sell a 10:30 departure), lasts 1.5 h and includes a swimming stop. It costs €35 adults (13+), €25 ages 4 to 12, free for ages 0 to 3, with free cancellation up to 24 h before. It's the cheapest option and also the lowest-rated of the popular trips: 3.8 out of 5 from more than 2,300 reviews on GetYourGuide. It carries around 50 passengers, so the rail space gets shared out.

Small RIB (from €65)

H2O Sports' Waverider leaves from Puerto del Carmen's old harbour: 2 h, from €65 per person, maximum 12. There's a private 1.5-hour version for €250 for up to 12 people, and a morning trip that includes Papagayo (2.5 h, from €85). It's fast and bounces over the waves: no children under 4 and no pregnant women.

Small eco catamaran (€75–95)

Senda Eco Way leaves from Puerto Calero (pontoon F22) on the electric catamaran La Santa María, 14 m long with a maximum of 12 people. The afternoon trip is at 17:30, 2.5 h, from €75; the morning trip lasts 4 h and costs €95 (€80 ages 5 to 12). It carries a hydrophone so you can hear the animals and has no engine noise: the calmest approach, good for children who are sensitive to noise and for anyone who gets seasick from a speedboat's pounding.

Sunset dolphin watching

The afternoon trips combine dolphins and the sunset, and they're the most booked:

• Lanzarote Sea Tours (Biosfera Jet): 2.5 h, €52 adults, €38.50 children, with cava and pastries. Pick-up is at 18:00 from April to October and at 16:00 from November to March.
• Líneas Romero, "I Love Sunset": catamaran from Puerto del Carmen at 18:30, 2 h, €53 / €40, with coach pick-up, welcome mojito, a snack and one more drink. Romero itself warns that dolphins aren't guaranteed.
• Senda Eco Way: the 17:30 departure from Puerto Calero.

From Puerto del Carmen and Puerto Calero the sun sets behind the Los Ajaches mountains, not over the sea. Check your pick-up time if you're going in late October: when the clocks change, sunset comes an hour earlier. More detail in our guide to sunset cruises.

Dolphin trip prices

On GetYourGuide the prices match the operator's own website, and the €35 speedboat has free cancellation up to 24 h before plus a pay-later option. On Civitatis the €35 speedboat scores 7.7 out of 10, from only 6 reviews; platform comparison in Civitatis and GetYourGuide. The small-boat trips cost more but have the best ratings: the €75–95 catamarans sit at around 4.7. If your budget stretches to it, you'll notice the difference.

GetYourGuide1.5 hours

Puerto del Carmen: Dolphin-Watching Speedboat Tour with Swim

3.8 (2,334)

from €35Check availability

GetYourGuide2 hours

Lanzarote: Dolphin-Watching Sunset Cruise with Transfers

4.2 (3,190)

from €53Check availability

GetYourGuide2.5 hours

Lanzarote: 2.5-Hour Sunset and Dolphins Cruise

4.2 (1,697)

from €52Check availability

GetYourGuide5.5 hours

Lanzarote: Lobos Island Half-Day Dolphin-Watching Trip

4.2 (679)

from €72Check availability

GetYourGuide4 hours

Lanzarote: Whale and Dolphin Watching Eco-Friendly Catamaran

4.7 (135)

from €95Check availability

GetYourGuide2 - 2.5 hours

Lanzarote: Dolphin Watching by Speedboat

4.4 (136)

from €65Check availability

See all on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 5 October 2026

Dolphins and the island of Lobos

Lanzarote Sea Tours' "dolphin route" leaves Puerto del Carmen at 10:00 on the Biosfera Jet: a 1.5-hour crossing looking for dolphins on the way to Lobos, about 2.5 h on the islet with a picnic and a swim, and back. That's 5.5 h in total, from €72. To land on Lobos you need a free permit from the Cabildo (island council) of Fuerteventura, applied for at lobospass.com: check with the operator whether they arrange it or you have to apply yourself before the day. More ways to cross in our guide to Fuerteventura and Lobos.

Where trips leave from: Puerto del Carmen and Puerto Calero

All the dolphin-watching trips leave from two ports in the south:

• Puerto del Carmen: Lanzarote Sea Tours, H2O Sports and Líneas Romero. "Guagua" (bus) 2 from Arrecife and 3 from Costa Teguise. Everything about the town in our Puerto del Carmen guide.
• Puerto Calero: Senda Eco Way (pontoon F22). Buses 24 from Arrecife and 25 from Costa Teguise. From Puerto del Carmen you can also take Líneas Romero's water bus (€11 one way, €18 return), which is a coastal trip in itself.

From Playa Blanca or Costa Teguise none of the dolphin trips on sale depart: Playa Blanca has the boats to Papagayo and Lobos, and Costa Teguise has none. Look for products "with transfers" (Romero's €53 sunset trip includes them) or take the bus; without a car, see our guide to getting around without a car.

Bad weather, cancellations and what to bring

In strong wind or a heavy swell, operators cancel. Lanzarote Sea Tours refunds you or changes the date if the weather prevents the trip, and charges the full booking if you don't turn up. Excursions aren't covered by EU maritime passenger rules: any refund depends on whoever sold you the ticket (if the operator cancels, the big platforms refund you). Keep the cancellation message.

Bring swimwear and a towel for the swimming stop, a cap, sun cream and a warm layer for the evening trip back. The sea is around 18 °C in February and March and around 23 °C in September and October; the rest of the climate, month by month, is in our Lanzarote weather guide. If you'd rather see the seabed without getting wet, try the Puerto Calero submarine; if you want more time in the water, see diving and snorkelling.

Which one to choose

On a tight budget or with children under 4, the €35 speedboat. If someone gets seasick or dislikes noise, the electric catamaran. For a sunset as a couple, the Romero catamaran or the afternoon Biosfera Jet; if there are 12 of you, look at the private catamarans in our boat trips guide.

The trips we'd choose

1

Families and anyone prone to seasickness

4-hour eco catamaran for dolphins and whales, with one of the highest ratings on the list (4.7).

GetYourGuide4 hours

Lanzarote: Whale and Dolphin Watching Eco-Friendly Catamaran

4.7 (135)

from €95Check availability

2

Small groups

2–2.5-hour speedboat, rated higher than the €35 one. Check the minimum age on the listing.

GetYourGuide2 - 2.5 hours

Lanzarote: Dolphin Watching by Speedboat

4.4 (136)

from €65Check availability

3

Tight budget

The cheapest trip, on a boat from the official list. Lowest rating: big, crowded boat.

GetYourGuide1.5 hours

Puerto del Carmen: Dolphin-Watching Speedboat Tour with Swim

3.8 (2,334)

from €35Check availability

4

Sunset with transfer

2-hour sunset trip with hotel pick-up; dolphins if they appear.

GetYourGuide2 hours

Lanzarote: Dolphin-Watching Sunset Cruise with Transfers

4.2 (3,190)

from €53Check availability

At seaBoat tripsfrom €35 At seaSunset cruisesfrom €26 At seaSubmarinefrom €65 East coastRancho Texasfrom €45 Whole islandWith kidsfrom €28