Praia (Cape Verde - Funchal (Madeira)

Day 1 Praia / Embark

In theafternoon transfer to the MV Plancius for embarkation and lunch, your home for the next 7 nights. Praia is located on the southern island of Santiago, one of the largest of the 10 islands (plus 8 islets) that make up the Cape Verde archipelago. The ships sails from Praia midafternoon towards the small islands of Raso and Branco, approximately 120 miles from Santiago, a journey that will take the rest of the day and much of the night. You will, however, be crossing prime seabird and cetacean waters and there will be plenty to enjoy en route, especially in the evening when the shearwaters and other seabirds begin to return to the islands after a day feeding out at sea. With the volcanic cone of Fogo off to your port side and flying fish scuttling over the waters surface in front of your ship, be looking out for the Cape Verde Shearwater - an endemic race of Cory’s Shearwater-plus North Atlantic Little (Boyd’s) Shearwater, Fea’s Petrel and Bulwer’s Shearwater. These waters are also home to an exciting variety of cetaceans including Short-finned Pilot Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin, Common Dolphin and perhaps Pan-tropical Spotted Dolphin and Sperm Whale.

Day 2 Cape Verde Islands

Spend this morning circumnavigating the small rugged islands of Raso and Branco, located in the north-west of the archipelago between the larger islands of São Nicolau and São Vicente. Cape Verde Shearwaters are common here and nest in large numbers on the islands along with Little (Boyd’s) Shearwater and both Madeira and White-faced Storm Petrels. Your main target this morning, however, will be the beautiful and graceful Red-billed Tropicbird which also nest on Raso and can be seen here and gliding along the precipitous slopes of Branco. Brown Boobies are another key species frequently seen around the islands, although locating one of the endemic Raso Larks from the ship may prove somewhat trickier! Throughout your voyage keep your eyes open for cetaceans.

Early in the afternoon head east, away from the Cape Verde Islands and towards the continental shelf off West Africa. Sadly, sailing times do not permit passing by the island of Boavista, home to the Western Palaearctic's only Magnificent Frigate birds, but these birds forage widely and are far ranging in their travels. Although only one or two pairs remain – in the entire east Atlantic population - they are seen occasionally between the islands and, if fortune favors your group, this afternoon you may get lucky! There will, however be plenty of commoner seabirds to enjoy, plus more opportunities to look for dolphins, pilot whales and perhaps some of the larger cetacean species.

Day 3 At Sea

At sea. Today will be spent mostly over deep water cruising from the Cape Verde Islands to the West African shelf edge off Mauritania. Seabirds and cetaceans will be the order of the day and hope for an interesting selection of seabirds as you head east.

Days 4-6 Cruising north off Mauritania & Western Sahara

Spend the following 3 days cruising north along the shelf edge off Mauritania and Western Sahara. Here expect the unexpected, for these rich waters are rarely visited by naturalists and their wildlife has been poorly documented. Hope that by ‘chumming’ (a potent mix of fish scraps and oil) at key points along your route you will enjoy close views of plenty of the commoner species plus a few surprises! All four species of Northern Skua - Great, Arctic, Long-tailed and Pomarine - should be common with the latter especially numerous along the Mauritanian shelf edge. Groups of Grey Phalaropes are also a common sight here, along with flocks of Sabine’s Gulls, European Storm-petrel, Kittiwakes and Black Terns.
These northern breeders are joined from the south by numerous Wilson’s Storm-petrels, plus Sooty Shearwater and - for the fortunate - perhaps even South Polar Skua; a species recently shown to head north into these waters during your spring and summer months. Any of the rarer seabirds breeding on the Macronesian Islands are possible, along with an exciting range of cetaceans which may include Fin Whale, Sperm Whale, Northern Bottlenose Whale, Curvier’s beaked Whale, Common Dolphin and the outside chance of rarer species such as Rough-toothed Dolphin, Blainville’s Beaked Whale and Pygmy Sperm Whale. Other pelagic wildlife to look out for includes Sunfish and even the occasional turtle.

Day 7 Canary Islands

Cruise through the Canary Islands looking out for Bulwer’s Petrel, Little (Barolo’s) Shearwater and Cory’s Shearwater, plus more cetaceans, before spending an evening cruising around the remote Selvagens. These isolated islands, which lie 80 miles north of the Canaries, are perhaps the ultimate destination for anyone interested in Western Palaearctic ‘tube-noses’. Huge numbers of petrels and shearwaters breed here including approximately 15,000 Cory’s Shearwaters, 5,000 Bulwer’s Petrels, 2,000 Little (Barolo’s) Shearwater, 60,000 White-faced Storm-petrels and 1,500 pairs of Madeira Storm-petrels. Since many of these species gather off shore in the evening before returning to their nest sites after dark, our evening cruise here should be one of the ornithological highlights of this holiday. If conditions permit launch the zodiacs for an evening zodiac cruise to enjoy the seabirds and cetaceans at close range.

Day 8 Desertas Islands / Madeira / Disembark

End your voyage with an early morning cruise around the Desertas Islands. The Desertas belong to the Madeira archipelago and are located 21 nautical miles from Funchal harbor. In 1990 they became a Nature Reserve, comprising the islands themselves and the surrounding sea to a depth of 100 metres. The reserve is divided into two protected zones of which the southern half of Deserta Grande and Bugio are strictly forbidden to visitors even by boat. On Deserta Grande there is a permanent research station with three wardens, who are the only human inhabitants on the islands today.

The Desertas were designated as an SPA (Special Protection Area) for their internationally important seabird populations. Cory’s Shearwater, Bulwer’s Petrel and Madeira Storm Petrel all breed here along with Fea’s and the endemic Zino’s Petrel. Splitting the two latter species at sea will test your ID skills to the limit but both are possible in these waters, along with an exciting selection of cetaceans including Common Dolphin, Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Short-finned Pilot Whale and perhaps a Fin or early Bryde’s Whale. Sperm Whales are the mostly frequently seen large whales in these waters and spend most of the year here feeding on squid from the deep water canyons and trenches that surround the islands. A small population of around 23 Mediterranean Monk Seals also live around the Desertas, although it would take a degree of luck to find one of these critically endangered mammals.

Finally, arrive in Funchal, the capital of Madeira, where you will disembark the MV Plancius and transfer on your own to the airport to catch an early afternoon flight home (flight not included in cruise rate). Alternatively you stay for some time in Madeira.