The Cape Verde archipelago, a chain of ten volcanic islands rising from the deep subtropical Atlantic roughly 600 kilometres west of Senegal, is one of the most biologically distinctive seabird destinations on Earth. Endemic tubenoses breed here that can be found nowhere else in the world’s oceans, and the waters surrounding the islands hold concentrations of gadfly petrels, storm-petrels, and shearwaters that make Cape Verde an essential destination for serious pelagic birders. Unlike almost everywhere else in the Atlantic, a pelagic trip from Cape Verde places you within realistic reach of four species found nowhere else — and the voyage that covers them is one of the most ambitious seabird expeditions in the subtropical North Atlantic.
The West Africa Pelagic
Praia to Madeira Expedition Cruise
The West Africa Pelagic (Cape Verde to Madeira) is an 8-day expedition cruise aboard the ice-strengthened ship MV Plancius, departing from Praia, Santiago Island and sailing north-northeast to Funchal, Madeira. Organised by BirdingBreaks and sold through specialist agents including WildWings, Rockjumper, and Warbler Tours, the voyage is the most comprehensive way to cover the subtropical North Atlantic’s endemic seabird diversity in a single trip.
The route traverses four distinct seabird zones in sequence: the endemic-rich Cape Verde archipelago itself, the enormously productive northwest African upwelling shelf off Mauritania and the Western Sahara, the Selvagem Islands with their extraordinary breeding concentrations, and the deep North Atlantic waters north of Madeira where Zino’s Petrel forages. No other pelagic trip covers this geographic sweep.
The expedition first ran in 2016 and was revived in May 2026 — the first sailing in a decade. Departures are occasional rather than annual; check the operators’ websites for the next announced date.
Cape Verde Waters: The Endemic Core
The Cape Verde archipelago is the biological core of the voyage. As the ship departs Praia and works through the islands’ waters, the endemic species that draw dedicated pelagic birders to these latitudes begin to appear.
Cape Verde Shearwater (Calonectris edwardsii) is the archipelago’s signature species and the most abundant tubenose in these waters. With an estimated breeding population of approximately 170,000 pairs distributed across the islands, it wheels overhead in characteristic arching, banking flight — identifiable from the closely related Cory’s Shearwater by its smaller build, shorter bill, paler head, and distinctly different jizz. Large aggregations form over productive upwellings and are a defining feature of the Cape Verde passage.
Boyd’s Shearwater (Puffinus boydi) is a smaller Cape Verde endemic, breeding primarily on the remote islet of Raso and on São Nicolau. Fast-flapping and compact in flight, it occurs in the productive waters around the islands and is regularly encountered from the ship as it transits between the islands.
Cape Verde Petrel (Pterodroma feae) — also known as Fea’s Petrel — is the most sought-after target for visiting seabird specialists. This medium-sized gadfly petrel breeds in small numbers on the steep volcanic slopes of Fogo and Santo Antão, and its formal separation from the closely related Desertas Petrel (which breeds on Bugio in the Madeira group) makes Cape Verde one of only two places on Earth where it can be reliably found at sea. Trips from Cape Verdean waters typically encounter 10–25 birds per departure in suitable conditions.
Cape Verde Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates jabejabe) was formally split from the Band-rumped Storm-Petrel complex in 2021 — one of the most recently described bird species in the world. It breeds on rocky islets around the archipelago and forages in the surrounding subtropical Atlantic; Cape Verde pelagics are among the very few opportunities to see this newly recognised species in the field.
Beyond these endemics, White-faced Storm-Petrel — the bouncing, hovering petrel with its extraordinary white face and dangling yellow-webbed legs — is a regular encounter. Bulwer’s Petrel, the all-dark Macaronesian tubenose with its long wedge-shaped tail and buoyant, weaving flight, is abundant in the breeding season. Red-billed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, and Red-footed Booby all breed on the islands and are encountered throughout the Cape Verdean passage.
The Raso Excursion: Raso Lark and Breeding Seabirds
A zodiac excursion around Ilhéu Raso — a remote, uninhabited nature reserve of the highest protection category, 50 kilometres northwest of São Nicolau — is one of the most remarkable wildlife experiences available in the Atlantic. The islet is the sole global range of the Raso Lark (Alauda razae), a Critically Endangered land bird with a total world population of fewer than 1,000 individuals. The zodiac approach provides sea-level views of the lark moving across the island’s bare lava plains — a species that cannot be seen anywhere else on Earth except from a boat approaching this single tiny island. The same excursion provides close views of Boyd’s Shearwater nesting in burrows, breeding Red-billed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, and Red-footed Booby on the rocky slopes.
The Northwest African Shelf: Migration and Upwelling
As the ship departs Cape Verdean waters and heads north along the African coast, the bird composition shifts dramatically. The continental shelf off Mauritania and the Western Sahara is one of the most productive upwelling zones on the planet — the Canary Current drives cold, nutrient-rich deep water to the surface, sustaining enormous concentrations of seabirds on northward migration.
Skuas are a defining feature of this leg: four species — Pomarine, Arctic, Long-tailed, and Great Skua — are recorded on virtually every passage, and a fifth species is within reach. Sabine’s Gull, the elegant fork-tailed gull of Arctic breeding colonies and subtropical Atlantic wintering grounds, aggregates in this upwelling zone in impressive numbers. Grey Phalarope gathers in compact flocks at the surface, spinning and picking invertebrates from drift lines in the productive shelf water. Large numbers of Sooty, Great, and Cory’s Shearwaters add to the diversity. Northern Gannet is present throughout.
The Selvagem Islands: The World’s Largest Cory’s Colony
The Selvagem Islands — an uninhabited Portuguese Natural Reserve midway between the Canaries and Madeira — represent the voyage’s most spectacular overnight anchorage. Selvagem Grande holds one of the largest Cory’s Shearwater colonies in the world, alongside massive breeding populations of Bulwer’s Petrel and Madeiran Storm-Petrel. At dusk, thousands of shearwaters and petrels stream out from nesting burrows as the ship lies at anchor offshore — a display of raw seabird abundance with few parallels anywhere in the Atlantic.
Desertas Petrel (Pterodroma deserta) — the Madeira-breeding sister species of Cape Verde Petrel, rarely seen at sea outside dedicated Madeira pelagics — forages in the waters surrounding the Selvagens and is a regular encounter on this leg of the voyage.
North of Madeira: Zino’s Petrel
As the expedition approaches Madeira and enters the deep North Atlantic waters to the island’s north, one of the world’s rarest seabirds comes within reach. Zino’s Petrel (Pterodroma madeira) has a total global population estimated at fewer than 200 individuals, all nesting in burrows on a single stretch of the Madeira highlands above 1,500 metres. Dedicated afternoon chumming sessions in the waters north of Funchal are the most reliable method of encountering it at sea — often alongside Desertas Petrel, White-faced Storm-Petrel, and the full complement of Macaronesian tubenoses. The voyage concludes with a morning arrival in Funchal harbour.
Target Species Quick Reference
Cape Verde Endemics: Cape Verde Shearwater (abundant, Cape Verdean waters), Boyd’s Shearwater (regular, Raso/São Nicolau), Cape Verde Petrel / Fea’s Petrel (10–25 per trip, Fogo/Santo Antão waters), Cape Verde Storm-Petrel (split 2021, Cape Verdean waters)
Other Tubenoses: White-faced Storm-Petrel (regular, Cape Verde), Bulwer’s Petrel (abundant, breeding season), Cory’s/Scopoli’s Shearwater (throughout voyage), Sooty Shearwater (West African shelf), Great Shearwater (West African shelf), Desertas Petrel (Selvagem Islands), Zino’s Petrel (north of Madeira; Critically Endangered)
Seabirds: Red-billed Tropicbird (Cape Verdean waters), Brown Booby (Cape Verde and Selvagens), Red-footed Booby (Cape Verdean waters), Northern Gannet (throughout)
Skuas (West African shelf): Great Skua, Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua, Long-tailed Skua (all four virtually certain; fifth species possible)
Other: Sabine’s Gull (West African shelf, impressive numbers), Grey Phalarope (West African shelf, flocks), Madeiran Storm-Petrel (Selvagem Islands, dusk flights)
Land bird bonus: Raso Lark (Critically Endangered; Ilhéu Raso zodiac excursion only)
When to Go
The West Africa Pelagic runs in May, timed to align with peak breeding activity in the Cape Verde archipelago when Cape Verde Shearwater, Boyd’s Shearwater, and Cape Verde Storm-Petrel are most active around their nesting islands. The White-faced Storm-Petrel is present as a breeding species in the Selvagens throughout the spring and summer. The May timing also captures the beginning of the northward shearwater and skua migration on the West African shelf, with numbers building through the month.
Because the voyage is an occasional expedition rather than an annual scheduled departure, the available dates are set by the operator and may not recur every year. The voyage last ran 4–11 May 2026 — its first sailing since 2016. Serious pelagic birders should sign up to WildWings’ and BirdingBreaks’ mailing lists to be notified of the next announced departure.
Planning Your Trip
Booking: The trip is organised by BirdingBreaks (birdingbreaks.nl) and sold through specialist agents including WildWings (wildwings.co.uk/tours/west-africa-pelagic/), Rockjumper, Warbler Tours, and BirdGuides Travel. Pricing starts from approximately €2,450 per person on a cabin-share basis. Places fill quickly given the rarity of departures — book as soon as a date is announced.
Getting to Praia: Praia, Santiago Island (IATA: RAI) is served by direct flights from Lisbon, Amsterdam, London, and several other European cities. Most operators offer a pre-departure evening briefing the night before the voyage.
The ship: MV Plancius is a 108-passenger ice-strengthened expedition vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, configured for small-group wildlife cruises with zodiac davits, a lecture lounge, and open observation decks suited for seabird watching. All meals, accommodation, zodiac operations, and on-board identification lectures are included in the voyage price.
Arrival in Madeira: The voyage concludes in Funchal. Madeira Airport (IATA: FNC) has excellent connections to the UK and mainland Europe, making it straightforward to fly home after the expedition. Some agents offer post-tour Madeira birding extensions.
Experience level: The West Africa Pelagic is a specialist seabird expedition. Participants are expected to be able to identify major Atlantic tubenose genera and engage productively with the species identification challenges presented by the gadfly petrels and storm-petrels on board. Evening identification sessions are provided to help.
Browse the Cape Verde directory for full trip details and booking information.