Madeira Ocean 2026 studies Cabo Girão until 28 October
Published on 10/21/2026 at 16:57 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSResearch scope and conservation aims
- Madeira Ocean 2026 began on 2 October 2026 with work involving Cabo Girão.
- The expedition continues until 28 October 2026 in marine protected areas including Cabo Girão.
- Madeira Ocean 2026 brings together 34 partners and about 200 participants.
- Researchers are examining waters from coastal zones to depths of 1,000 metres.
Madeira Ocean 2026 is studying the waters around Cabo Girão in Câmara de Lobos, Portugal, as the expedition continues until 28 October 2026. The work places the Madeira landmark within a wider scientific programme examining marine protected areas around the archipelago.
Madeira Ocean 2026 continues at Cabo Girão
The expedition began on 2 October 2026 and is due to run until 28 October 2026. Researchers are working around Madeira, Porto Santo and the Desertas Islands, with Cabo Girão included in the south-coast phase of the programme.
A report by the expedition report says divers worked at Cabo Girão after they were unable to dive around the Desertas Islands during the breeding period of Mediterranean monk seals. The same report identifies work in the Garajau and Cabo Girão marine protected areas during the expedition's second stage.
Marine research links the cape to conservation
The programme combines scientific diving, drones, acoustic mapping, underwater cameras and remotely operated or autonomous vehicles. Researchers are gathering information about marine biodiversity, habitat condition and the pressures affecting ecosystems.
The expedition's relevance to Cabo Girão lies in the protected waters below the well-known sea cliff. Its teams are comparing sites inside and outside protected areas, turning the cape into one reference point in a regional effort to understand how biodiversity and human activity vary across Madeira's marine environment.
The Portuguese newspaper Diário de Notícias report describes the expedition's methods as including remotely operated vehicles, environmental DNA sampling and surveys of the intertidal zone. The research is intended to support a long-term monitoring programme for the protected areas.
What the 2026 expedition is examining
Madeira Ocean 2026 brings together 34 partners and about 200 people, including around 120 scientists. The organisers include the Government of Madeira, the regional Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, the regional research agency ARDITI, Fundação Oceano Azul, Oceanário de Lisboa and National Geographic's Pristine Seas programme.
The scientific range extends from coastal and mesophotic waters between 30 and 200 metres deep to deep-sea ecosystems between 200 and 1,000 metres. A Blainville's beaked whale was fitted with a satellite tag during the first stage, and the tag is intended to help researchers follow the animal's movements for about six months.
Visiting Cabo Girão: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Madeira Ocean 2026 began on 2 October 2026 and is scheduled to continue until 28 October 2026, with research in the Cabo Girão marine protected area.
- The programme concerns marine research around the cape and does not describe a public festival, exhibition or special opening at the viewpoint.
- Cabo Girão is in Câmara de Lobos on Madeira's south coast, while the reported research takes place in surrounding coastal and protected waters.
- The expedition uses boats, scientific diving, underwater cameras and remotely operated vehicles, so its working environment is marine rather than a walking route at the viewpoint.
- Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Cabo Girão
When does Madeira Ocean 2026 take place at Cabo Girão?
The expedition began on 2 October 2026 and is scheduled to end on 28 October 2026. Research in the Cabo Girão marine protected area forms part of its south-coast work.
What is Cabo Girão?
Cabo Girão is a sea cliff and marine protected area on Madeira's south coast, in Câmara de Lobos. It is included in the Madeira Ocean 2026 research programme.
Where is Cabo Girão and how do you get there?
Cabo Girão is in Câmara de Lobos, Portugal, on Madeira's south coast. The expedition reports concern the surrounding marine waters rather than a stated transport route to the viewpoint.
