Author
Miguel Pereira
Licensed Sea Captain · Big-Game Specialist · IGFA Observer
Funchal, Madeira
About Miguel
Funchal-based licensed sea captain with 16 years on Madeira sport-fishing boats — Blue Marlin World Cup-era veteran who's worked deck on grander-class catches. Miguel runs the monthly catch log used by several local charters, holds IGFA-accredited observer status, and writes every captain review himself after a paid client trip.
Credentials
- Portuguese Maritime Authority Skipper Coastal Licence
- IGFA Observer accreditation
- 16+ years sport-fishing in Madeira
- Big-game tagging certification (The Billfish Foundation)
- STCW maritime safety certification (current)
Areas of expertise
- Blue + white marlin season + technique
- Bigeye + bluefin + yellowfin tuna timing
- Wahoo strikes + tackle setup
- Bottom fishing structure + species
- Calheta vs Funchal departure tradeoffs
- Family-friendly charter selection
- IGFA + Madeira regulation compliance
Methodology
Quarterly captain sampling across trip-types — big-game offshore, bottom fishing, shared charter, family. Operator audits as fee-paying client trips, never disclosed in advance, with assessment focused on captain experience, boat condition, tackle quality, mate competence, and catch-and-release handling. Catch logs cross-checked with FishingBooker + The Billfish Foundation tag-and-release records. We never accept hosted trips without disclosing them.