When is the best time to swim with orcas?

It is the first question we get, and the answer is more constrained than people expect: the season does not depend on us, it depends on the fish.

A season set by the herring

Every winter, vast quantities of herring move into the shelter of the fjords of Northern Norway. Orcas follow that resource, often alongside humpback whales. Outside this window the animals disperse: there is simply no trip to run in spring or summer.

In practice the season covers late autumn and midwinter. The shoals shift from one year to the next, and an area that is busy one season may be quieter the next — which is why no serious operator guarantees sightings.

What changes from month to month

Conditions are not identical from one end of the season to the other. Three things shift together: available daylight, how often auroras appear, and the cold.

• Early in the season the days are still a little longer: more light for photography, more comfortable outings
• In midwinter the sun no longer rises: a few hours of blue light, long nights, and auroras more often within reach
• The cold settles in gradually: the sea stays around 3 to 6 °C, but air temperature and wind on deck make all the difference to how it feels

The light: a constraint and the trip's signature

Above the Arctic Circle in midwinter, daylight amounts to a few hours of low, blue-tinted light, with no direct sun. That is a genuine constraint for photo and video — you have to accept high ISO settings — but it is also what gives these outings an atmosphere you find nowhere else.

Outings at sea naturally follow that window of brightness, which shapes the day: early departure, return in late afternoon, and long evenings ashore.

What about the northern lights?

Skjervøy lies in the band where auroras are frequent during the dark season. The longer the nights, the more chances there are — so midwinter is mechanically more favourable.

That said, two factors are beyond anyone's control: solar activity and cloud cover. Some evenings deliver a spectacular sky, others stay closed. We watch the forecast during the trip so we can head out when it is worth it, but nobody can promise an aurora.

So when should you go?

If you value daylight and a little more comfort, aim for the start of the season. If you are coming above all for the polar night atmosphere and the auroras, midwinter suits you better. Either way the orcas remain the main reason for the trip, and they are present across the whole window: the full trip itinerary does not change from one month to the next.

We set dates season by season, depending on the availability of the boat, the house and the group. Write to us with your calendar constraints: we will tell you what is feasible and what each period involves.

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