Orcas in Norway and the fjords of Skjervøy
Why these fjords draw orcas every winter, how the animals live there, and how to approach them without weighing on their daily life.
A winter meeting point
Northern Norway has a particularity: every winter, vast quantities of herring move into the shelter of the fjords for the cold season. That concentration of food attracts predators — first among them orcas, often alongside humpback whales.
The Skjervøy area, north of the Arctic Circle, sits in the middle of these fjords. That is what makes it one of the most favourable places in the world to watch wild orcas in winter, from a boat as well as from the surface of the water.
Herring drives everything
It all depends on the fish. Herring shoals shift from one year to the next and the whales follow: an area that is busy one season may be quieter the next. That is why no sighting can be guaranteed, and why the trip includes several outings rather than a single one.
Norwegian orcas are known for hunting cooperatively: they gather herring into a tight ball near the surface, then take turns feeding on it. It is a striking collective behaviour, and it often draws other species to the scene.
Watching without disturbing
Swimming near wild animals comes with one simple rule: they decide. We never cut across a group, never chase an animal that moves away, and keep our distance from mothers with calves.
In practice: slow parallel approach, engine idling or off, calm entries in small numbers, no contact, no feeding, and back on board as soon as the skipper asks. These rules are repeated before every outing and follow Norwegian regulations as well as established good practice for watching cetaceans.
An outing can therefore end without anyone entering the water. That is the price of being honest about it: better to come back without images than to push a group of orcas that would rather move on.
The northern lights
Skjervøy lies well above the Arctic Circle, in the band where auroras are frequent during the dark season. In winter the nights are long, which multiplies the chances of seeing them.
Here too, nothing is guaranteed: solar activity and cloud cover decide. Some evenings deliver a spectacular sky, others stay closed. We keep an eye on the forecast during the trip so we can head out when it is worth it.
When to come
The orca season in these fjords falls in winter, generally from late autumn into midwinter, while the herring are present. That is also the season of long nights, and therefore of auroras.
Days are very short and the light stays low: outings at sea happen in a particular blue light that is part of the experience. Write to us to find out the periods planned for the coming season.
Want to see it for yourself?
The full trip, its price and its conditions are set out on the trip page.