For as long as I can remember, my biggest dream was to see whales – especially orcas – in the wild. In November this dream finally came true! Together with my sisters Lisa and Theresa and with Tom, we headed back to Norway, to Skjervøy.
Whale watching in Skjervøy
- Best time
- Late Oct – mid Jan
- We went
- in November
- Duration
- 6 days incl. travel
- Daylight
- approx. 4–5 hours
- Silent whale watching
- approx. €150 per person
- Zodiac tour
- approx. €350 per day
Looking back, there are a few things we’d do differently – I’ll tell you exactly what further down. But one thing is clear to me: this was definitely not the last time!
For the trip we planned 6 days including travel , which worked well. Unfortunately our suitcases arrived a day late – the fashion police would not have been amused by our hand-luggage outfits on the boat. Tourist mode on!
We actually wanted to travel by van again (we’d already had one in September). But we were a bit over-ambitious there: sleeping in a van in that cold didn’t appeal to us at all – so we booked an Airbnb for every night.
The best time for orcas & humpback whales
The best time to see orcas in Skjervøy is from late October to mid-January – that’s when the orcas move north to hunt herring . We were there in November, and the timing was perfect.
Whale watching on a silent whale watching boat
We hadn’t actually planned on a bigger boat. But because we were in Tromsø a day longer, we did a tour with the Brim Explorer . As soon as the boat is near the whales, it runs on electric power and disturbs the animals less. The crew treated the animals really respectfully: as soon as they felt the whales weren’t in the mood, they moved on.
- Duration: approx. 8–9 hours (from Tromsø up to Skjervøy and back)
- Price: approx. €150 per person
- On board: its own kitchen with drinks and food
- Extra: talks by the crew about whales, the surroundings and everything worth knowing
After about 3 hours we reached Skjervøy – and saw the first orcas straight away. And then I cried non-stop for 20 minutes. I was endlessly happy to have fulfilled my lifelong dream and couldn’t believe I was finally seeing my favourite animals live.
Fun fact about me: At 10 I had a CD of whale sounds that I listened to almost every day. But of course – I had the Bravo Hits too. 😄
From Tromsø to Skjervøy
We drove the van from Tromsø to Skjervøy – we wouldn’t do that again. The scenery is stunning, but next time we’ll take the boat directly from Tromsø to Skjervøy.
Accommodation in Skjervøy
On Booking.com I found a great apartment for the four of us. Together we paid approx. €150 per night and were totally happy. The apartment had everything you need for cooking – we’d book it again any time.
Whale watching by Zodiac – the highlight
And now for the absolute highlight: whale watching in a Zodiac with Jonas Beyer. With his years of experience in the north, he’s a true whale expert – an absolute dream!
- Price: approx. €350 per day
- Start: at dawn, around 8 am, in a group of 8 people
- Duration: approx. 4 hours on the boat (the days are very short at this time of year)
- Bring your own: wetsuit (if you want to go in the water) and snorkelling gear
After about an hour we saw the first orcas. Of course there can also be days when you don’t see any whales – but that’s exactly what makes it exciting. Wildlife isn’t predictable, and that’s a good thing.
In the water with orcas
On the first day the orcas were constantly on the move, so we didn’t go in. On the second day we were lucky and literally jumped into the cold water!
Well – four Tyrolean mountain people, as we now know, aren’t exactly pros in the sea. We drifted around disoriented while the orcas swam past just 10 metres away … and we rookies didn’t think to look for them underwater . Bad luck! Next time we’ll look for marine animals below the surface and not on top of it.
My verdict
We’ll definitely go back to repeat this indescribable experience. To everyone who’s passionate about these incredible animals, I can only recommend it with all my heart. I’m already looking forward to the next trip!
Anna