Snorkeling with Orcas and Humpback

Snorkeling with orcas and humpback whales is one of the most extraordinary experiences we can additionally arrange during our Northern Lights and Whales expeditions in Northern Norway.

Watching whales from the deck of a yacht is already an unforgettable experience. However, entering the Arctic water and seeing these powerful animals below the surface gives you a completely different perspective. It is an encounter with wild nature on its own terms.

What is snorkeling with orcas and humpback whales like?

During our winter expeditions, we observe orcas and humpback whales feeding in the waters of Northern Norway. If the weather conditions are suitable and the group is interested in this additional activity, we can arrange 1 or 2 days of snorkeling with whales.

For this activity, we cooperate with a local company specializing in this type of expedition. We travel to the area by their motorboat. Thanks to this, we can move efficiently between locations where orcas and humpback whales are currently active.

 

What is it like to be in the water next to an orca?

It is difficult to compare this experience with anything else. From the surface, we usually see a dorsal fin and only part of the animal’s body. Underwater, however, you can understand its true size.

An orca moving through the dark blue Arctic water looks completely different from the view from a boat. The same is true of a humpback whale.

It is an animal many times larger than a human. When it appears in the water at a safe distance, you immediately understand just how powerful whales really are. It is the scale, the silence underwater and the awareness of being close to a wild animal that make snorkeling with orcas and humpback whales one of the most unforgettable moments of the entire expedition.

 

Snorkeling during our Northern Lights and Whales expeditions

The possibility of arranging this activity is available during our Northern Lights and Whales expeditions in Northern Norway. Snorkeling is an additional service and is not a guaranteed part of the programme.

We can organize it if:

• at least 4 participants sign up and inform us early enough that they would like to take part,
• the weather and sea conditions are suitable,
• the local operator can safely run the trip,
• orcas or humpback whales are present in the area.

If all these conditions are met, we can plan one or two days for this unique activity.

 

Why do we work with a local operator?

Snorkeling with whales requires experience, a suitable boat and excellent knowledge of local conditions. That is why we cooperate with a local company that specializes in organizing this type of activity.

A motor yacht / motorboat is used for whale observation and snorkeling. This allows the operator to react to the current location of the animals and to changing sea conditions. At the same time, the decision to enter the water always depends on safety and on the behaviour of the whales.

The most important rule is respect for wildlife. The animals should not be forced to change direction, interrupt feeding or modify their natural behaviour because of our presence.

 

Is an encounter with orcas guaranteed?

Orcas and humpback whales move freely through the fjords. Their presence depends, among other things, on the location of fish shoals, weather and sea conditions.

Therefore, even with excellent organization, it is never possible to guarantee entering the water with a whale. However, based on our many years of experience, the chances of an encounter can be very good. Groups of orcas and humpback whales have been present in winter around the island of Spildra for many years.

In addition, we work with local guides who have lived and operated in this region for years. Still, the final word always belongs to the Arctic.

 

An extraordinary experience in the wild Arctic

During our Northern Lights and Whales expeditions, you can observe orcas and humpback whales from the yacht, photograph them and watch their feeding behaviour.

However, snorkeling with orcas and humpback whales in Northern Norway gives you the chance to see this world from the other side — beneath the surface of the sea. This is not ordinary swimming.

It is a moment when you enter the same Arctic environment as some of the most extraordinary animals on Earth. If the conditions are right and the whales appear in the right place, it may become one of the greatest experiences of the entire journey.

Seeing an orca from a yacht is extraordinary. Seeing one underwater is an experience that is very difficult to forget.