Winter Whales of Norway
A unique trip combining the highlights of the Norwegian winter. Orcas, Humpback whales and the Northern lights.
Sustainable Whale Watching
Enjoy whale watching in a responsible way
We offer various expeditions that are dedicated to whale watching and snorkeling with whales, in both cold and warm water. In Norway you can snorkel with orcas, while in Tonga you have the unique opportunity to swim with humpback whales and calves.
To ensure a great experience and safety of the whales and our guests, we only work with certified companies, expert guides and an experienced crew. Lectures will be given to learn about the whales and their environment, and participants receive clear whale watching guidelines and safety instructions before entering the water.
We don't offer scuba diving on our whale watching voyages.
Snorkeling with Orcas in Norway
General guidelines
On board the ship there will be maximum 16 passengers. However we will not take more than 6 guests into the water for snorkeling at once and one guide will always be on the water with the snorkelers. The behaviour of the whales will be assesed before going in. Snorkeling is only possible when the orcas are hunting for herring or when they are swimming at a low speed. In case the orcas show evasive behaviour, or the guides suspect an unsafe situation, snorkeling is not allowed. Every snorkeler is obligated to wear our orange high visibility hood which has a bright colored surface and reflective patches for good visibility and detection in the dark water.
In Norway there are several popular locations where large numbers of orcas return every year. However, these locations are often overcrowded by boats and snorkelers, which creates unsafe situations for people and animals. This is why we prefer to find orcas in other locations where we can enjoy snorkeling in a calm and sustainable way.
Approaching Whales
Keeping a safe distance
Approaching whales will always be done cautiously, at a low speed towards the side of the pod. Only one boat can go in the snorkeling zone (20-50 metres from the whales) at any one time. Other boats must wait their turn at least 50 metres away from the whales.When the captain descides it's safe to go snorkeling, the participants go into the water slowly. When in the water, snorkelers should keep visual contact with the crew member on their boat so they can quickly respond to signals. Snorkelers have to keep a distance of at least 20 metres between them and the whales and must stay with the group at all times. Touching the whales and opproaching them to make contact is strictly forbidding and diving, splashing and making noise should be avoided as much as possible.
We cannot guarantee that all activities will take place as we’ve outlined in advance. We deal with wild animals in open water and unpredictable weather conditions. We ask all our guests to set realistic expectations and be flexibil to make this experience a success. The captain and crew are in charge and decide whether it's safe to go into the water or not. There are many reasons why the crew might not approach the whales. A few examples are:
- There are too many other vessels close to the whales
- Another group of snorkelers is already in the water
- The whales show signs of stress, evasive behaviour or seem to be disturbed
- The whales are in an area where a lot of marine traffic is passing through
- There is a working fishing boat close to the whales
- The whales are not feeding but underway to another location
- Weather conditions are not suitable
Expert guides
For our snorkeling and whale watching expeditions we work with experienced guides that understand whale behaviour and who have spent many hours both above and below the surface close to whales.
Meet our team of experts & ambassadors »
Related Trips
-
Winter Whales of Norway
-
Swimming with gentle giants
Swimming with gentle giants
The crystal clear waters of Tonga are the perfect place for snorkelers to swim with humpbackwhales nurturing mothers teaching their calves how to be whales.
-
Snorkeling with Southern Right Whales
Snorkeling with Southern Right Whales
No other place offers such easy approach to whales because of their high number, that increases every year, their natural curiosity and their permanent staying on bays less than 30 minutes far from where we start our day.