Skjervøy Orca Snorkelling: Is the Encounter Too Crowded?

Is orca snorkelling in Skjervøy too crowded? A 2025 study suggests it sometimes is. It looks at the emotional pull of these encounters, and at the tensions in a crowded, lightly regulated tourism space.

The author describes occasions when many vessels gathered around a small number of whales, including groups with young calves.

The encounter can be moving and uncomfortable

People travel to see orcas because the experience can feel extraordinary. The study takes those feelings seriously. It also asks what happens when access grows faster than rules and oversight.

That is a useful balance. A beautiful moment for a visitor does not automatically mean the encounter was good for the animals. And concern about crowding does not mean every local operator behaves the same way.

What should you ask before booking?

Ask how many vessels the operator coordinates with. Ask whether snorkelling is permitted under the current local framework. Ask how they respond to calves or feeding behaviour, and whether they will leave if the animals move away. Ask what happens when the water is crowded.

The study describes a regulatory gap at the time of the research. Norway does have a whale safari regulation, the Forskrift om utøvelse av hvalsafari (FOR-2019-12-05-1651, last amended in 2022). It counts swimming, diving and paddling as whale safari, forbids carrying it out in a way that disturbs whales in their natural habitat, and forbids swimming, diving or paddling closer than 0.4 nautical miles (740 metres) to a vessel that is fishing or to fixed gear. It does not set a distance from the whales themselves. Rules can change, so check the current requirements with the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries before you book. Do not assume a snorkel encounter is allowed just because a company advertises it.

The whales are not a swimming attraction

If orcas are feeding, their access to prey and their freedom to move come first. People should never chase a group, block its direction or follow harder when a whale turns away.

I want people to have powerful wildlife encounters. I also want the animals to have a normal day. The right operator is comfortable saying, “We’re giving them space.” Wildlife encounters are unpredictable. Any in-water activity near orcas should always follow local regulations and experienced professional guidance. See Norway in the Ocean Atlas for more context.

Questions people ask

Wildlife encounters are never guaranteed and never forced. Ocean Calling works only with vetted, ethical local operators, and every animal is free to approach, or not, entirely on its own terms.