Swim with humpback whales in Moʻorea, September 2027 · from CHF 4,500See the trip →
Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Europe and Mediterranean

Europe and Mediterranean

Norway

Arctic winter fjords where orcas and humpback whales follow the herring. We watch from the boat. An orca swim is possible here with care, but only with an operator we vet.

Humpback whale tail lifting from Arctic water near Skjervøy, Norway
Sea off Skjervøy · Photo: Felix Rottmann on Unsplash
Exploring

Ethics pass, with care. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard, as long as we work with the right local operator. Checked by Ocean Calling on 30 Sep 2026. Sources: Snorkelling with orcas in Skjervoy: ambivalent encounters in a crowded tourism space, Hale, Environment and Planning E, 2025; Norway country profile, IWC Whale Watching Handbook; How many whales will Norway hunt in 2026, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Mar 2026.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The US State Department rates Norway at Level 1, exercise normal precautions (July 2026). Smartraveller advises normal safety precautions and notes petty crime around Oslo and avalanche risk in the mountains. Sources: US State Department travel advisory, Norway · Smartraveller travel advice, Norway Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

WhalesWildlife watching

Why Norway

In the far north of Norway, orcas and humpback whales gather in winter where the herring spend the cold months, around the Skjervøy, Kvænangen and Alta fjords. The herring move from year to year, so the whales move too. It is a cold, dark and powerful place: short blue-hour days, snow and very cold water. We watch the whales from the boat and keep learning about the small local teams who work here with care.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

KazakhstanRussiaNorwayGreenlandFranceSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBelgiumNetherlandsIrelandDenmarkUnited KingdomIcelandFinlandCzechiaSkjervøy and Kvænangen, Norway

When to go

Nov-Jan. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass, with care

Good with the right operator. Here is how we choose.

In winter, orcas and humpbacks feed in the northern fjords. Norway bans disturbing whales, but there is no licence and no boat limit for orca snorkelling. The Fisheries Directorate guidelines (2016, updated 2019) list swimming with whales as not recommended, yet it happens almost daily in the Skjervøy winter season, and the industry NorWhale code is voluntary. Visit Tromsø guidelines strongly discourage in-water activity, and conservation groups have criticised tours that use frozen fish waste. We do not sell an orca swim. We would only consider an operator who passes our vetting, with no baiting, no chasing and small groups, and you can always stay on the boat. We never eat whale.

Checked 30 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Norway

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Skjervøy and Kvænangen

Exploring

Winter fjords where orcas and humpbacks follow the wintering herring, watched from the boat. Orca swims exist here but are unlicensed, so we only consider a vetted operator, and you can always stay on the boat.

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Orcas (Nov-Jan, from the boat), Humpback whales (from the boat)

When: Nov-Jan. The herring and the whales move between fjords from year to year.

Animals

Animals recorded in Norway

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals
Orcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian watersOrca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 55 countries in the AtlasData DeficientHumpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableFin whale surfacing, showing its white right lower jawFin whaleBalaenoptera physalusSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBasking shark swimming underwater in green water off Argyll, ScotlandBasking sharkCetorhinus maximusSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGrey seal resting on a seaweed rock in Northumberland, UKGrey sealHalichoerus grypusSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHarbour porpoise rolling at the surface off Berry Head, DevonHarbour porpoisePhocoena phocoenaSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBowhead whale head with twin blowholes breaking the surfaceBowhead whaleBalaena mysticetusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernNarwhal surfacing with its spiral tusk showing, Nunavut, CanadaNarwhalMonodon monocerosSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAtlantic walrus with long tusks resting on sea ice, SvalbardAtlantic walrusOdobenus rosmarus rosmarusSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedMinke whale surfacing and exhaling, seen from aboveCommon minke whale (North Atlantic)Balaenoptera acutorostrataSeen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernA single silvery herring angled through deep blue water off Skjervoy, northern NorwayAtlantic herringClupea harengusSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-tailed eagle in flight low over calm water with a fish in its talons, near Raftsund, Lofoten, NorwayWhite-tailed eagleHaliaeetus albicillaSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlue whale blowing a tall spout off San DiegoBlue whaleBalaenoptera musculusSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasEndangeredSpotted harbor seal lifting its head out of calm waterHarbor sealPhoca vitulinaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBump-head sunfish swimming in blue water off Nusa PenidaOcean sunfish (mola)Mola molaSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasVulnerableTwo long-finned pilot whales surfacing side by sideLong-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala melasSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSei whale's tall dorsal fin breaking a calm sea surfaceSei whaleBalaenoptera borealisSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasEndangeredStriped dolphin leaping, dark flank stripe clearly visibleStriped dolphinStenella coeruleoalbaSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf minke whaleBalaenoptera acutorostrata (dwarf form)Seen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWild beluga lifting its head from the brown water near Churchill, ManitobaBeluga whaleDelphinapterus leucasSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernOceanic whitetip shark with pilot fish in sunlit Red Sea waterOceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredSilky shark swimming near the surface in blue waterSilky sharkCarcharhinus falciformisSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLion's mane jellyfish with long hair-like tentacles, Highland, ScotlandLion's mane jellyfishCyanea capillataSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedMoon jellyfish in a harbour in Zeeland, NetherlandsMoon jellyfishAurelia aurita and other Aurelia speciesSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedA male northern bottlenose whale lifting its head above the surface in the Gully, Nova Scotia, during a research expeditionNorthern bottlenose whaleHyperoodon ampullatusSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedShortfin mako shark at Condor Bank in the North Atlantic, AzoresShortfin makoIsurus oxyrinchusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlue shark swimming in open blue water off the Azores with a diver in the backgroundBlue sharkPrionace glaucaSeen in 50 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSpiny dogfish resting on the seabed at the Josephine Marie shipwreck, Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuarySpiny dogfishSqualus acanthiasSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic white-sided dolphin leaping clear of the sea, showing its pale flank stripeAtlantic white-sided dolphinLagenorhynchus acutusSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-beaked dolphin surfacing, head and beak at the water lineWhite-beaked dolphinLagenorhynchus albirostrisSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAtlantic puffin spreading its wings on a cliff in IcelandAtlantic puffinFratercula arcticaSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSailfish swimming in open blue water, seen from below, with its long bill and tall dorsal finSailfishIstiophorus platypterusSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic bluefin tuna leaping out of choppy water, recorded in Hovedstaden, DenmarkAtlantic bluefin tunaThunnus thynnusSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernThree black-browed albatrosses with their bills together at a Steeple Jason Island colony, against blue skyBlack-browed albatrossThalassarche melanophrisSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon smooth-hound swimming just above a sandy seabed, with a slim grey-brown body and two dorsal finsCommon smooth-houndMustelus mustelusSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasEndangeredRinged seal lying on snow and ice, dark with pale ring markings on its backRinged sealPusa hispidaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernYoung hooded seal with a spotted coat lying on drifting sea iceHooded sealCystophora cristataSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasEndangeredHarp seal raising its head and chest out of green water with spray around itHarp sealPagophilus groenlandicusSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedPolar bear looking up at the camera on sea ice, close view of the face and earsPolar bearUrsus maritimusSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerableGreenland shark swimming just above the seabed in deep water, filmed by a research vehicleGreenland sharkSomniosus microcephalusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLarge bearded seal resting on snow and ice with its head raisedBearded sealErignathus barbatusSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedGreat cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black backGreat cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge flock of sooty shearwaters flying low over the sea beside a rocky coastSooty shearwaterArdenna griseaSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedClose view of a northern gannet face, with pale blue eyes and a golden headNorthern gannetMorus bassanusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScopoli's shearwater skimming just above calm blue waterScopoli's shearwaterCalonectris diomedeaSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeach's storm-petrel in flight over water, wings spread, with a pale patch at the base of the tailLeach's storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasVulnerableManx shearwater banking just above the sea, white underparts and dark upperparts visibleManx shearwaterPuffinus puffinusSeen in 34 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreat shearwater flying low over calm water, its reflection belowGreat shearwaterArdenna gravisSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernEuropean shag sitting on its nest of dry grass, dark green-tinged plumage and yellow gapeEuropean shagGulosus aristotelisSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a small-spotted catshark head, with dark spots, resting on the seabedSmall-spotted catshark (lesser spotted dogfish)Scyliorhinus caniculaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTope shark swimming in clear shallow water, seen from the sideTope shark (school shark)Galeorhinus galeusSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredNorthern fulmar sitting on a cliff ledge, facing the cameraNorthern fulmarFulmarus glacialisSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernVelvet belly lanternshark swimming just above a dark seabed, with a violet sheen along its flankVelvet belly lanternsharkEtmopterus spinaxSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableThornback ray swimming over a rocky seabed in shallow green waterThornback rayRaja clavataSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBigeye thresherAlopias superciliosusSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasVulnerableStarry ray resting on a sandy seabed, with a spotted back and thorns along the tailStarry ray (thorny skate)Amblyraja radiataSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasVulnerableTwo dark dorsal fins of porbeagle sharks cutting the sea surfacePorbeagleLamna nasusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePelagic stingray seen from above, swimming over the seabed in clear blue waterPelagic stingrayPteroplatytrygon violaceaSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSpotted ray (homelyn ray)Raja montaguiSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernStarry smooth-houndMustelus asteriasSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBlue skateDipturus batisSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredAntarctic fur seal rising upright out of the water with wet fur and closed eyesAntarctic fur sealArctocephalus gazellaSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlackmouth catsharkGaleus melastomusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSowerby's beaked whale surfacing, with its long beak and grey back above the waterSowerby's beaked whaleMesoplodon bidensSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLongnosed skateDipturus oxyrinchusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCuckoo rayLeucoraja naevusSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedRound skateRajella fyllaeSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSandy rayLeucoraja circularisSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasVulnerable

Read before you go

Whales and wildlife ethicsOrcas in Norway: The Cold Truth Behind the Viral VideosRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsOrcas and the herring run in northern NorwayRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsHvaldimir: The Harnessed Beluga Norway Could Not ForgetRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationWho Still Hunts Whales? Norway, Japan, the Faroes and IcelandRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationWhale Meat on the Menu: What Travellers to Norway and Japan Should KnowRead ↗
Dreaming of Norway?

Tell Rocío what you would love to see

There is no trip here yet. If enough people ask, it helps us decide where to go next.

Message on WhatsAppEmail RocíoGet new dates first

Also in Europe and Mediterranean
AlbaniaAlgeriaBelgiumBulgariaCroatiaCyprusDenmarkEstoniaFaroe IslandsFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyGibraltarGreeceGreenlandIcelandIrelandItalyLatviaLebanonLibyaLithuaniaMaltaMonacoMontenegroMoroccoNetherlandsPalestinePolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSyriaTunisiaTürkiyeUkraineUnited Kingdom

← Back to the Ocean Atlas

For partners

Based in Norway?

We are always happy to hear from exceptional local operators, accommodation, conservation organisations and destination experts in Norway. If your work fits responsible, small-group ocean travel, we would love to learn more.

Partner with Ocean Calling
You might like

5-day freediving course in Bali

CHF 1,180

See the trip →