• 8 nights accommodation in Skjervøy (single rooms; couples sharing receive a discount).

• 5 full on-water expedition days on a heated yacht with an indoor cabin and shelter (weather permitting).

• 2 weather buffer days for flexibility. We will do light local land excursions on these two buffer days, weather-dependent.

• Mask-mounted flashlight (rental).

• All in-water guiding and safety support.

• Free access to any underwater photos/video our guides capture during the trip (not licensed for commercial use).

• Local transfers between the expedition house/Fiskecamp and the boat.

• 6 breakfasts (DIY), 5 days of boat snacks / lunch, 6 home cooked dinners (family style).

• Flights to/from Tromsø (nearest major airport).

• Transfer from Tromsø to Skjervøy (about 4 hours by car/bus or 2-4 hours by ferry).

• Personal dive/snorkel gear: wetsuits (we can help get custom suits from Elios for you or you can also buy a rental kit), fins, mask, weight belt (must bring your own). Best to bring open heeled fins unless you have your own cold water pair (larger footpockets to account for the booties).

• Travel/cancellation insurance.

• Alcohol and personal snacks.

• Lunches and dinners on land days.

Due to the gulf stream, the weather in Arctic Norway in the winter is not as predictable than one would think, and it’s also not as cold either. But yes, it still definitely dips below freezing for the most part.

Air temperature: November averages around -4°C to +6°C. January is a bit colder, typically -10°C to 3°C. Some days will be just above freezing while others dip below.

Water temperature: 4–6°C.

With the included 7mm open-cell wetsuit, hood, gloves, and booties, most people are comfortable for repeated entries. Your body warms up the suit quickly, and our yacht provides heated indoor space between drops. You’ll be cold at times—it’s Arctic winter—but you won’t be “utterly miserable” if you follow gear and warm-up recommendations.

All guests get single rooms. Couples joining can share a room for a discounted rate (-$300 per person). Depending on the amount of single guests vs couples we get per week, we may expand to our annex house for additional rooms. Our expedition house has 5 rooms available for guests.

Typically 5–6 hours per day on the water, depending on whale activity and light (limited daylight in winter). The boat, OceanX, has a heated indoor cabin for shelter, seating, and warming up, as well as outdoor decks for fast entry into the water. It was specifically custom designed for film crews working in the Arctic. This is a very different experience from RIB-based trips—far more comfortable and warm.

No. We do not rent dry suits for this expedition, and we do not allow them on our trips. Dry suits limit agility in the water, trap air, and can create unsafe situations during rapid entries with whales, especially because we also use fins and weights. Our program is specifically designed around thick, warm open-cell wetsuits, which are warmer in practice once you’re moving and allow much freer interaction. The minimum mm thickness acceptable for this trip is 7mm, whereas an 8mm (or 9mm if you get cold very easily) normally proves to be the most comfortable.

Fly into Tromsø Airport (TOS), which has regular connections from Oslo and other European hubs.

From Tromsø, you can:

Take the daily early morning bus to Skjervoy or take the ferry, with normally one to two sailings per day. We will help you look up and purchase tickets if you’d like.

We suggest arriving in Tromsø the day before your trip starts if possible, in case of winter weather delays.

Our in-water guides carry cameras and document encounters when possible. We do not guarantee coverage, as their priority is safety and leading the group. However, when photos or video are captured, they are shared with all guests at no extra cost. These are for personal use and sharing only—not for commercial publishing or resale.

Weather & water: Safety always comes first in these conditions. The boat is stable, heated, and enclosed—far more comfortable than RIBs. We only go out when conditions allow. Two buffer days each week are built in for weather downtime.

Gear: Everyone uses thick open-cell wetsuits, which are warmer and safer than dry suits in this context. Our guides are trained in cold-water protocols, and you’ll be monitored closely during water entries.

Orcas: Wild orcas are not a threat to humans. They are highly intelligent apex predators but have no history of harming people in the wild. Our approach is strictly non-intrusive: no chasing, no harassing, and we let the whales choose interactions.

We target Skjervøy and the Kvænangen Fjord because it’s the world’s most reliable orca aggregation, with whales following the herring migration each winter— we’re talking over 1000 orcas in the greater fjord. While sightings are very likely, wildlife can never be guaranteed, and orcas can be very avoidant in water. Our flexible schedule and multiple days on the water give the best possible chances.

This is a snorkeling/freediving trip, no scuba. You need to be comfortable swimming at least 100 metres unaided in dark open water and able to pull yourself back onto the boat (flat platform on the back). Freediving experience is welcome but not required, as almost all action you will see is at the surface or very close to the surface. The focus is slow, quiet encounters at the surface.

Breakfasts: DIY style each morning. The fridge is stocked with eggs, bread, cereal, fruit, and coffee/tea. Guests can prepare what they like, and guides often cook eggs.

On-water boat snacks and lunch (5 days total): Light snacks onboard the boat plus a simple hot lunch when we return to the house (think— salad, soup, pizza style).

Dinner: Home-cooked group meals at the expedition house (6 dinners, including arrival night). We do curry nights, pasta nights, Thai night, Mexican night, mix of veg and meat. Homey, fun, nothing fancy. And we have a Captain’s dinner one night on board the boat. We also bring some board games for group bonding.

Land days (2 days total): Meals are not included. We usually go out together to local restaurants, or guests can explore on their own.

We can cater for vegetarians and common allergies with advance notice. For very specific dietary restrictions, we may ask you to bring certain specialty items yourself, as grocery selection in Arctic Norway can be limited.

Coffee, tea, and water are always available.

Most orca trips in Norway are run from small RIB boats (rigid inflatables), which means hours of exposure to Arctic wind and cold spray with no shelter and are based at hotels or on liveaboards. Our expeditions are designed to be very different, family-style programs, hosted on a nice vessel, with an incredible expedition house, where we focus on group bonding and dynamics— workshops, lectures, game nights, aurora chasing and more. We want to create a special program, not another orca tour.

• Heated vessel, Not RIBs

  We use a stable yacht with an indoor heated cabin, space to rest, warm up, and change between drops. This makes a huge difference in comfort and safety compared to open RIBs.

• Custom Elios Wetsuits or rental kits

  Every guest may choose to purchase a made-to-measure 8mm open-cell wetsuit (with hood, gloves, and booties), ensuring proper thermal protection OR purchase a rental kit with a wetsuit, gloves, socks, fins, belt, mask and snorkel. These options are made available when you sign up for the trip.

• Small Groups, Quality Time

  We keep group sizes small (6-7 guests per week) so that time on the water is intimate and relaxed, without crowding the whales or each other.

• Flexible Schedule with Weather Buffers

  Our trips are 8 nights / 9 days, with 5 dedicated water days and 2 buffer days. This flexibility helps ensure multiple high-quality encounters despite Arctic weather.

• Home-Cooked Meals & Comfortable Lodging

  Instead of not including meals, we provide hearty group dinners at the expedition house, DIY breakfasts, and boat snacks/ simple lunches on water days. This is not just to make things more convenient for guests, but actually designed to make the expedition more communal.

• Single rooms
  Yes, our baseline for this trip includes single rooms. Couples may share for a discount. Friends may inquire about sharing a room, but please note our rooms generally have one queen bed each, but it may be possible to add in a small twin cot to a room if needed.

• Photography Included

  Our guides carry cameras during in-water sessions. While not guaranteed, photos and video captured are shared free with guests for personal use.

• Safety & Ethical Encounters First

  We never chase or harass whales. Encounters are on their terms. Safety protocols are strict, both for guests in the water and in respecting the orcas themselves.