Orca whale watching in Norway

country:	Norway
location:	Fjords, Northern Lights
departures:	2008: 14 Nov, 17 Nov, 21 Nov, 24 Nov, 28 Nov, 1 Dec, 5 Dec, 23 Dec, 26 Dec, 30 Dec
price:	From £950 - £1095 (4 days) including flights from the UK, £700 excluding flights

Whale watching holidays

Norway holidays

Fjords holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

In the wonderful world of nature there are particular creatures that have undoubted 'star appeal' and never fail to attract interest wherever they occur. The magnificent Orca, or Killer Whale, is one such animal and thanks to Hollywood films such as 'Free Willy' and numerous TV documentaries, this powerful marine predator occupies a special place in our affections. Demonstrably intelligent, sociable and exciting to watch, the handsome pied Orca is the embodiment of wild ocean habitats and in favoured places around the world where hunting groups can be regularly encountered, local boatmen are busily employed satisfying the universal desire to share a few moments of togetherness with a mammal which inhabits an alien world to our own yet, paradoxically, seems to enjoy our company.

Orcas are by no means rare in the seas around Europe, but their free-ranging nomadic lifestyle make it difficult to predict their appearances and often a family group will move on again almost as quickly as it appears. One important exception is the northern coast of Norway where each winter between October and January, vast shoals of Herring provide an easy source of food for several hundred Killer Whales and both hunters and prey linger in the deep coastal fjords for several months until the migrating fish once again lure the whales back to the open sea. This phenomenon has become a popular tourist spectacle we are delighted to be offering our clients the opportunity to join boats sailing from the little fishing port of Tysfjord to spend an unforgettable weekend among these most charismatic of marine creatures.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	We leave London on a scheduled service flight to Oslo where we connect with our onward flight to either Bodø or Evenes, small towns a few hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in northern Norway. From here we drive for around 3-4 hours to the coastal settlement of Tysfjord. We hope to arrive at the Tysfjord Turistsenter, our comfortable hotel and base for the next three nights, around 6.30pm.
Day 2 - 3:	Situated at the head of a deep fjord surrounded by rugged snow capped mountains, Tysfjord is just about the most picturesque and remote location that you could wish to spend a weekend in, but the attractions are not confined to the scenery and the lure for many of the region's visitors is the unrivalled opportunity to see Killer Whales at close range. Each morning we will join other whale enthusiasts and embark on a five hour cruise taking us to the waters frequented by the Orcas. Sometimes the shoaling Herring bring the whales relatively close to the town, but on other occasions the captain may have to navigate further into the fjord before finding our quarry. No two outings are the same and the behaviour of the Killer Whales can vary from apparent lethargy to bursts of high activity as they pursue their underwater prey. Loafing whales may allow very close approach by the vessel and even rub against the sides to scratch an irritation but the boats are not allowed to harass the Orcas in any way and must always keep at a discreet distance unless the whales decide otherwise! Orcas are intensely social creatures living in stable 'pods' of up to 50 members and it is thought that calves of both sexes remain in their mothers group throughout their lives. The numbers frequenting Tysfjord fluctuate from year to year (usually 400-500 animals), but early November is considered to be one of the best times to visit before the winter weather sets in and when the days are still long enough to enjoy plenty of time on the water. Frequently these inquisitive creatures will raise their heads out of the water to take a look at us, behaviour known as 'spy-hopping' and by lowering a microphone into the water we can even eavesdrop on the Orca's spellbinding symphony of clicks and whistles, a language us humans are not even close to understanding. Winter days are short in the arctic north, and the excursions will occupy much of the daylight hours but in any time remaining we can perhaps explore the countryside surrounding the town. Birdlife is sparse at this season but we may find a few hardy Snow Buntings or possibly witness one of the resident White-tailed Eagles soaring overhead. We hope to witness one of the most spectacular displays the natural world has to offer, the Aurora Borealis or 'Northern Lights'.
Day 4:	All too soon this winter wildlife spectacle will come to an end and we must leave the Orcas to continue their harvest of the Herring shoals until they also desert the fjord and return to the open ocean. We retrace our steps to Bodø or Evenes where a return flight to London (changing at Oslo) will replace the crisp coldness of the Norwegian winter for the uncertainties of the same season in Britain.

this holiday is operated by a wildlife specialist

Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Inevitably, birds, plants and mammals are the main focus of attention however, the aim will be to incorporate all other aspects of the natural world in an attempt to be as broad-minded as possible. A local guide may often accompany trips.

how this holiday makes a difference

We sincerely hope that by spending time and money in Norway – using local hotels, local produce, local vessels, local guides and local people – the region’s understandable preoccupation with, and support for, whaling as an integral part of its economy and culture will diminish as the benefits of whale preservation become unarguably apparent. Please join our expert-escorted small groups (6-16) in making this plain!

As a company we have achieved AITO’s top level, 3-star Responsible Tourism accreditation and we have always tried to operate our holidays in an environmentally responsible manner, striving to contribute to wildlife conservation and habitat preservation at all times.

Our policy includes:

To focus, particularly, on visiting areas which do not benefit from the rewards of mass market tourism.

To minimise environmental damage by exploring in small groups and, as much as possible, on foot.

To use, wherever possible, local guides.

To involve local communities and to ensure that they receive a fair share of the benefits of wildlife tourism.

To use, wherever possible, small, locally owned accommodations & specialist local agents/ground operators.

To purchase, where possible, local produce.

To develop and commit to long-term plans to visit rural areas and support the local communities.

To contribute financially to projects local to the areas that we visit (ie. schools, hospitals, etc.)

To educate the local people on the importance and long-term benefits of wildlife tourism.

To keep our clients well-informed on aspects of wildlife management and conservation.

To work with British and overseas conservation organisations to develop new wildlife tourism destinations.

To run our UK office in as energy-efficient a manner as possible.

We also encourage our clients to offset their carbon dioxide emissions.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

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