Norway Orcas and Humpback Whale Trip Report 2025

Skjervoy, Norway
November 11 - 17, 2025

Wildlife and Photography Goals This Trip:

• Orcas - X - (Day 1.)

• Humpback Whales - X - (Day 1).

• Finback Whales - X - (Day 4).

• Orcas feeding on herring baitballs - X - (Day 4).

• Humpback feeding on baitballs - X - (Day 4).

• Finbacks underwater

• Orcas spy hopping

• Breaching orcas

• Humpback Fluke Shots

• Northern Lights

November 12, 2025

Day One. We made it to Skjervøy!

Well, I made it, my friends had no issues getting here.

After the long push from Churchill and a few stressful days of flight delays and Arctic weather, I was honestly worried I wouldn’t get here on time… But the stars aligned, and I’m feeling grateful.

This morning we gathered in the changing room at the hotel, waiting for our safety briefing to begin. 

It was great seeing familiar faces from past seasons, the same crew that makes these trips feel like family.

We set out for our first day on the water. It’s cold today, and the sea has a bit of swell. 

The crew warned us it would be a wet ride, not exactly how you want to start a trip in the Arctic, but that’s part of the adventure.

The sky stayed gray and heavy with clouds all day. 

Unfortunately, the forecast said 100% cloud cover tonight, a tough blow because the aurora index was reading an 8–9, meaning the sky would have been exploding with color. 

Just not for us, sadly.

We motored about 45 minutes into the fjord, through choppy seas and occasional spray. 

Not too bad, thankfully, it was damp but manageable. 

Then, excitement erupted on deck… Orcas!

Cheers filled the boat as the first dorsal fins broke the surface. 

That surge of shared energy, that moment when everyone realizes they’re seeing something extraordinary, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. 

Especially watching our friends from Jordan, who flew halfway across the planet for this moment.

The pod was huge, at least 30 - 40 orcas. Our local guide told us that likely two families traveling together. 

The water was a bit soupy, so we didn’t try to get in right away. 

Instead, our captain took us farther north to a more protected area with calmer seas. And it paid off, more orcas, humpback whales, and a sky full of seabirds, even a couple of eagles overhead.

The orcas were hunting hard, slapping the surface, deep diving, and corralling the herring into bait balls. 

We could see the activity everywhere, though most of it was deep. We tried a few drops, caught some close passes, but never hit a perfect bait ball underwater. 

It was also too dark for underwater photos, so I didn’t even try.

Still, the topside action was incredible, orcas working together in tight formations while humpbacks lunged nearby, blowing spray into the cold air.

Light was fading fast, and the clouds made it even darker, but the show didn’t stop. 

On the way back to port, we came across another group of orcas feeding, with a few humpbacks lunge feeding in it.

 This bait ball was tighter, and the activity much closer to the surface. I wanted to jump back in, but it was too dark, visibility would’ve been poor, and we were already out of time.

We turned toward Skjervøy as the cold crept in and the sky dimmed to slate. 

What a start to the trip, long travel, rough weather, and unforgettable wildlife.

Tomorrow… I can’t wait for tomorrow!

🎥 Watch the Wild Minute to feel it unfold in real time.

November 13, 2025

Day Two. Weather Day.

The weather moved in hard today, and we had to cancel the boat trips out to find orcas and humpback whales. 

The wind and waves made it impossible to get on the water safely.

Instead, we used the day to slow down a bit, catch up on laundry, rest, and recover from the travel and the long hours we’ve been keeping. 

The time difference has been rough for some of us, so a quiet day was probably overdue.

Our friends from Jordan took advantage of the break and went off exploring the town, making the most of the downtime. That’s the thing about trips like this, you learn to go with the rhythm of the Arctic.

We met up for dinner in the evening and talked through plans for tomorrow, just in case the weather holds us back again. 

Either way, we’re ready.

When the sea settles, we’ll be out there again, looking for orcas and decent light in the cold Norwegian fjords.

November 13, 2025

Day Two. Weather Day.

Not much to report today, another weather day in the Arctic. The winds and seas kept us grounded again, so we spent the time relaxing, catching up on photo edits, and visiting a few local shops to pass the hours.

This is nature, and we all know it’s part of the experience, but it’s definitely not the part of nature you hope for when you’re on holiday.

Hopefully tomorrow we’ll be back on the water. The gear’s ready, the crew’s ready… and we need orcas!

November 15, 2025

Day Four. Today was an epic, epic day!

We headed out at 9:00 a.m. into darkness and thick snow clouds. It had been snowing all night, and the ground was buried in fresh snow. Going out in weather like this felt a little crazy, but it was so beautiful, and the energy on the boat was high. 

Everyone felt good. After two days sitting in our hotel rooms, we were ready for an adventure.

As we motored out to sea, the snow kept falling, heavy and endless. 

Our captain Luis already had a plan. 

For the past few days, the orcas had been spending most of their time in the same fjords, where the herring were thick.

After about 45 minutes, we reached the area. 

The first animals we spotted were two fin whales, and off in the distance, we could already see orcas and a few humpback whales. The fjord felt alive, wild and full of magic.

We slowly motored toward the orcas, and our captain called for us to start getting ready. 

We slipped into the icy water for our first jump and had a nice, quick pass. The second jump was even better.

But the third jump was awesome! 

Two orcas swam straight toward me, stopped, and hovered, watching me closely. 

Then they rolled upside down and swam beneath me, studying me. They just hovered there, super curious… I was on fire inside.

One of them swam up directly in front of me before veering off into the blue. It was a dream moment, one I’ll never forget.

After that encounter, our captain moved us to calmer waters, the sea turned almost glassy. 

We didn’t see much at first, but I’ve learned to trust my captains; they always seem to know something we don’t. 

After 15 or 20 minutes, we found the orcas he was looking for. We jumped in again, had another amazing pass, and then he rushed us back on board. 

In the distance, a feeding was happening, and fast.

The orcas had a baitball.

We reached the area just in time. 

Orcas everywhere, the water boiling with herring. The captain shouted for us to slide in.

We did, and found ourselves in the middle of the action. A bait ball surrounded by feeding orcas and humpback whales. 

It was game on.

I swam toward the orcas, seeing the flashes of their white patches through the dark water. 

The closer I got, the more chaotic it became, fish scales and bits drifting through the water, the orcas darting in and out. 

Suddenly, a humpback exploded upward right beneath me into the bait ball, the sound and movement were unreal.

Moments later, six humpbacks coordinated an attack, rising together from below and surprising not just the herring, but some of the orcas too. 

One orca shot straight toward me, turning at the last second to avoid me as it escaped the whales’ charge. 

The humpbacks surged through our group of divers, everyone was wide-eyed, frozen in awe.

It was a dream come true for me. 

I’ve wanted to experience a Norway bait ball like this since 2016, and today, it finally happened.

When the chaos settled, the water was filled with the aftermath, a few drifting fish, and the orcas moving in to finish the job. 

One large orca picked up a fish right in front of me, stripped the meat off the bone, and spit out the rest, just inches away. Then it grabbed another and did the same.

That was our last jump of the day.

We watched the orcas regroup, gathering together to begin rounding up more fish. We followed them for a few minutes, filming their massive dorsals slicing through the gray water.

Before heading back, we said a quiet thank you to the orcas and humpbacks, and a louder one to our captain for bringing us to the right place at the right time.

Everyone was freezing, soaked, and grinning ear to ear. 

What a great, great day. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

November 16, 2025

Day Five. Today was our final day at sea.

We woke up to more snow, deep, heavy snow that had fallen all through the night. 

But there was a welcome surprise… patches of blue sky breaking through the clouds. 

For the first time since arriving, the light returned.

As we motored out to sea, the sunlight filtered through, behind the mountains and painted the fjords with color. I’ve been talking all week about how beautiful the skies here can be, but until now I hadn’t been able to show our guests what I meant. 

The clouds had kept both the northern lights and the sun hidden all week, so seeing that glow was something special.

It was much colder today, around –10°C, and with the wind from the boat it felt closer to –15°C.

I’m not sure what –15 actually feels like, but I’m guessing it’s something close to this: numb fingers and frozen smiles.

It took us about 45 minutes to reach the same area where the baitball action had happened the day before. 

When we arrived, the fjord was alive again with humpbacks and orcas, a lot of them.

There wasn’t much feeding today. 

We tried a few jumps, but the orcas weren’t interested in us. Each time we entered the water, they dove beneath us and carried on with their search. 

They were clearly on a mission to round up food, but no baitball ever formed, and by mid-afternoon we were all running out of time… and body heat.

So we said our goodbyes to the orcas and humpbacks and called it a day.

It is the arctic, this is what the arctic experience is like; amazing animals, beautiful scenery, extreme weather and epic moments that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Years back, my buddy Chris summed up this trip perfectly: “This was the best-worst trip I’ve ever done.”

Thank you to my friends who joined us out here. 

Such a great trip… magical days, magical nights and one of the best days I’ve ever had in the water with wildlife.

Until the next one.