Norway Orca Trip Report 2026

Skjervoy, Norway
November 13 - 19, 2026

November 14, 2026. Day One.

Heading out into the cold today. Snow everywhere, but bright blue skies above us. The sun is low, of course, but there isn’t a cloud in sight, and the fjords are flat. 

Reports are that the orcas are far away. Fingers crossed for a great first day, because the light is awesome!

We motored for about 45 minutes before finally finding a pod of orcas. They were scattered, an individual here, a few over there. We moved slowly around the area to see if any were interested in approaching us.

That’s one of the things I love about being here. 

There is no trying to force an encounter.

If the orcas show us they don’t want the boat near them, we back off and enjoy them from a distance.

They didn’t seem to have any clear direction. They were just swimming here and there. A few passed beneath our boat, leaving their signature “footprints” on the surface as they went.

We stayed with them a little longer, and they began coming closer and closer.

Our captain asked everyone to get ready to get in the water. Only three people wanted to go. The rest were too cold after the long ride and decided to stay topside.

The first day is always the toughest. No one is ready for the Arctic on day one. 

It kicks you like a mule when you’re out there, the wind, the chill in the air, a slippery boat thick with snow and ice.

It’s tough.

Our friends got ready while I stayed aboard, still snapping topside images of the orcas. I wasn’t really planning on getting in today. 

Unless we found a baitball, of course.

They slipped into the water and had a nice encounter. One orca swam upside down to look at them as it passed.

On their second encounter, the orcas came even closer. Our safety diver had a camera with him, and on their third jump, they got a great pass. He showed me the image he captured.

I was like… “Okay, I’m getting in.”

I’m glad I did.

On the last jump of the day, the orcas came together. There were at least 12 -14 in the area, and we had a really good quick encounter. I snapped a few images I was very happy with, and that was it. A great way to call it a day.

Then we began the long trek home.

It was going to be cold.

Thankfully, it wasn’t going to be wet.