Snorkel or watch orcas in the fjords around Skjervøy in Arctic Norway, where huge shoals of overwintering herring pull in pods of killer whales and humpback whales each winter. Fast RIB boats run whale watching and, in calm conditions, in-water snorkelling through the short Arctic days near Tromsø, with orca activity often near-guaranteed at the season's peak. The herring and whales are here from late October to January, best from November to December.
Snorkel or watch orcas in the fjords around Skjervøy in Arctic Norway, where huge shoals of overwintering herring pull in pods of killer whales and humpback whales each winter. Fast RIB boats run whale watching and, in calm conditions, in-water snorkelling through the short Arctic days near Tromsø, with orca activity often near-guaranteed at the season's peak. The herring and whales are here from late October to January, best from November to December.
Up to 95% sighting chance in Skjervøy / Kvænangen (Tromsø, Norway). Best months: December, November, January.
Yes. There is no ban, and Skjervøy is one of the few places on Earth where guided in-water snorkelling with wild orcas is offered, weather permitting.
Late October to January, best in November and December when the overwintering herring and the orcas and humpbacks that follow it fill the fjords.
Whale watching and snorkelling trips by RIB cost roughly NOK 1,800 to NOK 3,500 (about EUR 150 to EUR 300) per person (2026 prices).
It is a crowded, popular site, so choose a low-impact operator that keeps its distance; expect only 3 to 5 hours of daylight and temperatures around -5 to 3 degrees C, and snorkelling is cancelled in strong swell.
