What it’s Like Snorkeling with Orcas in Norway
Coming face to face with an apex predator would normally be a nightmare scenario, but when that predator is an orca, it’s a magical experience that will leave you speechless. Northern Norway, above the arctic circle, is the only place where you can legally and successfully snorkel with killer whales in the wild. In November 2024, I spent 7 days/6 nights onboard the ship Polarfront, with 5 full days searching for orcas and coming within mere feet of them. And I can confirm I lived to tell the tale. Snorkeling with orcas ranks as one of the best experiences of my entire life!
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Where/When Can You Swim with Orcas?
Orcas can be found around the world, but you can’t snorkel with them everywhere. In many places, it’s illegal. Also, many orcas are found out in open waters where it’s very difficult to track them, so odds of successfully swimming with them are low.
Northern Norway provides a unique opportunity to swim with orcas in the fjords above the arctic circle. However, the orcas aren’t there year-round. Instead, they follow the herring and come into the fjords in the fall/winter. This means you have to contend with frigid temperatures and little to no daylight.
Despite the challenges, it’s all beyond worth it when you see the orcas up close in the water. Photos and videos will never do it justice.
Is it Safe to Swim with Orcas?
Any activity comes with some amount of inherent risk, but the most comforting statistic I can offer you is that there’s never been a reported case of an orca attacking a human in the wild. The only incidents have happened in captivity, where the orcas swim circles around a very small tank for the rest of their lives – not good for the mental health of an animal with such a big brain.
Scientists aren’t 100% sure why orcas leave humans alone, but they really don’t pay us much attention. At most, they may swim by to check you out before going on their way. Even being around calves and their mothers isn’t an issue.
To be honest, I was very anxious going into this trip about an orca eating me. My brain tried to convince me I’d be the first person ever killed by an orca in the wild. However, after I dropped into the water for the first time and spotted a massive killer whale, all the fear was replaced with awe and excitement. I couldn’t wait to jump in again!
And if it helps at all, orcas eat different things around the world. The main diet of the orcas in Norway is herring, which is significantly smaller than humans!
What Do You Wear to Snorkel with Orcas?
The water temperature in northern Norway was about 4-5 degrees Celcius (39-41 Fahrenheit) when we were there in November. While that’s objectively quite cold, it may be warmer than you’d expect above the Arctic Circle due to the powerful gulf stream. Still, you’ll want to be properly outfitted to handle those temperatures.
On our trip, we all wore dry suits with built in booties that kept water out of except for our hands and head. Under the dry suit, we wore merino wool base layers and then a thermal suit. You have to be really careful getting the dry suit on/off because the gaskets around the wrists and neck are very delicate. If they tear, freezing cold water will get in your suit. On our hands and head, we had 7mm neoprene gloves/hoods. The gloves helped, but my hands still felt extremely cold at the end of each day.
Other tour operators have guests wear full 7mm wetsuits, but our guides said these are much colder and you can’t stay out as long. We were out there for up to 4 hours at a time, which sounds miserable in a wetsuit.
Day Trips vs. Multi-Day Trips
You have the option to either book a multi-day cruise like I did or book day trips out into the fjords. If you’re short on time, the day trip is a good option, but know that your odds of swimming with orcas go way down. Weather in the North Atlantic is notoriously bad this time of year and it’s easy to have days where you can’t go out or you just don’t spot any whales even if you do.
Of our 5 days we spent exploring, here was the breakdown of our success:
- 2 extremely successful days, got in the water and spotted orcas multiple times
- 1 day where only half the passengers got in the water, and of those who did, only half spotted an orca
- 1 day where the weather was so bad we never launched the zodiacs
- 1 day where we launched the zodiacs but never found orcas and the seas were pretty choppy
That’s only 40% of days being successful – not great odds for a day trip. Our guides did say they’ve never had a 5-day trip that was a complete bust – they always swim with orcas at least 1 day. On the flip side they said they’ve never had a 5-day trip get to swim with them all 5 days. That’s how volatile the weather is. One day it’s perfect, the next there’s a storm.
Booking with Waterproof Expeditions
We booked the 7 day/6 night “Winter Whales of Norway” trip directly with Waterproof Expeditions via email over a year in advance. They operate 3 ships, but each one has a capacity of only 12-16 guests. We ended up booking the Superior Suite because it was the cheapest room still available. The cost was €5100 per person + €80 each to rent the dry suit, thermal suit, and snorkel gear. The cruise leaves from Tromsø, Norway, so you have to get yourself there ahead of time.
We booked our trip over Thanksgiving to minimize vacation days, but I’d recommend booking earlier in the season when there’s more light. The first day of our cruise was the first day of polar night, so the sun never went above the horizon, and we only had a few hours of dawn/dusk each day to look for orcas. Waterproof Expeditions takes a break in December and early January when where’s just not enough light, so they operate in October to early December and then again in late January.
Waterproof Expeditions requires you purchase travel insurance for your trip. We purchased from World Nomads and printed out our policy, as they said they’d check it when we got on board. However, they didn’t end up checking.
The trip is called “Winter Whales of Norway” for a reason – orcas aren’t the only whales in the water! Humpbacks are also in the fjords because they also eat the herring. I personally didn’t get to see any humpbacks up close, but other guests have in the past.
My Experience Onboard Polarfront
MS Polarfront originally launched in 1976 and served as a weather tracking ship in the North Atlantic before satellite technology took over. It has since been retrofitted as an expedition ship for tours in Northern Norway, Svalbard, and beyond. It has 2 zodiacs on board for daily excursions off the ship.
One weird thing about the ship is that a lot of the rooms are built on a tilt. This was most noticeable in the lounge and dining room.
Cabin
Our Superior Suite cabin was the very last guest cabin at the back of the ship. There was a beanie for each of us – a welcome gift to keep from Waterproof Expeditions. Every cabin had an ensuite bathroom with a full-sized shower (impressive for a ship) and a towel warmer. We were each given a robe, which came in handy for the polar plunge. There was also plenty of storage space for all our stuff. The stewardesses serviced our cabins twice per day.
It’s important to keep in mind that this is an expedition ship. The level of luxury won’t match some of the fancier ships around the world, but it was perfectly comfortable during our trip.
Food
Our cruise included all of the food on board. Some alcohol was provided for free, but most was an additional charge. There is only one chef on board who prepares all the meals for the guests and crew. You do need to submit all dietary preferences to Waterproof Expeditions in advance.
On our first evening, the chef blew us away with dinner. The duck he served fell right off the bone. Months later, I’m still drooling at the thought. However, the rest of the meals didn’t quite meet the high bar they set on the first night. Don’t get me wrong, they were still good, just not 10/10.
Breakfasts and lunches were buffet-style and dinners were all plated and multi-course. Given the limited daylight, we only went out once per day, so lunch happened whenever we got back. One nitpick: we weren’t told what we were eating, so we often had to guess. All the dinners were 3 courses except the night the Captain’s dinner – that night had 4 courses.
There were also a couple of captain’s toasts throughout the trip with canapés and passed appetizers. We never went hungry on the ship!
Staff
The crew on board consisted of our 2 guides, 2 stewardesses, 1 chef, the captain, and about 8 deck hands/engineers/officers. Our staff were from all over Europe, including France, Poland, and the Netherlands, though the majority were French. The guides were the ones who drove the zodiacs and led our excursions each day. They also gave lectures in the afternoons about orcas, humpbacks, and more. One of our guides had been guiding in the Arctic and Antarctic for over 30 years and even published a book about polar bears!
The stewardesses served our meals, cleaned our rooms, bartended, and helped with anything else we needed. Every crew member on board was so nice and welcoming. They really enhanced our experience.
At the end of the trip, you have the opportunity to leave a gratuity for the crew and the guides. They do accept credit cards for this gratuity, so no need to pack cash.
Amenities
The ship featured a hot tub, sauna, board games, puzzles, and a library to keep you entertained. The sauna came in handy after all our excursions to quickly warm up before heading inside. The main lounge was where we spent most of our free time and it also is where the Captain’s toast and lectures were held.
The bridge is also open all the time and you’re welcome to go in, ask the captain questions, and see how the ship is run. On our last day, the crew also hosted an engine room tour. I always find the inner-workings fascinating!
Daily Excursions – Snorkeling with Orcas!
Each day after breakfast, we’d head out on deck along with our guides and look for orcas. Once our guides determined there was a “workable group” nearby, they’d make the call to launch the zodiacs and told us to get ready as fast as possible. We’d put on our gear and meet on the back deck to make sure our dry suits were properly zipped closed before boarding disembarking the ship.
Once in the zodiacs, finding the orcas sometimes felt like a game of whack-a-mole. You’d spot them, the guide would rush the zodiac off in their direction, and by the time you got there, they’d change direction and be hundreds of yards away. But when you get lucky, the zodiac is perfectly positioned in front of the orcas, the guide shouts to jump in and you do. Then you wait a few seconds before coming face to face with 1, 2, maybe even 6 orcas! It’s unbelievable. And then they’re gone and you quickly race back into the zodiac to repeat the process over and over until conditions worsen or it gets dark.
Our guides encouraged us not to use our flippers because when you jump in the water with the orcas, the best strategy is actually not to try to swim (you’ll never catch them), but rather look down and wait for them to pass you. No flippers made swimming harder, but it made getting back into the zodiacs slightly easier. The dry suit has enough air inside to keep you buoyant without trying, so there’s no risk of sinking.
Getting into the zodiacs was quite a challenge (and a workout). The zodiacs didn’t have ladders, so instead you had to grab on to the ropes on the side and try to do a muscle up and then swing your leg over the edge. Usually, the strongest men in our group got themselves in and then, along with the guide, helped everyone else into the zodiacs. I needed help every single time.
After each excursion, we climbed back on board and headed out to the deck to be hosed off with fresh water before carefully peeling off our drysuits and hanging them to dry in the locker. Later each evening, we’d collect our drysuits and bring them in to our cabins so they’d be warm when we put them on again. We took our gloves, hoods, and masks with us to dry in our cabin bathrooms.
*Note: there is also an option to stay in the zodiacs for all the excursions if you’re not comfortable snorkeling. We had 2 people on our cruise opt for this. They wore winter coats and life vests instead of dry suits.
Polar Plunge
With 2 days left in our trip, they announced that the polar plunge would be that evening after dinner. This is a completely optional activity and on our ship, about half of the guests participated. I’d done the polar plunge before in Antarctica, but I was still nervous. Regardless, I put on my robe and marched down the icy gangway to be the first one to jump into the pitch black water (it was nighttime after all!). They put a safety belt around my wait *just in case* and then I stepped on the edge and jumped.
There was a ladder to help us climb back in, but in reality the crew just hauls you back over the side. Cold plunges always feel so good after you’re done! I was so happy I’d done it by the time I was in the sauna.
Northern Lights
This region of the world is famous for being one of the best places to spot the northern lights. Unfortunately for us, the entire week we were in Norway, it was too cloudy for the auroras to make an appearance. However, if your luck is better than mine, the crew announces when they spot Northern Lights while on board!
A Note About Sea Sickness
Despite being in the protected waters of the fjords, the water can still be rough. You’ll definitely feel that rocking on a ship this small. I highly recommend prescription scopolamine patches. I wore them during this trip and had no issues, but my husband took his off on the 2nd day and got sea sick later in the trip. Of course, consult your doctor to see if it’s right for you. Dramamine, Bonine, and pressure-point wristbands are also good non-prescription alternatives.
Packing List
The rental package includes the thermal jumpsuit, drysuit, neoprene gloves/hood, flippers, and snorkel goggle/mask. That means you don’t actually need to pack much for the cruise, but here’s a rundown of what to bring:
- Merino wool base layers (socks, leggings, long sleeve shirts) – I often wore 2 of everything at once under my jumpsuit
- Swimsuit – for the polar plunge, sauna, and hot tub
- Sandals – for walking around the ship and the Polar Plunge
- Waterproof camera with extra batteries – a GoPro or Insta360 in waterproof housing is ideal, but make sure you have a wrist strap!
- Regular clothes for the ship – dress code is casual on board, so no need for fancy clothes
- Adapter for European outlets
- Sea sickness medications (scopolamine patches, Dramamine, etc.)
You’ll need to fly into Tromsø, where the cruise departs and it’s always a good idea to give yourself a couple of days in case of weather delays. In Tromsø, you’ll probably want all the above items plus waterproof pants/jacket, winter boots, gloves, and a hat.
Final Thoughts
It still feels unbelievable to say I swam with orcas in Norway! This trip was one of the biggest pinch-me moments of all my travels. I think it’s second only to my Antarctica trip. We also lucked out with a great group of guests who were friendly and willing to share all the photos/videos they took.
If coming face to face with an 8,000 lbs killer whale excites you, I can’t recommend the Winter Whales of Norway trip with Waterproof Expeditions enough. If you have hesitations, know that I did too and overcoming the fear only made the trip even better.
Be sure to pin this post for future planning!
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