Whale watching in Norway
The waters surrounding Skjervoy, a small island in Northern Norway becomes a rich feeding ground for humpback whales and Orca every November.
My trip to Skjervoy involved 7 whole days out on a boat from sunrise to sunset (roughly from 630am - 3pm) in temperatures reaching -15 degrees celcius. We headed out from a small town called Sjkervoy to document the orca and humpbackwhales that visit these waters every November to feed.
If you're looking for a real encounter with cetaceans, Skjervoy in November is absolutely the place for you.
Over the past few years the herring has been moving more North on the west coast of Norway. Nobody is really sure why but it's thought to be due to changing ocean conditions caused by our changing climate. So, as the herring move North, so do the whales.. and they are here in huge numbers.
Feeding at the herring boats
It's not just the whales you will see. While we were there the herring boats began catching their first catches of the season. Fishing for herring is strictly regulated to ensure that no overfishing occurs and each vessel is only allowed to catch a certain tonnage of herring. One early morning we sat next to a herring boat who were just bringing in their catch. Surrounding the vessel were four humpback whales and too many Orca to count. Spy hopping, feeding, socialising, breaching - all under the moonlight. A very interesting relationship to witness between the fisherman and the whales. My absolutely best moment was when 20 plus humpback whales slowly passed us as we sat on the still ocean like a duck on a pond. We were all silent feeling the light spray of the humpback whale blow on us as they passed. This was undeniably
One of the most breathtaking wildlife encounters I have ever experienced.
Watch the full encounter here https://twitter.com/LizzieRDaly/status/1195366331815792641
Get out into nature
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