When to see whales and orcas in Tromso – which are the best operators?

2026/2027 prices and operators update

Seeing whales during a stay in Tromso is one of the must-do activities. And for good reason: it’s a pretty amazing experience when you’re lucky enough to see them! We’ll talk about it below — Tromso is a great place to spot them, but only under certain conditions, especially the dates.

You know me by now, I’m a huge fan of this kind of activity. Being a (not so) big kid at heart, I’ve done it several times. With more or less success, I have to admit. That’s actually why this article is very short on photos. The first time, the weather was absolutely rotten. Proper cold, snow, wind. Okay, fair enough, it’s Norway in winter, so not exactly a big surprise, I know! And since it was late in the season (late January), there weren’t many left out at sea. But I saw whales! And an orca. We were able to get relatively close and it was really lovely.

The second time, it was even later in the season, early February. And even though the weather was fantastic, nothing. The third time, orcas and whales, that was in December.

So seasonality really matters (late October to late January), but I’ll explain all of that below.

And if you ever want to see everything at a glance, you’ll find a comparison chart of all the agencies at the end of the article.

The different operators and my recommendations

Before we get into the thick of it, maybe because you don’t want to read and compare everything (I admit, it’s a pain), here are just my 4 recommended operators out of all the ones listed in this article.

Why these ones:

• Skua Nature: because they have a tiny boat, but heated and comfortable, so you get the advantage of a “real” boat and of a RIB
• BRIM Explorer: because they’re the most experienced here and their electric boats are far more respectful
• Arctic Adventure : because it’s the most reputable operator for RIBs, a fun experience right up close to the animals (and the spray!)
• The 24h cruise : okay, this one is a real treat, I admit, but you spend 24h on a boat watching the northern lights and the whales, not bad at all!

The comfortable boats from Tromso

The choice of boat matters. Because the big boats generally go from Tromso to Skjervoy, which saves you the bus part.

The boats are very comfortable, built not to rock too much, but it can happen, especially crossing above the Lyngen Alps, that things get a little bumpy. Bring some seasickness tablets just in case!

As this type of boat has a larger capacity (except the Skua, which is tiny but so good), it’s cheaper than a RIB.

See whales & orcas!

The RIBs from Tromso

This is for the “thrills” part and to be as close as possible to the animals, but also to the water. You’ll be glad of the flotation suit! It’s a higher budget, but if you want to make the most of it, then I’d say this is the experience for you.

Bear in mind, though, that the journey is done by bus from Tromso.

See whales & orcas!

Seeing whales and orcas directly from Skjervoy

Are you out and about, already in Skjervoy, or you’d rather not take the bus with everyone else? Then you can board directly in Skjervoy! It’s cheaper, but it’s true that you have to get there yourself. In itself that’s not a problem if you have a car, because with the two ferries Breivikeidet-Svensby and Lyngseidet-Olderdalen it’s relatively quick (2h30 I’d say).

So it can be handy, but it really depends on your trip 🙂

Why is Tromso a good place to see whales?

That’s a good question. Tromso isn’t the only place to see whales in Norway — there are also options in the Lofoten (mainly from Svolvaer), the Vesteralen (year-round from Andenes), Alta… in short, the cetaceans roam all along the Norwegian coast.

But Tromso is a good spot for several reasons. First of all, we know there are whales; it changes a bit from one year to the next, and they actually tend to move towards Skjervoy (we’ll get to that), their arrival and departure can vary by a week, but it’s a safe bet.

Then, it’s obvious but you don’t come all the way up here just to see whales. Tromso, as I present it here, is a great city in a wonderful region with loads of things to do. Whether it’s the northern lights, the landscapes, or dog sledding. So your stay in Tromso won’t be limited to seeing whales, and thankfully so! In the next article, I suggest an example itinerary in Tromso with activities

From Tromso to Skjervoy

So for a few years now, the whales have migrated east of Tromso, and more precisely to Skjervoy. That’s a good hundred km from Tromso. But departures still mainly leave from Tromso — you still book the same excursions, but you generally set off from Tromso. Of course you can do these tours directly from Skjervoy if you’re in the area.

Usually you do Tromso – Skjervoy by shuttle or bus (depending on the group size), but some make the journey by boat directly. That’s the case with the new Brim electric boat. I’ll tell you more about it further down among all the available options. I was supposed to take it two years ago but since the whales had left, they cancelled (makes sense). I was due to take it again last winter but there was a big storm so it was cancelled (again!). But I did take this boat for a more standard trip and honestly a great boat — recent, stable, plenty of room.

• See whales and orcas with Brim Explorer!

What is the best time to see whales and orcas in Tromso?

Well… it’s not all year round. It’s in autumn and winter, and it depends a bit on the seasons. The window is shorter than it used to be because of the dwindling of their food, since whales and orcas, once they come back up here, mainly follow the herring shoals.

But roughly speaking, you’ll find whales and orcas (the orcas are visible a little longer) between late October and late January. But there’s no exact science! For example, one previous winter they went into overtime and stayed until 8 February, whereas the following year they had to leave around 27 January.

It’ll vary by give or take a week. But then you should know that if the operators stop running, it doesn’t mean everyone has left, far from it. It means the probability of seeing any is much lower. You can keep an eye out for fins from the shore. I’ve seen some, and the locals spot them from time to time. You can regularly see dolphins in the big fjords (for example around Sommaroy or Malangen).

During this period, there’s also plenty to see in Tromso — take a look at this calendar to be convinced 🙂

How to choose your operator in Tromso?

So you’ll find several operators, and you’ll have to make a choice based on several criteria:

• group size: I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of large groups. I generally prefer to pay more for something a bit more intimate. Especially since the big boats are often favoured by tour operators. But they do have the advantage of being cheaper.
• reputation: above all, compare the reviews, the ratings, and the content of the negative reviews. Whether they’re trivial gripes or something more serious.
• boat type: you’ll find different types of boat
  • the classic boat, fairly big, usually on two decks, the one you’ll see most often, like with Arctic Resorts.
  • the hybrid boat, as mentioned above it’s a boat that, once it reaches Skjervoy, switches to electric mode to stop making noise. See Brim Explorer
  • the fisherman’s boat — it happens that some trips to more off-the-beaten-track spots are run with the fishermen, and it’s nice. That said, you need to sort it out directly at the harbour.
  • the zodiacs, the famous inflatable boats, with far fewer people but not very stable. On the other hand you can get very close. Discover here.
• price: because there’s something for every budget. Roughly speaking it starts from 130€ and can climb to over 300€ if you go for luxury boats. But let’s say on average it’s around 170€.
• transfer: be careful, because some providers don’t include the transfer! Since the whales and orcas are at Skjervoy, you have to come from Tromso. The majority include the transfer to and from Tromso, but some local ones don’t offer it. In the earlier list, I’ve separated these two cases, but you need to watch out for it

Can you see whales and orcas in Tromso without taking a boat?

Well now… have you ever played the lottery? It’s possible, yes, but really hit or miss. Staying a whole season you can see them, yes — they do sometimes hang around in Kaldfjord or off Tromvik or Sommaroy. In Tromso itself, it’s very tricky because there’s a lot of maritime activity, quite a few boats. But it’s not like in the Gulf of St. Lawrence where you can just settle in and watch them. Here it’ll be far more down to a big stroke of luck. So don’t count on it too much, I’d say. Sorry. That said, always keep an eye out. I’ve happened to see fins, seals and otters.

Summary table of boats for whale watching in Tromso

Conclusion

There we go, I think I’ve told you everything I know. Not many photos, because they were shy the times I went out to sea, or the weather was rotten, but plenty of info and that’s the most important thing I think 😀

In Tromso, the time window is short compared to Iceland or the Vesteralen (Andenes) — we’ve got roughly 3 months and several options between the different types of boat. Bearing in mind that generally you’ll have to go all the way to Skjervoy, but the provider will take care of that no problem, and on top of that the journey is spectacular! So don’t hesitate, it’s really a must-do in Tromso 🙂

And don’t forget that you can also see reindeer and go dog sledding!

• and in the next article, find more than 100 activities and operators in Tromso!

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