Skjervoy
Skjervoy whale safari: why the boats sail three hours north
Ten years ago a whale safari from Tromsø was a four-hour trip. Now the best sightings are often two to three hours north, around a small fishing town called Skjervøy, and the reason is not marketing — it is where a very large quantity of herring decided to spend the winter.
Quick answer
Skjervøy is a fishing town about 120 km north-east of Tromso, and in recent seasons it has been the centre of the herring wintering grounds. Safaris either sail there by fast boat or drive north and put you in a RIB from the harbour. Expect a longer day — eight to twelve hours — and, in exchange, more time among the animals. Prices start at $245 for the RIB and $378 for the full day out and back.
Skjervoy, at a glance
- Where
- ~120 km NE of Tromsøa fishing town on Kågen island
- Why it matters
- The herring winter therein recent seasons
- How you get there
- Fast boat or roadtwo to three hours either way
- RIB safari from there
- $2453–12 hours, small group
- Full day from Tromsø
- $378twelve hours, by road and RIB
- What you see
- Orca and humpbacksfeeding on the same shoals
- Group size
- A dozenon the inflatables
- Suits
- Flotation suits providedover your own layers
- Season
- Nov – Janand it moves with the fish
- Cancellation
- Free to 24 hlike every safari here
Why the fish moved
A thirty-year drift north, and what it did to the tours
The herring moved north; the whales followed; the tours got longer.
Norwegian spring-spawning herring spend the winter in deep, sheltered water. Which water has changed within living memory: Vestfjorden near Lofoten through the 1980s and 1990s, then Kvænangen, and in recent seasons the fjords around Skjervøy.
The whales simply follow. Humpbacks and orca are not attached to a place; they are attached to a food source, and when the food moves a hundred kilometres north, so do they.
The tourism side had to adapt. Operators based in Tromsø now either run faster boats, longer days, or road transfers north to a harbour close to the action. That is why the listings on this page range from six hours to twelve for what is nominally the same experience, and why the longest day is also, in a good season, the one with the most time among the animals.
It is also why nobody should book a whale safari on last year’s information. Ask where the animals are being found this week. Every operator knows, and the good ones will tell you plainly.
Booking a Skjervoy safari
Six things worth knowing
This is the longest day in the niche, and it rewards preparation.
- Understand where the day goes
Two to three hours each way is normal. On a twelve-hour trip, half of it is travel — and that is the deal.
- The RIB has no cabin
A flotation suit, a seat you straddle and open air for the whole time on the water. Bring gloves and a hat that will not blow off.
- Eat before and bring something
Food varies by operator on these trips. On a twelve-hour day it matters more than usual.
- The group is small
A dozen people rather than a hundred. That means the guide can actually talk to you, and it means the boat can move quickly when the animals do.
- Weather cancels these first
The longest, most exposed trips are the first to be called off. Book early in your stay.
- Ask where they are finding whales
The answer changes weekly. Every operator on this coast is tracking it and will tell you.
If a twelve-hour day is more than you want, the catamarans from Tromsø are eight and nine hours with a heated cabin.
Compare every safari→Skjervoy itself
A fishing town of two thousand that got very busy in winter
A working fishing town with very few beds, and a spectacular road to it.
Skjervøy is a working fishing community on the island of Kågen, with a harbour, a fish processing plant and a couple of thousand residents. Until the herring arrived it was not on any tourist route.
What that means practically: limited accommodation, a small number of restaurants, and an infrastructure that was not built for whale season. It also means the boats operating from here are frequently local vessels crewed by people who fish these waters the rest of the year.
Some visitors base themselves in Skjervøy for two nights rather than commuting from Tromsø, which turns a twelve-hour day into a three-hour boat trip. If you are serious about photography, that is the arrangement to consider — but book early, because there are very few beds.
The drive north from Tromsø is itself worth something: the E8 and then the coast road through Lyngen, with the Lyngen Alps across the fjord, which in winter is one of the great drives in Norway.
Doing Skjervoy properly
Five options, from a day trip to a base
Depending on how much the photographs matter.
- Twelve-hour day from Tromsø
Road transfer both ways plus a RIB safari, at $378. No planning needed.
- Fast boat from Tromsø
Some operators sail rather than drive; the day is similar in length and gentler on the body.
- Two nights in Skjervøy
Book the RIB locally at $245 and repeat it if the first day is quiet. Very few beds — book months ahead.
- Drive yourself in winter
Possible with a proper car and winter tyres, and not a small undertaking in the polar night.
- Stay in Tromsø and take a catamaran
If Skjervøy sounds like too much, the big boats from Tromsø reach the same waters on a longer sail.
Common questions
Skjervoy safaris, answered
Where is Skjervoy?
A fishing town about 120 kilometres north-east of Tromsø, on the island of Kågen. Two to three hours by road or fast boat.
Why do whale safaris go there?
Because in recent seasons the herring have wintered in the fjords around it, and the whales follow the fish.
How long is the day?
Eight to twelve hours from Tromsø, depending on the operator and the boat. From Skjervøy itself, three to four hours on the water.
Is the RIB uncomfortable?
It is open, cold and exhilarating. Flotation suits are provided; hats and gloves are yours. For photography it is unmatched.
Can I stay in Skjervoy instead?
Yes, and some visitors do, which turns a twelve-hour day into a short boat trip. It is a small town with limited accommodation, so book early.
Will the whales be there next season?
Nobody can promise it. The fish have moved before and will move again. Ask the operator where they are finding animals in the week you are booking.
Go deeper
More on Tromso whale watching
Whale watching from Tromso
What the season is, what you see and how the day runs.
The verdictWhich safari is best
Seven safaris ranked, and which suits which traveller.
SeasonSeason and sightings
November to January, and why the dates move with the fish.
OrcaOrca in Tromso
Family groups, herding herring, and where to see them.
SilentThe silent boat
What a hybrid-electric hull changes when you approach a whale.
ComparedWhich boat
Cabin, speed or eye level. The three trade-offs.
