Mammals · Arctic Expeditions · 69° North

Swim with orcas under the polar night.

Each winter, billions of herring pour into the fjords near Skjervøy — and the orcas and humpbacks follow. Slip into the Arctic water and meet them, on a small, Swiss-run expedition.

Plan your expedition → See the season

POS 69°47′N, Skjervøy SEASON Nov – Jan LIGHT Polar night / blue hour WATER ≈ 4 °C GROUP Max 6 guests

The experience

Where the herring go, the giants follow.

From late autumn, vast shoals of herring shelter in the fjords of Northern Norway — and draw one of the planet's great wildlife gatherings. Orcas work together to herd the fish into tight bait balls; humpback whales surge up through them, mouths wide.

You watch it from a small boat, then slip quietly into the water in a warm drysuit and snorkel at the surface, face-to-face with animals moving through their own world. No scuba certification needed — just the nerve to meet a six-tonne orca in the cold blue.

Groups are tiny, guides are expert, and every drop is on the whales' terms, following Norway's wildlife-approach rules.

Orca gliding through the Arctic fjord, near Skjervøy, Norway

What you'll meet

Three days that rearrange what you thought wildlife could be.

Orcas, up close

Pods hunting herring in coordinated waves — the defining encounter, sometimes just metres away in clear Arctic water.

Humpback whales

Giants lunge-feeding through the bait balls, breaching and tail-slapping across the fjord.

The northern lights

Under the polar night, the aurora is often overhead — green and violet over snow-bound peaks.

Drysuit snorkelling

Warm, surface-only and beginner-friendly. We provide the full kit; no diving licence required.

Tiny groups

Maximum six guests per boat, so everyone gets real water time and an unhurried experience.

Expert Arctic guides

Swiss-organised, locally guided crews who read the conditions and put you in the right place, safely.

Season & conditions

A short, magical window — read it before you go.

WhenNov – JanThe herring season. Peak orca and humpback activity in the fjords around Skjervøy and Tromsø.

DaylightThe blue hourIt's the polar night — only a few hours of soft blue-and-rose twilight, ideal for the aurora.

Water≈ 4 °CCold, but you're warm and dry in an insulated drysuit, hood and gloves at the surface.

You'll needTo be water-confidentComfortable swimming and snorkelling. No scuba qualification required; warm layers essential.

BaseSkjervøyA small island town north of Tromsø — the launch point for daily boat departures.

From Switzerland

Zürich to the Arctic in a day.

Fly from Zürich or Geneva to Tromsø via Oslo, then onward to Skjervøy — we arrange the route, the transfers and the local logistics so you simply arrive.

Mammals is a Swiss agency: French, German and English speaking, with a single contact from your first question to your last evening under the lights. Tell us your dates and we build the trip around them.

Expeditions from

CHF 2,490

per person · indicative · 4–6 days