Guide · Norway compared

Whale watching in Norway: Bleik, Andenes, Tromsø and Skjervøy

Norway has two great whale coasts, and they work in opposite seasons. This guide to whale watching in Norway sets the summer sperm whales of Andøya against the winter orcas and humpbacks of Troms, trip by trip.

Check availabilityfrom $201 · free cancellation possible

Editorial team, bleikwhalewatching.comUpdated October 20, 2026Read time: 6 min22 sources

Bookable here: the tour Bleik speedboat whale watching with puffins 4.7 (400 reviews) 3.5 hoursMax. 12 guests on the RIBFlotation suit, tea, coffee and muffins from$201per person Check availabilityFree to cancel until 24 hrs ahead

In a nutshell

01Summer: Whale safaris run from Andenes and Stø from May to September, mainly for sperm whales.¹
02Winter: North of Tromsø the season usually runs from early November to the end of January.²
03Orcas: They gather in Troms while the herring winters near the coast, November to February.³
04Shortest trip: Bleik's speedboat takes 3.5 hours, from $201.
05Longest day: A coach trip from Svolvær to Andenes takes 14 hours.

Two whale coasts with opposite seasons

Most people picture whale watching in Norway as one thing, but it splits neatly in two. In summer the action is on the outer coast of Vesterålen: Visit Vesterålen says whale safaris sail from Andenes and Stø from May to September and head for Bleiksegga, where the sperm whale is the main sight.¹ In winter the focus moves north-east to Troms.

There, Visit Tromsø gives the usual season north of the city as early November to the end of January, mostly around Skjervøy and Kvænangen in recent years.² Orcas and humpbacks have gathered in that area since 2017 to feed on herring.⁴ So the first question is not where to go, but when you can travel.

If your trip falls between late spring and early autumn, the answer is Andøya, with Bleik and Andenes a few minutes apart. If you are coming for the dark months and the northern lights, Tromsø and Skjervøy are the classic base. The rest of this page compares the trips on both coasts, so you can match a boat to your dates and your budget.

The whale year

When each coast comes alive

January

Last winter weeks

In Vesterålen the herring has recently stayed until early February.⁵
May

Summer safaris begin

Andenes and Stø start their whale safaris.¹
May to July

Midnight sun

One Andenes listing gives May 23 to July 23 for the midnight sun.
September

Summer season ends

The last month of summer safaris from Andenes and Stø.¹
October

Humpbacks return

Humpbacks head back to the northern coast in October and November.⁶
November

Winter season north of Tromsø

Usually from early November to the end of January.²

Andøya in summer: deep water right off the beach

The summer coast works because of the seabed. Store norske leksikon notes that the Norwegian continental shelf is nowhere narrower than off Andøya, where the depth reaches 1,000 metres just beyond the shelf edge.⁷ Bleiksdjupet, the deepest submarine canyon in Europe, lies about 20 km northwest of Bleik.⁸

Sperm whales feed in that deep water, and the same encyclopaedia says they stay in the area in summer in such numbers that whales are seen on nearly every safari.⁹ That is the encyclopaedia's description of the area, not a promise from any operator. Wind and swell still decide how far out a boat can go on a given day.

Three kinds of trip leave from the island. From Bleik a RIB speedboat takes up to 12 guests out over the canyon. From Andenes harbour a classic catamaran offers a heated indoor cabin and an open deck, and another boat, the M/S Reine, combines the trip with entry to a whale exhibition. Summer days are long, too: one Andenes listing gives the midnight sun as visible from May 23 to July 23.

Side by side

Whale trips in Norway compared

Trip	Leaves from	Boat	Duration	Price
Bleik speedboat	Bleik	RIB, max. 12	3.5 hrs	from $201
Classic catamaran	Andenes	catamaran	4 hrs	from $174
Whale exhibition trip	Andenes	M/S Reine	4 hrs	from $179
Coach day from Lofoten	Svolvær	RIB	14 hrs	from $387
Hybrid-electric boat	Tromsø	hybrid boat	9 hrs	from $209
High-speed catamaran	Tromsø	catamaran	8 hrs	from $220
Skjervøy RIB day	Tromsø	bus and RIB	12 hrs	from $338

From prices and durations as each GetYourGuide listing states them; exact totals on the booking page.

Three ways to go

Summer speedboat or a winter day at sea

Bleik: Whale Watching by Speedboat with Puffins and Muffins

Shortest trip

Bleik speedboat

Summer, Andøya

Duration: 3.5 hrs
Group: max. 12 guests
Main whale: sperm whale

See the trip

Tromsø: Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat

Heated saloons

Hybrid boat from Tromsø

From the city harbour

Duration: 7 to 9 hrs
On board: panoramic windows
Lunch: not included

See the trip

Tromsø: Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour

Longest day

Skjervøy RIB day

Bus from Tromsø, then RIB

Bus: 4 hrs each way
On the water: 3 hrs
Suit: thermal suit included

See the trip

Decision helper

Which Norwegian whale trip fits you?

Pick the line that sounds most like your plans

I travel between May and September I want to see a sperm whale I want orcas feeding on herring I want the shortest outing I want a warm cabin

Andøya

Summer safaris run from Andenes and Stø in those months.¹

Bleik or Andenes

Summer trips head for Bleiksegga, where sperm whales are the main sight.¹

Tromsø in winter

Orcas gather in Troms while the herring winters there.³

Bleik

The speedboat trip takes 3.5 hours.

Andenes or Tromsø

Both have heated indoor seating on their bigger boats.

Herring is whimsical. One year it can appear in large numbers near the coast in winter, return to the same area several winters in a row, and then suddenly disappear.

Institute of Marine ResearchSource 10

Whale watching in northern Norway in winter

Winter whale watching follows the herring. Store norske leksikon explains that while the herring spends the winter in coastal waters of Troms, from November to February, large numbers of orcas gather there.³ Humpbacks come back towards the coast of Northern Norway in October and November and feed on herring until they head south.⁶

The hunting can be dramatic. The Institute of Marine Research describes how orcas off the Norwegian coast herd herring into tight balls just below the surface.¹¹ The most spectacular version, carousel feeding, traps a small shoal so near the top that fish often jump clear of the water.¹²

The catch is that the herring does not keep a timetable. The Institute of Marine Research warns that it can crowd a coast for several winters in a row and then suddenly vanish.¹⁰ Vesterålen has had its share too: Visit Vesterålen says the herring has recently arrived some time in November and stayed until early February, making December and January the likeliest months there.⁵

Map

Bleik, the canyon coast and the way to Andøya

The village and its bird island, the town at the tip of Andøya, the roads and ferries in, and the winter whale coast further north.

Map of northern Andøya with Bleik, the island of Bleiksøya, Andenes and Andøya airport — Bleik and Andenes

Map of Vesterålen and Lofoten with Bleik, Andenes, Gryllefjord on Senja, Sortland, Svolvær and Evenes airport — Vesterålen and the routes in

Map of Northern Norway from Svolvær and Andenes north-east to Tromsø and Skjervøy — Northern Norway's whale coasts

1
Bleik
A fishing village on the north-west side of Andøya; the speedboat trip this site recommends leaves from Bleik Marina, a 10-minute drive from Andenes.¹³
In Google Maps ↗
2
Andenes
The administrative centre of Andøy at the island's northern tip, and the harbour of the Andenes whale boats.¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
3
Bleiksøya
The bird cliff off Bleik, a nature reserve where going ashore is banned from 15 April to 31 July.¹⁵ ¹⁶
In Google Maps ↗
4
Andøya Airport
About one kilometre from Andenes; Avinor lists Widerøe as its only airline.¹⁷ ¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
5
Gryllefjord
The Senja end of the summer ferry to Andenes; the 2026 sailing season runs until 27 September.¹⁹ ²⁰
In Google Maps ↗
6
Sortland
Starting point of a guided drive along the Andøya Scenic Route that can call at Bleik.
In Google Maps ↗
7
Svolvær
Start of a 14-hour coach day trip to whale watching in Andenes, with a photo stop in Bleik.
In Google Maps ↗
8
Evenes Airport
Harstad/Narvik airport, where Avinor lists 5 airlines.²¹
In Google Maps ↗
9
Tromsø
Winter whale trips head north from here towards Skjervøy and Kvænangen.²
10
Skjervøy
Since 2017 orcas and humpbacks have gathered in the Kvænangen area, including the fjords around Skjervøy, to feed on herring.⁴

Open the map in Google Maps

Price check

Price a whale trip in Norway for your group

Choose a trip and how many of you are going.

Bleik speedboatSummer, 3.5 hrsfrom $201 Andenes catamaran4 hrsfrom $174 Tromsø hybrid boat7 to 9 hrsfrom $209 Skjervøy RIB dayFrom Tromsøfrom $338

People 2

Total from$402

per participant from $201

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Each total starts from the lowest GetYourGuide price of that trip and is shown in the currency you pick, using the European Central Bank rate; the booking page has the final sum.

Video

Whale watching in Norway, up close

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Whale watching in Norway: price, time and boat

Prices on the two coasts are closer than you might expect. The Bleik speedboat starts from $201 for 3.5 hours. In Andenes the catamaran trip starts from $174 and the boat with exhibition entry from $179, both 4 hours by their listings.

The Tromsø trips cost more time than money. The hybrid-electric boat from Tromsø starts from $209 and its listing says the day lasts 7 to 9 hours, depending on where the whales are. The high-speed catamaran starts from $220 and spends 2.75 hours each way reaching Skjervøy.

The RIB day from Tromsø to Skjervøy starts from $338, with 4 hours by coach each way and around 3 hours on the water. From Lofoten, a coach day from Svolvær to the Andenes whales starts from $387 and takes 14 hours. Every price here is a from price for one adult; the booking page shows the exact total for your date.

Where the orcas are, and when

Orca whale watching in Norway is above all a winter affair in the herring fjords of Troms. Visit Tromsø ties the season to early November through January and the area around Skjervøy and Kvænangen.² The Institute of Marine Research gives adult males about 9 metres and females up to 8, with weights from 4.5 to almost 7 tonnes.²²

On a summer trip from Andøya, orcas are a chance rather than the plan. The Bleik listing names them among the animals of the canyon, alongside pilot whales, minke whales and, now and then, Risso's dolphins and fin whales. Think of a summer orca as a lucky day and of the sperm whale as the reason for the trip.

If orcas are the one animal you came for, plan around the winter herring and be flexible with dates. If you would rather see a sperm whale lift its tail under a sun that never sets, book the summer. Either way, keep a spare day in your plans, because a calm sea is never guaranteed this far north.

Speedboat, catamaran or a full day at sea

The boat changes the whole experience. A RIB is low, fast and open, and on the Bleik trip you wear a warm flotation suit and sit close to the water with a skipper and a guide on board. It gets you out to the canyon quickly and suits travellers who like wind in the face and do not mind spray.

A larger boat trades speed for shelter. The Andenes catamaran has an indoor heated seating area and an outdoor deck for viewing, and serves hot soup and warm drinks. The Tromsø hybrid-electric boat offers heated saloons with panoramic windows. With small children or a sensitive stomach, that cabin can matter more than speed.

Rules for who can come differ as well. The Bleik RIB is not suitable for children under 10 or anyone under 140 cm, and the Tromsø-Skjervøy RIB day sets its limit at children under 14. The Andenes catamaran lists babies under 1 year as not suitable. Check the listing before you book for a family.

Choosing your trip

Start with your dates. Between May and September, Andøya is the place to be, and its sperm whales are the reason to go.¹ From early November to the end of January, the herring coast north of Tromsø is the usual choice, with the warning that the fish can move from year to year.² ¹⁰

Then decide how much of your day you want to spend getting there. Bleik and Andenes put you on the water within minutes of your bed if you stay on the island, while the Tromsø trips spend hours on the move before the whales. Neither is better by default: a long day on a heated boat through fjords and mountains is an experience of its own.

For a summer visit, this site's pick is the Bleik speedboat: a small group, a short ride to deep water and puffins along the way. It starts from $201, and the listing lets you book without paying today and get a full refund if you cancel a day or more before.

Pick your date

A seat on the speedboat to the canyon

Max. 12 guests, a warm suit, a guide on board, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

Check datesfrom $201 · free cancellation possible 4.7 · 400 checked reviews

You ask,we answer.

When is the best season for whales in Norway?

Summer on Andøya, winter in Troms. Andenes and Stø run whale safaris from May to September; north of Tromsø the season is usually early November to the end of January.¹ ²

Where can I see sperm whales?

Off Andøya, near Bleik and Andenes. The shelf is nowhere narrower in Norway, and the sea is 1,000 metres deep just beyond its edge.⁷

Where can I see orcas?

In the winter herring fjords of Troms. Since 2017 orcas and humpbacks have gathered around Kvænangen and Skjervøy.⁴

How long is a whale trip?

From 3.5 hours to a full day. The Bleik RIB takes 3.5 hours; the Tromsø hybrid boat 7 to 9 hours.

What does whale watching cost?

Roughly the same on both coasts. From $174 for the Andenes catamaran and from $209 for the Tromsø hybrid boat.

Can I combine whales and northern lights?

Only in the dark season. The winter whale season north of Tromsø falls between early November and the end of January.²

Is it worth going in summer?

Yes, for sperm whales and puffins. Summer safaris head for Bleiksegga, where the sperm whale is the main species.¹