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How do I confirm a trip?Please send us an email and we will get in touch. Once you have secured your booking with a 30% deposit the seat is yours. You can pay via bank transfer or credit card (fee applies to creditcard). 3 months prior to departure the final amount is due.
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Do I need experience?This trip is open to anyone and non-swimmers are also welcome to join for topside viewing. We highly recommend that you have some snorkelling experience and are comfortable being in open water. You also need to be able to help get yourself in and out of the zodiacs. Our skilled and helpful guides will make sure everybody gets a good experience.
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Do I need travel insurance?Yes. Travel insurance that covers the activities you will be doing is mandatory. Activities like driving on zodiacs and swimming with large marine mammals in the arctic winter. We recommend you to also purchase flight delay and trip cancellation insurance.
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Do you also swim with other whales?The herring also attract large numbers of humpback whales and fin whales (the 2nd largest animal on the planet after the blue whale) and we try swim with these mammoths of the ocean whenever possible. In 2023 we had several sperm whale encounters also.
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How many people per zodiac?We run small groups. Each zodiac is licensed to 12 people, but we limit numbers to max 6 guests to keep the groups small and give you the best encounters.
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Can I scuba dive on the trip?We do not allow scuba diving with the animals as it is not safe and does not work well to provide good encounters.
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Do you guarantee swimming with orcas?We are looking for wild pelagic animals and work in conditions of the arctic winter, and cannot guarantee sightings on every trip.
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Will I see northern lights?Aurora Borealis are present throughout the orca season. We need clear skies to see it and everyday is different. During the trip we will guide evening walks into the fjell (Norwegian for mountain) for you to get away from light pollution and take the best photos with stunning landscapes.
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Is equipment included?Weights and weightbelt are included. We have full gear available to rent. Our rental package includes the highest quality arctic freedivesuit, socks, mitts, mask, snorkel, fins & a windproof poncho for the zodiac.
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Which equipment do you recommend?We recommend using an arctic freediving wetsuit instead of a drysuit, as they are equally warm and you get better inwater encounters and use less energy to swim. A high quality 7mm freedive wetsuit, 7-9mm neoprene socks with opencell inside and 7mm 3-finger mitts are recommended. And don’t forget a windproof and insulated poncho for the zodiacs.
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What about safety?Safety is the most important factor for us. All trips start with a ship briefing including emergency procedures and does/don’ts onboard and for swimming. On the first morning we do a “check swim“ to make sure that everybody is comfortable with gear and to get in/out of the zodiacs. We provide a brightly colored mask, mask strap and snorkel so our swimmers are highly visible. We also have an inwater guide on each zodiac for extra safety.
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Is swimming with Orcas safe?Orcas are not considered dangerous to humans and there is no documented attack on a human being in the wild. We have never experienced any form of aggressive behavior since we started bringing guests in 2014. However swimming with large animals always comes with a risk. We will give an extended briefing on our protocols and how to behave in water as well as on the boats.
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Why choose liveaboard?Norway is without doubt the best place in the world to swim with orcas with success. But the whales follow the migrating herring and it is impossible to predict in which fiords the action will be. With a liveaboard we are able to move with the action. And if weather gets tricky, we can plan to overnight and spend time in the most sheltered areas, where others may need to stay on land for days. Being shipbased we are also able to go our own ways - away from the crowds in search of relaxed animals & peaceful encounters.
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Where will we go?We'll go to the location which in our opinion and experience will be the best for encounters on that day. The general area is the fiords in between the cities Tromso and Alta in Northern Norway.
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Which food do you serve?We serve hot tasty meals just like you will want them after spending a full day out on the arctic ocean. Food is a mix of international and Scandinavian dishes. We cater to most allergies/requests, however we do need to know this well in advance.
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What is the weather like and how cold is it?Air temperature averages 0°C with normal fluctuations between -5°C and 5 °C. Water temperature is 4-7 °C. Weather in the arctic wintertime can change rapidly and windchill makes it feel colder.
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What should I pack?You will need winter clothes, boots and thin layers. Before your trip we will provide specific recommendations on what to bring.
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Where should I stay & when should I fly in?For the 2024 season you embark/disembark the ship in Tromso. This can change for later years if the migration of herring changes. Embarkation is in the afternoon of Day 1 and disembarkation is in the morning of Day 7. We recommend you arrive 1 day before tripstart and stay in a central hotel in Tromso. You can plan for an early departure flight as we will spend the last night on the ship in port.
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How do I find the ship?Ship is docked centrally in Tromso, but exact location of the ship will only be known later due to port authorities. We will inform you of the location via e-mail a few days before tripstart.
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