--- title: "Freediving With Whales Guide | Boreal Yachting Journal" description: "Between November and January, herring wintering in the fjords near Tromsø and Skjervøy draw humpback whales and orca. Sailing to them keeps engine noise low a" lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://boreal-yachting.com/#organization", "name": "Boreal Yachting", "url": "https://boreal-yachting.com", "logo": "https://boreal-yachting.com/logo.png", "image": "https://boreal-yachting.com/logo.png", "description": "Premium Arctic sailing in Northern Norway and Svalbard. 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Sailing to them keeps engine noise low and lets the animals decide the distance. Water is around 4°C, so a drysuit or thick wetsuit is required.", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://boreal-yachting.com/journal/freediving-whales" }, "url": "https://boreal-yachting.com/journal/freediving-whales", "image": "https://boreal-yachting.com/assets/freediving-orca-N_L0yc21.jpg", "articleSection": "Stories", "wordCount": 194, "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Boreal Yachting crew", "url": "https://boreal-yachting.com/about/crew" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://boreal-yachting.com/#organization" } } ] --- [Skip to content](#main-content) [Boreal Yachting ](/) [Experiences](/experiences) [Destinations](/destinations) [Our Fleet](/fleet) [About Us](/about) [Journal](/journal) [For Partners](/partners) [Plan your journey](/plan-your-journey) 1. [Home](/) 2. / [Journal](/journal) 3. / Freediving Whales [Stories](/journal/stories) # Freediving with whales: an Arctic Norway guide By [Boreal Yachting crew](/about/crew), Skippers and guides, Tromsø Publication date not available Between November and January, herring wintering in the fjords near Tromsø and Skjervøy draw humpback whales and orca. Sailing to them keeps engine noise low and lets the animals decide the distance. Water is around 4°C, so a drysuit or thick wetsuit is required. ![Freediving with whales: an Arctic Norway guide](/generated-images/freediving-orca-1500.webp) Freediving with whales: an Arctic Norway guide. Every autumn, large pods of orca and humpback whales follow herring into the fjords of Northern Norway. Our freediving expeditions bring guests into open water while the whales feed nearby, led by experienced guides. The herring migration draws hundreds of orcas and humpback whales into the fjords around Tromsø and the Lofoten Islands between October and January. The whales use cooperative feeding techniques — bubble-net feeding by humpbacks and carousel feeding by orcas — creating dense feeding events close to the surface. Freediving with whales requires no previous experience. Guides teach the basics of breath-hold diving and safe whale interaction. Calm, quiet movement matters most: the whales are curious and often approach divers who stay still. Water temperatures range from 4°C to 8°C, and we provide drysuits, masks and fins. Sessions in the water typically last 20–40 minutes, followed by warming up on the yacht with hot drinks and food. Cold limits each session more than anything else. We follow strict guidelines for whale interaction, keeping a respectful distance and never pursuing the animals. The encounters happen on the whales' terms, and an approach from a 15-metre humpback whale is not something guests forget. Related experience: [Whale Sailing](/experiences/whale-sailing). Where this sails: [Sailing Tromsø](/destinations/tromso). About the author ## Boreal Yachting crew Skippers and guides, Tromsø Written by the Boreal Yachting editorial team using operational knowledge from the skippers and guides who sail Northern Norway and Svalbard. [Meet the crew](/about/crew) ## Read next [ ### Hiking the Lyngen Alps The Lyngen Alps rise straight from the fjord, so a walk here starts at sea level and gains everything on foot. Between June and September the boat anchors at the foot of a ridge in the evening and the group walks from the shoreline in the morning. ](/journal/hiking-lyngen-alps)[ ### Bike & Sail: riders of the sea Bike and sail uses the boat as transport between island trails that have no shuttle and often no road. Bikes come aboard, the yacht moves overnight, and each day starts at a different landing. The season runs from June to September. ](/journal/bike-and-sail) [All writing in the Journal](/journal) ## Start planning your Arctic journey. Tell us what you have in mind. We will come back to you within two working days with a considered answer — not a template. [Plan your journey](/plan-your-journey)[Speak to us directly](/contact) Boreal Yachting Premium Arctic sailing in Northern Norway and Svalbard. Sailing these waters since 2003. 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