Skjervøy / Kvænangen Orca Region

Norway

Fjord region around Skjervøy in Troms, on the Kvænangen fjord, currently the principal site for snorkeling with wild orcas as they follow overwintering herring, having succeeded the historically famous Tysfjord.

From late October to mid-January, large shoals of herring move into the Kvænangen fjord, drawing orcas and other whales. Operators run trips offering in-water snorkeling encounters with orcas. This region has effectively superseded Tysfjord (further south), where herring and orca numbers have declined markedly since 2008 and where operators have relocated north; Tysfjord ceased to exist as a municipality in 2020. Source: Wikipedia (Skjervøy Municipality, Tysfjord), Whalesafari, Scuba Diver Life.