LATEST NEWS - November 2009
ORCA TYSFJORD - 2008/2009 season

Sunday 30th of November

This morning we left from Korsnes with the big boat and we drove around Barøy, into Ofotfjord, passed Rotvaer, then back to Tysnes, Bekkenesholmen and Skarberget.

While we were eating our famous fish soup, we got company of our 2 zodiacs. They came next to our boat to throw us some fish and we could see and hear that they had a lot of fun. The Dire Straits’ Walk of life seems to be a good choice if you want to make your passengers dancing:) After lunch we went to Rudolf´s boat again. There were a lot of gulls around and also some sea eagles. We used the fish we got to get them a little closer to our boat. First the sea gulls came to fight for the herring, but they are too heavy for them, so they had to drop them again and again….until the sea eagles came. They had no problems picking up the herring and we even saw one making another one losing a fish and catching the lost fish in the air! Spectacular!

After this great air show it started to snow and we had a look at Skarberget before returning to Korsnes.

Lynne

Saturday 29th of November

We left the hotel in the snow, but at arrival in the harbour the weather was nice and the visibility good. While enjoying the very nice light on the snowy mountains, we set course to the Vestfjord. Many people were excited to go out there and see the orcas. As always, we all did our very best to find them. The more pairs of eyes on the water, the better our chance of course. One moment someone thought he saw something, but we didn´t see it again.

With the big boat we drove the whole coastline from Skutvik to Bognes. The zodiacs checked the area between Skarberget, Bekkenesholmen and Tysnes. We did what we could, but no orcas….

Before going home we met Rudolf nearby Bekkenesholmen. He is one of the fisherman we know very well and he takes people out on fishing trips with his boat. Today he took some guests out as well. They showed us proudly some fish they caught. Some huge ones! I guess they will have a good dinner tonight!

Lynne

Friday 28th of November

Very often we see some animals on our way to the harbour. Also this morning, we met an elk on the road to Skutvik.

The weather shifted a lot today - one moment snow, the other moment nice weather, a little later snow again,…. In a clear moment we passed the lighthouse of Skrova and saw quite some fishing boats. Around noon we crossed Vestfjord again and checked the other side of the fjord.

3 Of our zodiacs were on the sea, two coming from the north, one from the south. They checked in Tysfjord, Ofotfjord and the inner Vestfjord and met each other in Offersøy to stretch the legs and have some warm drinks and chocolate. They also had a nice stop at Skarberget to have a close look at the sea eagles.

There were at least 7 boats looking for whales, everyone in a different area, but without success…. We searched until it was dark and the big boat came back to the harbour of Skutvik at 15:15.

Lynne

Thursday 27th of November

Last night many of our guests enjoyed some nice Northern Lights!

This morning we went out from Skutvik and after a short while we already got a message from Sula, another whale watching boat: a group of 15 orcas outside Skrova! Travelling west very fast, with a speed of 5 knots per hour. Our boat makes 10 knots, so we hoped it would be possible to catch them. When we approached, the other whale watching boats were about to go home, so we had to find them ourselves…. We passed Skrova, passed Henningsvær….and then suddenly there was a blow! And a little later a fin! Yes! We saw 2 or 3 individuals, probably the rest of the group was a bit further away.

And wow, what a spectacular sighting we had! They were swimming very very fast and surfing on the waves, cutting the surface of the water with their big black dorsal fins. Many times they surfed so close to the boat that we could almost touch them!

We followed them in this high speed and nearby Stamsund we left them and started the long journey back home. At 18:00 we arrived in the hotel, after another long, but great day on the sea!

Lynne

Wednesday 26th of November

We went out from the small harbour of Sjøvoll with two Zodiacs today. We were looking for orcas in the Tysfjord first, and then we went to the cliff of Skarberget, where 4 sea eagles were waiting for us. We through frozen herring into the sea and it didn’t take a long time before the eagles came down to pick it up, only a few meters from the boat. The gulls tried to pick up the herring before the eagles came, but the herring we have in the fjords during the winter is too big for them, so they dropped it and the eagles took it. Easy lunch! Afterwards, we headed out for the Vestfjord, hoping that the orcas we had seen yesterday would still be there. But the wind was coming from the south west and there were big nice waves out there. We were surfing on the waves for a while and that was great fun, but as we didn’t have any observations of orcas further out in the fjord, we turned back after a while and we went to the fishing village of Korsnes for a toddy and chocolate. Rolf put the music on and everybody started to dance in the boats to stay warm. I guess this was the funniest entertainment in the village for a long time!

No orcas today, but a nice day on the fjord.

Chantal

Tuesday 25th of November

Orcas today!!

As soon as we came out of Tysfjord we got a phone call of a fisherman who had seen a group of orcas very early this morning and quite far away. We forced Leonora to full speed and fixed our eyes on the water. And hoped….

When we arrived in the area where they had been seen, there were no whales. Everyone did his very best to find them and finally, Chantal – who was up in the crow´s nest – discovered a fin! With the binoculars we were just able to see some fins far away at the horizon. Lucky us the sea was very flat and the light conditions perfect. If it would have been a little wavier probably we would have missed them. But the weather was on our side today:)

It was the same group of 3 as we saw on Friday. It was one big male and 2 females or young ones. They were looking for herring and as a result of this they were quite hard to follow. But we were a good team and crew and guests worked very good together in order to spot them again and again.

It was quite a long day, but so much worth it! We don´t mind having long days, if we see orcas, we are happy:)

Lynne

Monday 24th of November

The forecast announced snow for the whole day. But the forecast is not always 100% correct. Maybe 5 little flakes came down and that was the snow for today.

We searched and searched, but no orcas to see. The sea eagles on the other hand, were easier to find. There were at least 5 adult ones and we gave them some fish in return for a good show. We saw them at Bekkenesholmen and also at Skarberget, 2 of the best places to spot eagles in this area.

Before heading back home the zodiac dropped the Explore group off in Lødingen and at 15:00 also the big boat people were back in the hotel.

Lynne

Sunday 23th of November

Indeed, sunshine today, but unfortunately the orcas didn´t show up.

Anyway, even if the orcas are not there, we have so many other things to enjoy. And today was a perfect day for that. It´s always a great experience to be out on the sea, flying over the waves in a zodiac. And the light can be so magnificent here, making those mountains and the whole scenery even more stunning! The days are short, but on a day like this the fantastic light compensates this completely.

Today our herring-sea eagle trick worked perfect and we got a very close look at those huge birds!

Back in the harbour the snorkelers went for a swim and they had the greatest fun in the water:)

Lynne

Saturday 22th of November

Again, we had an interesting bus ride to the harbour: 2 elks (a mother and calf) and a sea eagle right next to the bus!

After the snow of the last week we got a dry day. It was not so cold, the sea was very calm and the sun was shining. These days we enjoy the sunlight even more, because we are now going towards the darkest period of the year and we will lose the sun soon. So we are happy with every sunray we can catch:)

We had a very enjoyable day on the sea, surrounded by pink mountains. We saw a lot of birds and since we know that birds can be a good indication for orcas, we were extra alert. But we could only find birds, no whales.

Our friends on the zodiacs brought us some herring to throw to the sea eagles. So before heading back, we went to Skarberget and threw 2 herrings into the water. No interested sea eagles, but many excited gulls.

The forecast says it should be sunny tomorrow and we will try to arrange some orcas to perform in the sunlight;)

Lynne

Friday 21st of November

Snow, snow, orcas and snow again!

After a short time on the sea with snow and bad visibility we received a hopeful phone call from the ferry: they had seen orcas! In Tysfjord! For once we were not so far away with the big boat and so we were the first whale watching boat who saw the orcas. Suddenly we saw a black fin between the snowflakes! We warned the captain immediately and everyone ran out as fast as they could. It was a small group of 3 orcas, sometimes appearing very close to the boat, sometimes far away. It was quite a challenge to catch them on the picture or movie, but that´s of course what makes it exciting too.

Soon our zodiac arrived and so did many other boats. Apparently many people wanted to see orcas today. We followed them on their way out of Tysfjord. While we were watching them, the sun came out, the sky cleared and we got some very nice light:)

After the orcas we got a fantastic bonus. Together with the zodiac people we watched some sea eagles fighting and picking up our frozen herring from the surface. Extremely close to the boat! When they are so close you really see how big they are! Super!

Since we were the first boat around the orcas we thought it was only fair if we would leave first, so we turned back into Tysfjord and ate some nice and warm soup.

Just after we left, it started to snow again. We were so lucky today to find them in between 2 snow storms!!

Lynne

Thursday 20th of November

Yesterday´s wind was gone, so we were able to go out in Vestfjord again. The plan was to cross the fjord to check for orcas on the Lofoten side and then cross again towards the mainland and look over there. While the zodiacs would take the Tysfjord and Lødingen part.

On our way we saw some fishing boats and many birds – sea gulls, sea eagles, cormorants, shags and little auks.

We were quite many boats looking for whales today, but nobody saw them. And how ever lovely and idyllic the snow might be, it does no wonders for the visibility.

At 15:00 we saw the lights of Korsnes again, lighting up a beautiful snow landscape.

Lynne

Wednesday 19th of November

Veeeery windy today. Since we didn´t want to experience the Vestfjord in this wind, we decided to stay in Tysfjord. A few times we tried to check around Tysnes, but we were forced back every time. The sea was simply too big for us out there. No worries, there is always the possibility to find the orcas in Tysfjord as well. We have seen them there already 3 times this season.

At Skarberget we saw a few sea eagles and even a young golden eagle. We don´t see them very often, so it´s always a bit special to see a golden eagle. Right after our eagle encounter it was time for some snow. But not for long, soon the sun showed up again behind the snow curtain. And together with the sun also Noorderlicht, the Dutch whale watching sailing boat, appeared out of the snow. They were also looking for shelter in Tysfjord. We waved to each other before each one continued his own way. None of us found the orcas today. Let´s try again tomorrow.

Lynne

Tuesday 18th of November

Yesterday we didn´t have any trips, but today we are back again.

Almost immediately after departure we got to know that there were orcas in Ofotfjord, almost in Narvik. That´s a long way in and it would take us about 3 hours with the big boat to get there, but we decided to try. It was quite wavy on the sea and our zodiac drivers decided that it would be too difficult for them to go as well.

But fortunately, what happened next? Orcas outside Lødingen! Great! Now we didn´t have to travel that long way into Ofotfjord. From the zodiac and the big boat we watched 2 different groups, but we actually think that it was 1 family, split up in 2 smaller groups. The people on the zodiac saw about 6-8 animals and we on the big boat 10-12. There were also 2 babies and one of them was still very very young. He jumped out of the water quite high and showed us the yellow underside of his tail. It´s always nice to watch the orcas in the waves, because they come out of the water with a bigger part of the body. They were surfing on the waves and a few times we could see how they were swimming under the surface, thanks to the white patches.

After more than an hour together with the whales we had to turn back to the harbour because there was a storm coming. This was another beautiful day on the sea!

Lynne

Sunday 16th of November

On our way to the harbour, again, there was a land animal crossing our path. A little fox, very fluffy and very nice.

After yesterday´s success we all started optimistic this morning. The weather was nice and the sea quite flat. The zodiac people wanted to check in Tysfjord and the big boat aimed for Vestfjord. Around noon the weather changed and we got some snow. It became more and more snow and the sky became more and more white. And after a while there was no land to see anymore and we were surrounded by thick snow clouds. The visibility decreased and so did our chances to find the orcas. But anyway, we have found them in much worse circumstances than today and we never give up until we are in the bus, so despite the snow we kept our eyes on the water. No orcas today, but very nice with the snow.

Lynne

Saturday 15th of November

Yippi!! Orcas today!!

With a beautiful sunrise and 2 elks, the start of our safari couldn´t be any better. After a short time on the sea we received a phone call that there were orcas on the other side of the fjord. We drove as fast as we could – the zodiac very fast - and right after lunch also the big boat arrived. Today we made it in time! And we had a great time on the sea! It was so beautiful to see those orcas swimming in the sunlight, the sun reflecting on the wet bodies. Fantastic! Sometimes they swam close to the boat and I think everyone managed to take some nice pictures or movies.

The people on the zodiac had the chance to watch even 3 groups of orcas! The last one nearby Skarberget in Tysfjord, that´s great because we want as many sightings as possible in Tysfjord.

Under an almost full moon we returned happy and satisfied to the harbour.

Not only the many guests were very happy, but also the crew and especially our captain couldn´t stop smiling:)

I think we can consider ourselves lucky people - to have the opportunity to be here in this wonderful area, with this beautiful nature and great animals!

What can I say….what a day!!

Lynne

Friday 14th of November

Already before we went on board we knew that someone had spotted a group of orcas! All ships sailed to the given position – the zodiacs from the little harbour close to the hotel, the big boat from Skutvik. After only half an hour, suddenly Yasmine – one of our zodiac drivers – spotted another group of orcas! In Tysfjord! It was a group of approximately 10 animals swimming towards Ofotfjord. The passengers on the zodiacs were able to spend over 2 hours together with the whales. Needless to mention that the entire group was happy and relieved, after some days without whale sightings.

Normally our strategy is to cover as many different areas as possible. So unfortunately today Leonora was a bit far away to reach the whales in time. Before the people on the big boat could get a glimpse of an orca the weather changed and the group of orcas disappeared. We didn´t give up lightly and continued our search until darkness. Just before mooring for the night, the people in the front of the boat thought they saw some whales. They screamed to warn our captain Per Ole and immediately he responded to turn for one more search, as determined as always. We used the search light and saw many sea gulls, maybe indicating that we just missed the whales by a second again.

Inspired by our successful day, we will again sail out tomorrow for another encounter with these beautiful animals!!

Lynne

Thursday 13th of November

The day started promising with some elks on the way to Skutvik and beautiful weather. While we were leaving the harbour, we saw a group of eider ducks and among them there was also a colourful male king eider – beautiful!

We heard that yesterday someone had seen orcas around Skrova, that´s where we have been turning and turning around, almost sure that they were there. So indeed, our captain´s feeling was right. There were orcas, but we didn´t see them and didn´t get the information:( This was not so nice to hear, but it was also positive, because it´s always good to know that they are in the area and it made everyone extra alert and focused.

We saw some cod boats and there was also a herring boat fishing. That´s very good, maybe it means that the herring is coming into the fjord. We keep our fingers crossed! We took a closer look around the herring boat and smelled the fish, before heading back to the harbour.

Lynne

Wednesday 12th of November

It was quite cold, but that´s how we prefer it to be, because then we get snow instead of rain. And that´s exactly what we got last night!

The trip started with wind and a lot of waves splashing over the boat, but we were lucky with so many tough people on board! Especially one Swedish man who stood in the bow the whole trip. He only left his post for a very short while to get some warm soup. He got many liters of sea water over his head, but he didn´t give up to search for whales until we were sitting on the bus! And that was so nice today, that everyone was outside - equipped with binoculars and so on - doing a great effort to spot some black dorsal fins. We always appreciate it very much if people really take part not only in the whale watching, but also in the whale spotting:)

There were many fishing boats out and we saw a lot of sea gulls. Our captain Per Ole was convinced that there should be orcas in the area. And maybe they were there, who knows….but we didn´t see them.

Lynne

Tuesday 11th of November

Today we went out with both the zodiac and the big boat again. With many excited guests Leonora went out from Skutvik. We checked around Henningsvær and Skrova, 2 places where we saw orcas the past week. Apparently there was a lot of fish in the area, because we saw many many fishing boats. Unfortunately it was all cod fishing boats and no herring boats. Since the Norwegian orcas feed on herring, we prefer herring boats instead of cod ones of course. But anyway, it was nice to see all those boats, with a lot of birds around – many sea gulls, but also some sea eagles.

Another very nice day on the sea. Without whales though, but we have good confidence that soon they will be back in the fjord again!

Lynne

Monday 10th of November

Around 10 o’clock we started our trip on the sea. It was beautiful weather, very weak wind and calm sea. First we followed the coast until we were nearby Tranøy Fyr, then we crossed the fjord and drove towards Barøy, were we had some chocolate and hot solbærtoddy. We continued our way and had 2 little stops to look at the sea eagles. We tried our frozen herring trick, but the eagles were not very much interested to come to pick them up. Before going back to the harbour, we had a closer look at Skarberget, the impressive cliff which rises straight out of the fjord.

Lynne

Sunday 9th of November

No orcas today, but what a beautiful day!

Today we could enjoy that beautiful light that you can have here in the north. Sunshine and fantastic colours! A great day to be on the sea!

One zodiac went out from the little harbour close to the Turistsenter and the people for the 2^nd zodiac had an interesting ride to Skutvik before going on the boat. We met each other on the sea and had an impressive encounter with some sea eagles. They came very close to the boat to pick up the fish we threw in the water. After a chilly ride towards home everyone was back in the warmth of the hotel around 3 o’clock.

Lynne

Saturday 8th of November

Last night we had some great Northern Lights! For many of our guests this is one of the main reasons why they are here – so everyone enjoyed the green curtains up in the sky. For a few moments it was moving very fast and changing colour. Spectacular!

This morning we left early with the big boat, in order to catch as much daylight as possible. The zodiac left one hour later, at 9:30. Since the orcas were travelling out of Tysfjord when we left them yesterday, we thought we would have the best chance if we would go out in Vestfjord.

Very close to the beautiful lighthouse of Tranøy the engine decided that it was time for a short break. Thanks to our capable engineer and captain we could continue our search for the whales after a little while.

The day started with a big sea eagle above the boat and a sea like a mirror. Ideal conditions for whale spotting. We could see some other weather approaching though, and all of a sudden it started to rain and we got some very strong winds. Everyone enjoyed this weather experience:) A little later it stopped already and we decided to fill our hungry stomachs with some tasty fish soup.

After lunch Sara – who was up in the mast – thought that she saw a fin in the distance. 28 Pairs of eyes were focused on the water, but we couldn´t discover it again.

At 4 o´clock we were back in the hotel.

Lynne

Friday 7th of November

Indeed, today we saw them as well from the zodiac as from the big boat!

Yesterday we left from Tysfjord and came back to Skutvik. Today it was the other way around, we started in Skutvik and had to drive to Tysfjord. After about 1,5 hour on the sea, we got a phone call that the ferry spotted orcas in Tysfjord. Instantly we turned the boat and forced Leonora to full speed, in order to arrive there before they would leave. With the big boat it was still 3 hours to go, but the zodiac is much faster and we had good faith that they would be able to follow them until we arrived. And that´s exactly what happened.

At the time that we arrived by the orcas, the sun was already low to the horizon, which had as result that we could watch them under a beautiful orange sky. We saw them swimming very close to the shore along the beaches of Tysnes. They were travelling out of Tysfjord and we followed them for a while. It was quite a challenge, because they disappeared a few times, but everyone did his very best to find them again and again. At half past 3 we were back in the harbor of Bognes.

This was the first time that we watched orcas in Tysfjord this season! Great!

Lynne

Thursday 6th of November

Today it was Leonora´s turn!!

This morning we went out from Korsnes, crossed Vestfjord and set course to the west. Around 11:00 we got a report about orcas close to Skrova. This was still about 1,5 hour from our position and in 1,5 hour many things can happen. The orcas can stay where they are, but they can also leave the place and swim away from us or towards us. So, impatient and with our eyes fixed at the sea we approached the area. We saw a couple of boats in the distance, so that had to be the place.

Our guests were still eating soup while we spotted the first black fins. Immediately everyone left their soup, dressed up warm and ran out. It were maybe 10 animals, including a baby. One moment they appeared in the distance, the other moment they were very close to the boat. We saw very many tail slaps and one did a kind of roll at a few meters from the boat. We had the pleasure to be around with them for quite a long time and at 15:00 many happy faces entered the harbour of Skutvik:)

Yesterday orcas from the zodiac, today from the big boat….tomorrow together?....

Lynne

Wednesday 5th of November

YES!! Finally!!

We went out from Skutvik with only the zodiac. After a while we got to know that people had spotted orcas outside Henningsvaer, so that´s where we went of course. It was a small group of 3 animals travelling in that beautiful light we had today. We followed them for a while in quite high speed and then turned back to the harbour.

So nice to see them back, and good to know that they are here!

This was our first orca sighting of the season! Let´s hope that there will be many more following….

Lynne

Tuesday 4th of November

Windspeed: 13 meters per second today. So quite wavy.

First we had a quick look in the direction of Vestfjord before turning into Tysfjord. Except the wind the weather was quite fine – dry almost all day, very beautiful light and even a little rainbow under the clouds. When we were in Stefjord the clouds moved a little bit, so that we could see the top of Stetind.

The zodiac had a bouncy ride in Vestfjord and then drove into Tømmeraasfjord to check for whales there.

We saw a lot of sea eagles today, but no orcas…. For the fifth day in a row now….

We heard that yesterday they have seen orcas from the ferry between Bognes and Skarberget. That´s the area where we have been checking as well, but unfortunately they didn´t show up when we were there. It´s a pity for us of course, but it´s also very nice to know that they are in the area. Let´s hope for some good luck tomorrow!

Lynne

Monday 3rd of November

We went out from Kornses 9.45 with strong confidence that today would be the day of victory. Immediately, Per-Ole, with his eyes focused and alert, started to search the horizon for the unknown, the orcas beneath. We faced Vestfjorden with our ship quite soon, but our struggle was in vain, though the fury of the sea was so intense that nothing on this earth could have lived there.

With tears in our eyes we turned towards Lödingen, where shelter and warmth were to find. But there was a long way to Lödingen, and all the time we kept our restless search for the orcas ongoing, only supported by our strong faith in Per-Ole.

Suddenly the world was filled with loud sounds, planes flying over and around us. In terror we stood as paralyzed for an unmeasured time. It felt like it was never to end, but it did.

Finally we arrived at the harbour of Lödingen, tired and hungry, hungry not only for food, but hungry for more adventure. Per-Ole decided that the pier was safe, so our clients could walk around and watch the special architecture of the small community. As we stood on the pier, restless and hungry, lots of fish suddenly surrounded us. Spelled by their fishy behavior, we stood and watched for a long time. At this moment, Per-Ole, still uncharmed, anounced that it was time to move on and ease our hunger.

We continued our trip to unexplored fjords, still, always, looking for the orcas. Our goal was Skarberget, a wellknown location for the king of the skies, the white tailed sea eagle.

As the distance decreased, our fear and tension increased – would we see them, would they accept us, would we survive? But we never saw them.

Mayby we were lucky that day, I dont know, but both the eagles and the orcas remained hidden for our unworthy appearance.

Hopefully, tomorrow they will accept us.

Erland (assistant guide on Leonora for 3 weeks)

Sunday 2nd of November

A stormy day in Tysfjord. With the big boat we left from Bognes and tried to go out into Vestfjord. This seemed to be impossible because of the waves so we decided to turn and to go further down into Tysfjord. We saw some sea eagles around Bekkenesholmen and Skarberget. And a little later we discovered a big group of reindeers right next to the water. When the zodiac arrived, they were walking a little bit more up the hill. After this we went into Stefjord with Leonora and enjoyed a good meal of bread and fishsoup. Very enjoyable when it´s stormy outside:) We went to the end of the fjord and were almost able to see the top of Stetind - Norway´s national mountain - between the clouds.

Suddenly we spotted some harbor porpoises and tried to follow them for a while. But they are so fast and unpredictable that we lost them again.

On the way home we tortured our faces a little more in the hail and wind, looking for the orcas, and then returned to the harbor.

Lynne

Saturday 1st of November

Today we went out both with the zodiac and with Leonora, our big boat.

We had a few very nice sightings from land - some of us were lucky to see 2 elks on the way to Skutvik and others had the luck to spot a small group of harbour porpoises later in the day. The 2 boats checked 2 different areas, but we couldn´t find any orcas. People have seen them lately, so they must be around. But where??

The zodiac went back to Skutvik and with the big boat we drove along the coast towards Tysfjord. There we observed a few beautiful sea eagles nearby Skarberget before returning to the harbour of Bognes.

We cross our fingers for tomorrow!

Lynne

Friday 31st of October

Today was the very first day of the new season. Yesterday it started to snow, so today when we woke up and opened the curtains we discovered a beautiful winter landscape. It was a clear day, the sun was shining and there was almost no wind. The day looked promising and we started with high expectations. We went out from Skutvik with our zodiac and went into Vestfjord in western direction. We did had a very close observation of a sea eagle and took a closer look at some fishing boats. But unfortunately we couldn´t find any orcas.

Anyway, this was a very beautiful first day with magnificent light.

Good to be back:)

Lynne

27th of October

People have seen orcas around in the fjords the past two weeks. Yesterday they were in the inner part of Vestfjord.