Norway Orca Cruise - Killer Whales, Sea Eagles and the Northern Lights

Every autumn, herrings shoal in vast numbers in the deep fjords of northern Norway and hundreds of Orcas appear to feast upon them. Combine with White-tailed (Sea) Eagles, otters and other marine life set in stunning scenery and you have a whale watching holiday with a difference.

These Orca Safaris will take place when the days are getting short in northern Norway. We can expect the first snow showers, and sometimes temperatures just above freezing. The autumn colours will be beautiful during the daytime. At night, when clear, we will be able to admire the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), one of nature’s finest spectacles.

The vessel: ‘Noorderlicht’
A two-masted sailing vessel, the ship was originally built in 1910, in Flensburg. For most of her life she served as a light vessel on the Baltic. Then, in 1991 the present owners purchased the ship and re-rigged and re-fitted her thoroughly, according to the rules of ‘Register Holland’. Noorderlicht is 46 metres long and 6.5 metres breadth, a well-balanced, two-masted schooner rig that is able to sail all seas.

Below deck the ship has a spacious saloon, while in the deckhouse there is a cosy settee from which passengers can view the outside in comfort. All 10 double cabins have hot and cold running water, a cupboard and single berths. The ship has four showers and five toilets. The modern galley has been equipped with a microwave and a dishwasher. The ship is well insulated and heated.

Crew and passengers
Noorderlicht is crewed by three expert Dutch sailors, a cook and an expedition leader who has a thorough knowledge of the area. Though the crew are in charge during sailing - they will bring us ashore - the assistance of the passengers is expected in handling the sails and taking the helm. Duties will also include being on watch during night sailing. On board there will be a maximum of 20 passengers of different nationalities. The main language will be English.

Holiday Information

Dates: 27^th November – 4^th December 2007

Plus other departures on request.

Duration: 7 nights

Naturalist guide: TBA

Price: £785 per person sharing a twin cabin. Single supplement £500

Deposit: 10%

Price includes: voyage as described including shore excursions and activities by Zodiac. Accommodation in twin cabins with washbasin. All meals aboard including tea and coffee, port taxes and pre-trip information pack.

Price excludes: Airfare (available from £310 return), travel insurance (available from £29.32 per person), pre/post-cruise hotels, transfers, drinks, gratuities (suggested €10-15 per day) and other items of a personal nature.

Itinerary

Day 1 We embark the ship in the harbour of Lødingen in the evening, after a drive of an hour by scheduled bus (at own expense) from the airport of Evenes.
Day 2 - 3 We will spend two full days in the Tysfjord area to look for groups of Orcas which hunt in these fjords for herring. During these days we will have an excursion to the petroglyphs from Stone Age, depicting Orcas at Leiknes. At Skarvberget we will climb a hill, which is a look-out post for tens of Sea Eagles, which also catch herring in the fjord. One evening we will visit the Orca information centre, where we will get additional information about the whales.
Day 4 Today we sail into Vestfjord, also a good area to observe Orcas and other whales, and arrive at Henningsvaer, the Norwegian Venice, where we will lay overnight.
Day 5 We vist Kabelvaag, a cosy historical town, where we may visit the Lofoten aquarium and Museum. Later we sail into Trollfjord Raftsund, said to be one of the most spectacular fjords of Norway, and spend the night somewhere in the area
Day 6 We work our way back to through Vestfjorden looking for Orca’s, and could visit for instance Hamaroy with the Knut Hamsun Museum, or Ofotfjord, where we may see more Orca’s.
Day 7 Today we will sail into the harbour of Lødingen. Near Lødingen at Hustadgaard in Vestbygd we will have the opportunity to be fascinated by “øye I stein”, a sculpture of 37 tonnes made by the Indian artist Anish Kapoor. In the same area at Nes in Kanstadfjord we can admire the oldest rock paintings (9000 years old) near the remains of stone age dwellings.
Day 8 We disembark the ship in Lødingen in the morning for our transfer by scheduled local bus (at own expense) to the airport of Evenes.