Brim Explorer · Tromsø
Brim Explorer's purpose-built catamaran sails about three hours north from central Tromsø to the herring grounds off Skjervøy, then switches to its electric engine near the whales. Pick it for comfort: no 05:00 coach, heated saloons with big windows, a café and three outside decks.
Since 2017 the herring, and the orcas and humpbacks that feed on it, have wintered around Kvænangen and Skjervøy, roughly 160 km north of Tromsø. Brim Explorer's answer is to sail the whole way. You board in town, get a safety briefing, and the boat heads up past the Lyngen Alps and the Lyngstuva lighthouse, through Kågsundet and on towards Skjervøy. The listing gives about 3 to 3.5 hours of sailing to the whales. The search area is not fixed: the crew goes where the whales were last seen.
Near the animals the catamaran switches to its silent electric engine, which is the point of the boat. You hear the blows instead of a diesel. Inside are heated saloons with panoramic windows, Wi-Fi, toilets and a café selling food and drinks. Outside are three decks, and that is where you want to be once the fins show up. On the way home you pass the Arctic Cathedral.
Now the trade-off. Most of a 7 to 9 hour day is transit, and the listing puts time around the feeding grounds at about 1 to 1.5 hours. The coach and RIB days out of Skjervøy give you roughly double that. The boat also carries up to 135 guests, and it shares the sea with plenty of others: Visit Tromsø's 2025/26 survey counted typically 9 to 14 boats per whale group, against the voluntary guidelines that suggest 3. Brim states a success rate above 95 percent and also says sightings are not guaranteed. The listing mentions no free second trip, so if that matters, look at the Arctic Resorts catamaran instead.
Online check-in at Brim Explorer's portal is mandatory. Do it the evening before so boarding is quick.
Departures at 07:30, 07:45 and 08:00 on the original whale boats, or 09:00 on the faster boat. Look for white boats with large black windows and "Brim Explorer" on the railing.
Safety briefing, then the Lyngen Alps, the Lyngstuva lighthouse and Kågsundet on the way to the Skjervøy area. Coffee from the café helps.
The boat goes electric near the feeding whales. Get out on deck: orcas and humpbacks are the main winter species, with fin and sperm whales possible.
The long sail home, past the Arctic Cathedral. The early boats return around 17:00 to 17:30, the 09:00 boat around 16:30 to 17:00.
★★★★★It was very nice trip. We saw orcas and Humpback whales.
★★★★★Very nice. We were able to see eagles, a whale and even orcas on October 16.
★★★★★I am so so glad that I got to share such an amazing experience with my 15 year old
Read next:
The listing gives about 1 to 1.5 hours around the feeding grounds, out of a 7 to 9 hour day. The rest is sailing: roughly 3 to 3.5 hours each way between Tromsø and the Skjervøy area.
No suit is listed. You stay inside heated saloons or step out onto open decks, so dress in wool layers, a warm jacket, a hat and mittens.
The listing gives 07:30, 07:45 and 08:00 on the original whale boats, back around 17:00 to 17:30, and 09:00 on a faster boat, back around 16:30 to 17:00. Online check-in is mandatory.
Not according to this listing. Brim states a success rate above 95 percent but no guarantee. If a free second chance matters, the high-speed catamaran and the Helgøy fast catamaran both offer one.
Ready to book
Sail from Tromsø harbour in a heated, quiet hybrid-electric catamaran that switches to electric power near the whales. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Whale Safari on High-Speed CatamaranA large, stable catamaran from central Tromsø, about 2.5 hours at Skjervøy, and a free second trip if no whales show.★ 4.6 · 8 hours
All-Inclusive Whale & Orca SafariNo coach, 50 guests at most, thermal suits on board and about 2 hours 20 minutes in the whale area.★ 4.6 · 8 hours
Skjervøy RIB Whale Safari with CoachA 05:00 coach to Skjervøy, then about three hours in an open RIB, low on the water where the orcas feed.★ 4.8 · 12 hours