Whales & Northern Lights
Spend two days and a night among orca and humpback whales off Skjervøy, living on board our 65-foot sailing ship Ylva with no more than eight guests, a skipper who knows this coast and a marine biologist who studies it for a living.
And leave the world behind for a while. On the first evening, everyone puts their phone in a box – you do it yourself, and it’s yours again whenever you ask – and for six days there are no feeds, no notifications and no news. What’s left is the sea and the long polar dark, slow meals and good conversation around one table, and at night the sound of whales drifting through the speakers in the lounge.
Every winter, something remarkable happens on the coast north of Tromsø. Herring gather in the fjords in their millions, and the whales follow them in to feed: orca and humpback, fin whales, and now and then a sperm whale. For a few dark months, the waters around Skjervøy and Kvænangen draw whales, and whale-watchers, from all over the world — in the middle of the polar night.
Most visitors see it from a fast boat on a day trip: a long ride out, an hour among the whales, a long ride home, and much of that hour spent watching through a phone screen. We do it the slow way. Ylva sails north through the winter fjords, and when we reach the whale grounds we stay — two days, and the night in between at anchor nearby. We wait, watch and listen, and let the whales set the pace.
That is also why your phone goes in a box. Not as a punishment, and not as a spiritual cleanse — think of it as an experiment in attention. Psychologists have a name for what nature does to a tired mind: soft fascination. Waves, seabirds, a dorsal fin breaking the surface — things that hold your attention without demanding it, and give the part of your brain that spends all day fending off notifications a chance to recover. Give it a day to stop reaching for your pocket. After that, you start noticing more: the blow of a whale far out, the slow change in the light, the conversation at the table. No retreat rules, no chanting. Just one less screen, and a great deal more worth looking at.
At night a hydrophone goes into the water, and the sea plays through the speakers in Ylva’s lounge: the clicks and calls of orca hunting herring, the long, low notes of a humpback. Sit up with a cup of tea, or fall asleep to it. When the sky clears, the northern lights come down over the fjord, and there is nothing between you and them but the deck — not even a screen.
Between the whales there are winter walks ashore, the small, strange creatures of the tideline at low tide, long dinners at one table, and the wood-fired hot tub on deck. The marine biologist on board explains what is happening under the hull — never as a lecture, always as a conversation about what is right in front of you.
We do not promise whales or northern lights. Nature is not a service provider. What we promise is six days of looking properly, in the right place, with people who know it well.
Welcome on board Whales and Northern Lights.
What makes this voyage different
Listen all night
A hydrophone hangs beneath the hull and plays the sea into the lounge, day and night when conditions allow. Nobody can promise the whales will be talking. But if they are, you will hear them.
Your phone goes in a box
On the first evening you put it there yourself, and you can ask for it back at any time. There is a short contact window every day, and the skipper and guide are always reachable.
A marine biologist on board
Our marine biologist works on this coast for a living. She can tell you why the herring are here, what the whales are doing and why, and why these waters are important to us.
Hot tub and winter sea
A swim in the fjord if you want one, the wood-fired hot tub on deck afterwards. Nothing on the programme is compulsory, least of all the swim.
Life on board Ylva
A selection of cabin options
Our two rear cabins (nos. 3 and 4) both have double beds and generous storage space. Waking in the morning to the view of the sea is unforgettable.
Comfort for everyone
All cabins have private bathrooms and heads (one share with the guide cabin). Warm duvets, blankets, towels and toiletry is provided.
Nature provides
We are proud of our Norwegian food culture, and the abundance that nature provides in the sea.
Our guests will at the very least enjoy the bounty with us through our menu composed with love. If we are lucky, we may even catch our own dinner, and you can learn how to cook the Norwegian way.
Be a part of the crew
On board our experienced captain and mate will ensure safety and comfort for all, while allowing our guest the opportunity to take part and learn our love for sailing and and our arctic waters.
Available tours
Come with us to into the arctic polar night
Nice to know
Here are some common questions from our guests.
We provide a full board to all our guests on Ylva, and it is our goal that your experience with us is one of warmth and comfort.
We serve 3 delicious meals each day; Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Usually, lunch is taken on the slopes, and we provide options to pack and bring your own from the boat in cooperation with the guide. There is always snacks and fruits available should you feel the need for more energy. Coffee, tea, juice and milk is complementary. Beer and wine is for sale on board.
Your bunk is equipped with comfortable linen and a warm down duvet. There are towels and soaps for your use in your bathroom.
We take them for you. Someone on board has a camera all week, and when the whales come up, it is our job to photograph them while you just watch. Within two weeks of coming home you get a gallery of the week. You are also more then welcome to bring your own camera if you like!
You choose to put it away. We never take it from you, and you can ask for it back at any time without explaining why. There is one announced fifteen-minute window each day for anyone who wants to message home. The skipper and the guide have full communication at all times, and your family gets the vessel's contact details before you leave.
Tromsø Airport (TOS) has direct routes from many European hubs. There a several flights from Oslo (OSL), Norways capital, every day.
When you arrive, taking the bus or a taxi from the airport to the downtown central harbor takes only 20 minutes.
Please respect the check-in time, as the crew needs to ready the boat from the last tour. However, should you arrive early we can arrange to store your luggage while you tour Tromsø.
You will receive more detailed information after you book your tour.
An underwater microphone. We lower it from the boat and play the ocean through the speakers in the lounge, day and night when conditions allow. On a short whale tour you might hear a few minutes of it. Here you can fall asleep to it. The recordings are also used in research on underwater noise and whales.
Wool, not cotton, in layers, with a windproof and waterproof shell on top. Good winter boots and warm gloves matter most. Pack in a soft bag rather than a suitcase: there is nowhere on a boat to store a hard case. You will get a full packing list after booking.
Yes, each cabin has a private shower and toilet, except one of the forward cabins (nr. 2) that shares these with the guides. Towels and toiletries are provided.
As for the hot hub, yes indeed - there is!
We fill it up with sea water and heat it with a wood-burning stove. Our goal is to fire it up at least a couple of times each trip. The stove can comfortably hold six people, but a couple more can fit between good friends.