In the Land of Orcas - Freediving with whales in Skjervøy, Norway
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- čas přidán 2. 12. 2019
- Orca Camp Norway - Diving with orcas - Is this something you would like to do? Let me know if you do in the comments below!
We traveled to the northern parts of Norway and arrived in Skjervøy on the 17th of November. We stayed for one week and had 6 days on the sea - 6 chances to freedive with orcas (killer whales) and humpback whales. Below you'll find timestamps for each day and a small summery.
Day 1 - 00:59
The first day everything was new. I had a lot of questions about orcas, strategy, what to think about and so on. We were extremely lucky and found a big pod of orcas feeding on a baitball (herring). We were alone on the sea. No other boats joined us to that particular spot. The footage you see of us diving with orcas is in chronological order. Seeing the animals up close was something truly special. I even started to cry under water, it was too much to handle. The first day we found two separate baitballs and spent over 20 min in the water with the orcas. A great success!
Day 2 - 03:47
The second day I was a bit more confident. I changed the settings on my camera to 4K, but some of the other settings weren't optimal for the low light conditions. Once again we were lucky, saw three baitballs a lot of orcas and even a humpback whale. When the humpback arrived I got a lot of adrenaline, but it was amazing seeing such a huge animal swim in the water. I aslo came super close to the herring and also two pollock.
Day 3 - 04:48
The third day we weren't as lucky as the first two. The sky was beautiful, but we didn't find an opportunity to swim with the orcas. We saw them from the boat, but none of use got anything from below the surface. As a result of this, we decided to go back to our camp a bit earlier, and I took the opportunity to freedive from shore, near our houses. As soon as we came back, I filled my wetsuit with hot water from the shower and went out exploring. Later that night we saw some aurora borealis (northern lights) and managed to capture it in a night time lapse video (GoPro Hero 8).
Day 4 - 06:22
This was a beautiful day. The sky was pink orange and we were exited. Early on we saw a huge pod of orcas with at least 16 individuals swimming together. We managed to see them below the surface. I also had an amazing experience with a humpback whale. I swam down to it (maybe 5 meters) and it started looking at me, turned it's head and went up to the surface. It was so cool!
Day 5 - 07:58
After four full days at sea, I started to feel that I have enough material to make a film. I decided to be a bit more risky and wanted to capture the animals in selfies - harder than you think! Plenty of shots were ruined because the orcas were not in frame, but I managed to get at least 3-4 selfies with orcas and humpbacks that I was satisfied with. Later at night we went on a northern lights "trip" to a place near the sea with less light pollution. The aurora was super strong and shifted in different colours. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It's hard to describe, and the time lapse I got can't live up seeing it live.
Day 6 - 09:13
Our last day! The weather was perfect for flying my drone - which I did. Magnus Lundborg ( / magnus_lundborg ) had an amazing encounter with a pod of calm humpbacks. I flew the drone and Magnus took shots / filmed under water. The light was great for this. A perfect ending to our adventure!
This is my longest and most adventurous video yet! I hope you enjoyed watching it. If you did, be sure to subscribe to our channel!
Big thanks to:
Magnus Lundborg
Andreas Persson
Lars Mikkelsen
Alois Maurizi
Francisco Nunes
Frank Wirth
My gear:
DJI Mavic Air
Gopro Hero 8
Gopro Hero 7
Paralenz
Cannon 80D
#orcacampnorway #orcafreediving #whalewatching
If you have any questions about freediving with orcas, whales, the arctic, Norway. I'm happy to answer them :)
Travel Ons when did you go there ? January ?????
@@marion72kardashian We went in November 2019 :)
can you rent wetsuit there? what is ur freedive level? and where do you book this kind of tour?
I’m so jealous! Swimming with orcas is my dream! #1 on my bucket list! Can u describe how YOU were feeling?? At anytime we’re you nervous, scared or Intimidated? Did you make eye contact with them, touch them? Please write me back and let me know I’m so interested!!
@@hannahpowers2512 I wasn't scared but I was extremely excited! A lot of adrenaline! I felt gratitude, happiness but also a bit emotional. I thought about all the orcas that live in captivity (like Seaworld) or whalers that kill these magnificent and important beings.
I didn't touch them, you should never touch wildlife in my opinon. But I made eye contact with both humpbacks and orcas
Just... wow. *THIS* is what CZcams is for; absolutely unbelievable! I teared up watching this in amazement. 😍😍😍
Thanks for your kind comment! Be sure to share it with someone who would like to see it
This is such an inspiring video. I feel like I haven’t really achieved many goals in life but free diving with orcas is definitely one of the ones I wish I could do one day. The experience honestly seems surreal and just magical so thanks for documenting it so beautifully! Definitely inspired me to keep working hard to one day hopefully also jump in the ocean.
Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful Video Robin. Orca, Sea, Aurora, Snow that makes "sound" ... and the Time that stands still. Thank you.
Thanks for watching. Glad you liked it!
Amazing!!! Thank you guys for sharing your adventures.
Glad you liked it!
Marvelous! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! :) Glad you liked it
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this. What incredible beings!
Glad you enjoyed it :)
NIcely done, we absolutely loved the experience and the cold water Haha. Liked and subscribed. Thanks Klemens
Glad you liked it Dive Buddy! :)
Mind Blowing trip we had there Robin
Your edit made made cry.... Again! ;-)
Awesome work buddy
Thank you Lars! I also felt emotional watching the final result :) Looking forward seeing your awesome photos soon
@@TravelOns wow 2:27 Alois lost his weight belt! ;-) It's laying steddy with my mask in the deep now ;-) ;-) ;-)
@@larsmikphotography8549 Haha! Crazy that I didn't notice that! But not that I can't unsee it :-)
so beautiful, i love orcas
Thank you! :) Me too
Very nice A show of nature, adrenaline I appreciate your work very much Good luck man 👍👍
Thank you for your nice comment! :) Glad you enjoyed it
How much did it cost?? I’ve been wanting to free dive with orcas for a very long time. Wanted to be a Seaworld trainer for a long time but once I got older realized not only the risk, but the condition these beautiful, spiritual animals are put in. So definitely changed my mindset and the setting in which I want to see these beautiful creatures.
I paid around 3,000 Euros for the whole week :) You should definitely go if you love orcas and whales!
I agree. As much as the video is beautiful of course, it doesn't sit right with me to popularize these kind of experiences and bothering these magical, otherwordly creatures. Just leave them enjoying the deap ocean waters in peace, without all the motor boats and crowds of people with cameras all around them. At least for now it's not a very cheap experience, os not too many people will do that.
Intelligent animals turn into spiteful beasts in captivity. It's really dangerous for trainers. Chimpanzees, elephants, dolphins .. stay away from them when they're behind bars.
Imagine us humans being kept in a zoo and visited and fed by gibbons. Some of us would also get angry and start hurting those small creatures, especially after noticing that they won't hurt you back because they need you for other visitors
Wow :) This is Amazing :D I love Orcas
Stunningly beautiful to see them! Truly a magnificent creature.
Häftigt, Robin! 🙌
Tack så mycket Darko! :)
My Homeplace, 🙂 This is where I grew up. On a Island Just nearby in Lyngen fjord
Such a beautiful place :) Have you seen orcas there growing up?
@@TravelOns A few times, their numbers have increased over the years. I used to snorkel year around, but we were very careful around the ''Spekk Hugger'' as we call them. And I never had the opportunity to be in the water with them. My brother who is on a fishing boat tell me that the orcas show up as soon as they are taking onboard the catch. ''Hearing'' so they can differentiate between a boat catching and one just idling.
@@norseman5041 That's amazing :) Thanks for sharing!
I was in Skjervøy last November and we were snorkeling with orcas. It was stunning!
Orcas rock 🤘😎🤘
Love the video, but I'd love to see one without the music. :D At least the underwater part with no music. I will definitely check this expedition one day.
Love it bro! I just swam with Humpbacks in Tonga and looking forward to doing this! Any recommendations are welcomed 🙏🏽 Much love 🤙🏽
"Land?" More like...in the ocean of orcas!
Awesome video!! I have a trip booked this winter!
Random questions about your GoPro underwater filming. How many extra batteries did you bring? I know they drain super fast in the cold. What mount/ pole did you use for filming? Do you know what video settings you found most effective?
Great questions! But first - congratulations on going on this amazing adventure! :)
I had 4 extra batteries with me, and yes they drain fast when it's cold. I put my GoPro in my mouth whenever I didn't film to keep it warmer. I also had warm bags that activate chemically to keep the batteries warmer.
I used GoPros 1 meter pole - I like it!
Make sure that you have the settings for low light. Not too high FPS. 4K is recommended if your computer can handle it. I filmed most of the footage in 2.7K, 60 fps. If I would go back, I would shoot in 4K, 30 fps, low-light.
Oh and I mainly filmed with a GoPro 8.
Hope this helps
Hey Robin Havervall,
Great video ! Very inspiring !
I'm planning to do a similar expedition this november.
So you did it with "Wildlife Observations Worldwide", correct?
Different companies propose very different price, going from 2500 to 5500 euros, do you know if the difference is only the luxury of the accomodation and boat type ?
Do you know if there is a way to make it even cheaper, like staying in a local place and join the boat every day ?
Do you have any advice about the week to go there, or other tips that you would find usefull after having been there ?
Thank you in advance for your answer,
BR,
Emmanuel
Hello Emmanuel, glad you liked the video :)
Yes, I went with WOW and paid about 3000 euros. I think some are more expensive due to different factors. One of them being cost of living and eating and perhaps salaries to the skippers, equipment etc.
I think we got a discount price if I remember correctly.
I'm not sure if you can stay somewhere else or not. I suggest asking the different companies.
I strongly recommend bringing a dive torch so you can do "night" dives when it gets dark around 3pm ;) It was so nice to see the underwater world at night!
GLHF!
Hey man, thanks for amazing video. In last couple of days i'm in love with this kind of encounter. Do you have any tip for finding the best company for such a trip? I'm mostly doing thing by my own, but this seems pretty good.
Hey! Glad you liked the video :) These encounters are very special. I strongly recommend going out with a serious company, and not just by yourself. I went out with "Wildlife Observations Worldwide". I was satisfied with the whole trip!
Congrats, Robin! I feel you about the GoPro in low light, but your footage is still astonishing! I am going to Norway later this year and I will take a similar rig: 7mm wetsuit plus 2mm vest. Can you give me some advice on roughly how much weight I need in the belt to achieve neutral buoyancy?
Thank you so much :) Glad you like it
I had about 8 kg of weight.
I weigh about 75 kg and had a 6.5mm open cell wet suit + a 2mm west, 7mm gloves and 5mm socks.
If you weigh the same as me, I would say 8 kg is perfect. If you weigh more, then you need more weight. If you weigh less, then you need less weights ;)
Hope it helps and good luck with your adventure!
@@TravelOns Many thanks for your reply, it will be very helpful! Keep it up and congrats once again!
Hello! Concerning the amazing footage underwater, did you use some waterproof case for your GoPro?
And what about battery duration!
Thank you and congratulation for this awesome video!
Thank you for your comment! I used several GoPro cameras. For my GoPro 8 and 7, I didn't use any waterproof housing. They are waterproof down to 10 m by themselves.
Regarding battery duration, I had several extra batteries with me. They tend to run out quickly when it's cold outside. I often had to warm the GoPro in my mouth to extend the battery life ;)
You make money on this footage. Its cool
Jag tittar fortfarande på den här videon 1 gång i veckan 😅 fan vad jag saknar att resa 🙈
Haha
Hi, I booked for end of Nov. a snokelling tour in Skjervoy. But i am unsure if I can stand that cold water. When my muscles cramp in that cold water I will have a problem. Does the suit protect most of the cold? Otherwise I will change the tour into a normal boat trip.
I used a 6.5mm open cell wetsuit with a 2mm west under it. I was pretty cold. The temp. in the water is between 6-8°C. So I suggest that you try out your wetsuit in cold water before going, so you don't get a chock ;)
This is amazing! I did not know it was possible. I would love to do this! How do you book a trip like this? Any advice or resources? Thanks for sharing, bro!
Glad to hear it! :) You should check out "Wildlife Observation Worldwide", I went with them and it was amazing!
Amazing video, i'm preparing to freedive in norway in winter. Can you share what thickness/types your wetsuit, gloves etc are? Any special advise on equipment preparation?
Thanks! Glad you liked it. I used a 6.5mm open cell wet suit, with a 2mm neoprene west under. 7mm gloves and 5mm socks :) Hope this helps!
hmm never expected to see my Home on your youtube channel
This looks fun! However, I've seen videos of orcas attacking boats. 😅
orcas DON'T ATTACKING boats, they are just playing
Lucky!
Yes :) We were very lucky!
The water must be so cold? How are y'all swimming in it!?
The water was between 6-9°C, så not that cold ;) But the air temp was -4°C and colder sometimes. We all had thick wetsuits, around 7mm. If you have a thick wetsuit you can be in ice cold water for a long time. I was more cold in the boat between the dives compared to being in the water. Some people use dry suits, but then you can't freedive (swim down deeper).
@@TravelOns hg
Alejandro Velasquez good
Hey Robin, this is an incredible experience to witness for any nature enthusiast. I want to experience something similar during my trip to Norway around the 3rd week of January 2020.
I have the following questions for you:
1. For free diving to see whales/orcas/marine life is there any travel company that arranges these excursions? Based on my current research all whale/orca watching excursions by the known travel companies (Pukka Travels, Chasing Lights, Green Gold of Norway) around are through a boat/vessel without letting the tourist enter the waters. What are the diving requirements ?
2. Do you conduct the Orca Camp Norway ? Or is there a possibility that fellow tourists like me can join your diving expedition ?
Any insight from you is highly appreciated my friend. Thank you.
Glad you like the video! :)
1. If you'd like to experience something similar, you should go in november. Better chance I think ;) I went with "Wildlife Observations Worldwide". But there are other companies as well, e.g. Orca Norway. Both of them allow you to enter the water (freedive). You should be a confident swimmer. If you can freedive you can use a wetsuite. Otherwise you can use a dry suit (snorkeling). There are no special reuirements other than this.
2. It was "Wildlife Observations Worldwide" that conducted Orca Camp Norway 2019 :) Check them out!
Regarding insight, let me know what you want to know, and I'll answer ;)
Hello absoloutely amazing Video 🎉. Me and my girlfriend will fly to Skjervoy this december. I Never swam in such cold waters. Should we somehow prepare for it? Or is it just ok because of the wet suit ? Much Love from Germany 😊
If you have thick wet suits, you will be find. But still cold ;) Glad you liked the video. Good luck on your adventure!
Hi! Your video is stunning, I almost cried! I’m planning to go to Skjervøy next November, it depends on the Covid-19 situation. I’m very interested in doing free diving with orcas and hopefully humpbacks. Do you suggest any tour agency in particular? I consider myself a “normal” swimmer, I’m not a pro. Is it safe? Is the sea calm or are there currents? 😊 thank you so much!!!
Love your video!
Thank you for your nice comment and warm words
Travel Ons thank you so much! I’ll definitely give them a try! I’ve read that almost all your videos are shot with go pro 8, which I have as well. Would you be so kind to explain me the settings for the underwater shooting and northern lights time lapse? Thanks again!
From your experience do you think a 5 mm freediving suit is enough or would it be too cold?
Hey I am interested in diving with orcas . can we do free diving like with scuba diving equipment?
Great to hear :) Normally the tours are only for snorkling and free diving. With Scuba diving you are much heavier and slower, so it doesn't suit orca diving.
As the saying goes: when you land in a sea of Orcas, you may also see the land of Norwhayle
Great joke! :D
Wasn't it cold in the water?
7 15 to 7 30 why does it look like the humpback's doing the robot, really slowly?
how cold was the water?
That looks like so much fun! Was it scary at all? (Since orcas are known as killer whales 😂)
It was amazing! :-) Not scary, but exiting. Sometimes when they swam behind you and you weren't prepare I was a bit scared. But they don't attack humans in the wild. I think they are called killer whales, because they kill whales. They actually kill and eat other whales (humpbacks), but not in Norway. Here they hunt the fish together. Quite fascinating actually!
ممن. مزمز.. 5. 5
4قرد ظ
د.ظ
There no attacking humans in wildlife only in parks where there are in bathtubs kept for so long years, stop going to such parks but do instead like this guys does..
I am getting my freediving license this week. Swimming with orca is my dream in Norway. Could I ask you to give me information is this trip? Thanks in advance.
That's fantastic! :) You can find all necessary information here: wildlifeobservationsworldwide.com/product/orcas-humpback-whales-and-northern-lights/
(not sponsored by them)
Amazing ! What month did you go ?
November :) 17th
Do you think it is safe? It looks like a breathtaking and a bit scary experience
Yes, it's quite safe. No one has been killed by an orca in the wild ;) However you might get swallowed by a whale if you swim above a baitball. There has been some accidents like that, so you have to be careful
非常漂亮的景色，亲近大自然的奇妙之旅！
谢谢！ 我很高兴你喜欢它。
The island is called "shervey"
Yes, my pronunciation wasn't the best on that small boat
I live there
You are soooo lucky! :)
@@TravelOns am i?
@@felix_felix7828 In my opinion: YES!
@@TravelOns wow, yes we have the Whales here 🐋
@@felix_felix7828 Not just the whales. Beautiful landscape, friendly people (most of them), northern lights etc etc...
Woo I'm hope too do this for my 50 th do they provide u with wet suits grate vlog
but they're not on the land they're in water... pfffff.
A W E
imagine seeing orca's harass giant whale and you swim in-between them and put your hand out in a way that represents 'stop' (arm extended, hand open). lmao. I wonder what would happen. 😄😄😄😄
I've seen orca's eat 6 inch fish, for whatever reason they dont eat humans.
Come to think of it. Orcas having high intelligence could explain this. If an animal is highly intelligent, they can correct their thinking upon realizations. I think orcas might know who all the machines belong to. dropped something. 2:26
Please never go to sea land🙏they belong in the ocean😊🐋🐳🐬
@2.30 min, the diver loses his equipment... also this particulair person is pretty much disturbing the orca's feeding ground by swimming straight through the bait ball.
why does he do this ? as if you could get closer to the orca be trying to outswim them ?
I am really looking forward to swim with these animals, but i find this way of pushing yourself in their feeding grounds disturbing and a bad example of how people could interact aswell.
show patience, respect and i'm sure you'll experience a far better interaction then watch them swim away due too pushy diver that is only interested in his footage.
I would therefore choose not to dive with this "orcacamp norway"...
I agree with you, loosing equipment is not good, but he didn't do it on purpose. I don't think he swam through the bait ball to get closer to the orcas. Rather getting a good shot / photo of the bait ball itself.
I also agree that it is important to show respect and be patient.
Good luck on your adventure!
they are killer whale for a reason
dont risk it dude
They are called "killer whales" because they kill whales ;) They don't kill humans in the wild. There have been zero reported accidents with wild orcas and humans diving with them. In captivity there's been deaths, but I can't blame them. They suffer terribly in their small tanks.
Dude there not aggressive towards humans only in bathtubs in parks there kind in freedom aka free life!! He saw a mommy with her kiddo, she didnt mind a moose with her calf would attack him, orcas are the most nicest ones to been around and safe in wildlife than any other animals. That's actally a fact. Orcas only kills humans in parks due to been taken away from their freedom and kept in bathtubs size tanks for them, so you can't blame them for doing it in parks as they belong in the wild like these orcas do in video!
What??? Skarvoi?? Not too hard is it, to listen to how the name Skjervøy is pronounced ? Shame on you!