If you are looking for an alternative holiday, Norway should be right up there on your travel list. A fantastic destination for outdoor and nature enthusiasts, Norway, dubbed the "Land of the Midnight Sun" has long summer days, beautiful landscapes and welcoming cities. Northern Norway is the destination we are focusing on in this guide however, and past the Arctic Circle and away from the major cities you will find a completely different country.
Northern Norway has two main attractions – killer whales and the Northern lights. North of the Arctic circle lies the remote archipelago of the Lofoten Islands where in November you’ll be able to spot both of these major attractions. Stay in a cosy fisherman’s cabin (a rorbeur) with spectacular mountains to one side and the icy cold sea to the other. In the day spend time searching for and photographing the natural wildlife which include killer whales, otters, seals, puffins, cormorants and sea eagles. The surrounding landscape is also a photographer’s dream – with deep fjords and high mountains.
Between October and January the orcas perform the unique ‘carousel feeding’ technique. Large shoals of herring migrate into the fjord during this period. Families of killer whales work together to form circles around the herring, slowly making the circles smaller and smaller until they can stun the fish with a tail fluke. If you’re brave you can choose to snorkel with these amazing creatures.
Killer whales, or orcas as they are often known, are found worldwide. They are the largest species of the dolphin family and are opportunistic predators. Orcas are extremely social creatures and, like dolphins, travel in packs and often talk to each other using sonic sound. They also engage in other social activities including breaching, tail slapping (a whale high five!) and spyhopping (like treading water).
At night enjoy the Norwegian speciality – fish! Then head back out to try and get lucky with the magical Northern lights or Auroras Borealis. The lights often appear as a green or red colour and are produced as a result of the collision of charged particles in the Earth’s magnetosphere. Often the light appears as a ‘curtain’ although they can form large arcs too. The lights may dance and shimmer for hours or make be bright for 10-15 minutes and then slowly fade away.
Winters are surprisingly mild considering the islands’ location in the Arctic Circle. January has an average of -1.5 degrees Celcius. However the sun does not rise at all between the start of December to the start of January so beware all sun lovers out there – this is possibly not the trip for you!
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