Kategorie: News
Migration of herring at the Arctic Circle
As a passionate underwater photographer, I have traveled to many parts of the world and made many an impressive dive. From the massive schools of hammerhead sharks in Cocos, to the fascinating manta ray nuptials in the Maldives, to the blue sharks in the open water off the Azores. A joint trip to the Silverbanks off the coast of the Dominican Republic with my wife finally brought me to the humpback whales; the elegance of these creatures completely captivated me.
Report by Michael Weberberger & Gerald Nowak
After the Silverbank trip I was eager to meet more marine mammals in the water. When I heard that in late autumn humpback whales and orcas come to Norway for the herring migration I was hooked and quickly booked the trip.
After landing in Tromsø we spend a first day in the region and use it to explore the historical city. Now in October, the thermometer hovers around freezing. The water temperature of just under 7 degrees currently prevents further cooling of the air. Further inland it has already much frostier temperatures. With the onset of wind, it can be really icy cold at night, even on the coast.
The first evening we leave the city. We want to see the aurora borealis, which can be seen almost daily in the night sky at this time of year. What a luck, right on the first evening we have a sighting, even if only briefly. But our journey lasts still some days.
After an extensive excursion with visits to the Arctic Ocean Cathedral, the Polaria Aquarium, the Polar Museum and a dog sled tour, we end the evening at the Magic Ice Bar and are full of anticipation for the tour on the M.S. Strønstad.
The next morning, a short transfer takes us to the harbor, where we board the M.S. Strønstad. Upon arrival, I am already impressed by the sturdiness of the ship. Everything looks very neat and stable. With a ship like this, I would also sail in really rough seas. Perfect for the coming days. The ship was built in 1955 and was used as a passenger and cargo ship around the Lofoten. The ship can accommodate up to 16 guests in 6 cabins. The cabins are on the lower deck, the toilets and showers on the main deck. The canteen and dive deck are also on the main deck. The salon for pleasant evenings is again on the lower deck.
In search of the herring shoals
After moving into the cabins and dinner, the adventure begins. We leave the harbor and go in search of the shoals of herring. For several years now, the big hunters have been following the gigantic masses of fish in the bays of Troms and Finnmark provinces. The biomass of the herring is comparable to that of the South African sardine run. This huge food supply is also the reason why in the winter months years orcas and humpback whales are on the move here.
Mostly in the middle of October they come from the food-rich Arctic to the warmer climes around Tromsø. Until the end of November there is still enough light to observe the mammals. In early November, the sun is even still in the sky for almost eight hours. As the season progresses, the daily hours of sunlight quickly become shorter and shorter until it doesn't rise at all on November 27. Then polar night prevails for more than two months. Due to the surrounding mountains, the sun does not actually rise again until early February.
The early timing at the end of October is, however, associated with a certain risk, because it may well be that only a few to no whales are on site. However, past years have shown that the animals are arriving earlier and earlier as they follow the herring that have advanced their migration into the bays. In the open ocean they can therefore be found on their way very early in the fall. We made the compromise; we want to catch the animals in good light. The chances are 50/50 that we will be lucky and see whales and orcas.
Rain and a bit of wind
The first two days teach us what a Norwegian means when he says "it's raining and there's a bit of wind". There is no thought of searching for the orcas. The wind whips as if a huge turbo wind machine had been switched on and a Giant had packed his high-pressure cleaner to it. Slowly frustration arises and we keep the mood with card games and dice alive. But on the third day Freyr, Norse god of rain and sunshin, is good to us and the sun appears on the horizon, without the clouds denying the view. Confidence arises, because the waves have also calmed down...
We go out to sea and the search can restart. Every day is different, and so is our third day. We are not yet far away, when we meet a group of orcas, which is hunting. Since orcas are very social and do everything in a group, they also have a group dynamic in their hunting technique. Depending on the food supply, the tactics vary and they coordinate perfectly with each other to achieve maximum hunting success. Watching them above water is a special experience and it takes your breath away to see how coordinated the group is around a school of herring.
Even more perfect is that this is probably a group of "late sleepers" among the orcas, because normally they prefer to hunt in the morning. We now have midday and thus enough light to be able to experience them under water as well. The captain tells you where to jump into the water as a snorkeler. The crew is extremely experienced and knows the killer whales for years. A good indicator to catch the perfect moment are hunting seagulls. When they pause in one spot, the orca have managed to gather the herring into a baitball to eat them up. The gulls also take advantage of this, swooping down into the water from above to get their share. We have such a baitball in front of us now. Armed with dry suit, ABC equipment and camera, we wait on the Zodiac for the captain's "go". The water bubbles and seagulls, orcas and we plunge into the spectacle.
Although the visibility is only moderate, I find myself surrounded by an incredible mass of fish. From all sides the hunters shoot at the herring crammed together. I am in the middle of it. What a spectacle, what an experience! Again and again the Orcas push with full speed into the Baitball and get themselves a mouth full of fish. What a feast for the animals. But it comes still more violently. Humpback whales reach the scene and join the hunt. As the whales surface, the hustle and bustle is over in no time. Two or three times a group of whales dives through the school of herring and there is nothing left. As fast as the spectacle has started, as fast it is over.
The next days we repeatedly see orcas at the surface following the herring. Unfortunately never really stationary, so that we are in the water again and again, but rarely experience the animals close.
Air bubbles rise from below through the shoal
But then we are lucky one more time. Just a moment ago a group of orcas passed through the fjord and we thought that it was over for today. As if out of nowhere the group starts hunting. The orcas are rather relaxed and without hustle and bustle, quite different from the last days. Quite leisurely they circle around a smaller baitball and take their time with the attack. This is almost perfect for our next attempt. Carefully I swim over to the group of orcas. Always with the ulterior motive that they are about to leave. But nothing of the sort happens. I calmly reach the school of herring. Just as I point my camera at them, I see air bubbles rising from below through the school. An orca is right below me, calmly swimming through the school. I try to take as many pictures as I can because this may be the only moment to photograph.
Another orca comes along and gets his share of the herring. I am more excited than I have been in a long time. More pictures are taken. More orcas come, again and again. After a good 90 minutes I'm frozen like I haven't been in a long time, I've got pictures I'd never dreamed of and the orcas pass me for the last time, as if they wanted to say goodbye with the silent words: "Well, you've got everything in the box now that you've planned"? I am overjoyed and do not know what I should report back on board about this experience. It was 90 minutes that pass me by again and again like a film of seconds. I have the feeling that this moment will never end and will change me for the rest of my life.
The last two days we try a few more times. Again and again we have short encounters and also dreamlike light mood over water. Our skipper emphasizes repeatedly what luck we had, because such an encounter, so long and so close, one has rather rarely. For me, the feeling of swimming next to an orca is one of the most impressive experiences of my life and I will certainly come back to look these big, powerful animals in their huge eyes one more time.
These animals belong in nature and not in any Sea Worlds of this world. One must not take away their freedom. One must respect them and let them have the habitat that they have been assigned by creation since the beginning. If you want to observe them, you have to come to them. Respect them in their habitat and allow them to decide when and where they want to meet us more closely. If you allow them, you will also have the opportunity to experience them - then when they want it!
A successful liveaboard trip comes to an end and we sit in the hot-pot on the upper deck of M.S. Strønstad. In the meantime it is night and the northern lights frame the ship like fireworks. See you soon Norway, see you soon Orcas.
Waterworld Dive Travel Special Trip:
There are still places available for this year's tour from 22.10.2021 - 30.10.2021.
"Norway - Viking Sea Orcas I" - Orcas up close for the annual herring migration!
9 days snorkeling & nature expedition "Viking Sea Orcas".
Travel details: waterworld.at/specials/...
Info and registration: g.nowak@waterworld.at