Orca Channel

16/08/2026

🐋 Risso’s vs. Pilots — Round 2! 😳

W O W… just WOW.
Without a doubt, one of the most incredible encounters we’ve witnessed this season.

Here’s a question for you:

What species could make an entire group of 20–25 pilot whales flee an area?

Honestly, if you had asked me that before today, I would have said, “I don’t think that’s possible.”

Pilot whales live in large, powerful groups and often seem to have the numbers on their side. In fact, last year we even witnessed orcas being chased away by pilot whales.

So naturally, I thought I knew the answer.

Well… nature proved me wrong today. 🤯

We were watching a group of around 20–25 pilot whales peacefully playing and socializing when, suddenly, 4–5 Risso’s dolphins appeared.

And then… everything changed.

The interaction quickly became intense and somewhat "agressive".

We had witnessed something similar about a month ago, but today was on another level. The Risso’s dolphins repeatedly herded the pilot whales, surrounding them and pushing them away from the area.

The pilots responded by forming an incredibly tight formation.

Then, more pilot whales started arriving — at high speed. Perhaps they were responding to the vocalizations of their group members and coming in to provide protection.

But the Risso’s dolphins didn’t back down.

They continued surrounding the much larger group and herding them.

And eventually…

The pilot whales had enough.

They suddenly took off at an astonishing speed — porpoising across the water at around 10 knots, throwing up enormous splashes as they fled.

At that point, I thought, Surely the Risso’s will stop now…

Nope. 😳

They went after them.

Jumping. Porpoising. Chasing.

Try taking photos from a moving boat while the animals AND the boat are moving at that speed… 😂📸

The pilot whales managed to maintain that incredible pace for around 10 minutes before slowing down.

And almost immediately, the Risso’s dolphins surrounded them again.

I have been observing whales and dolphins for the past 10 years, and I have never seen anything quite like this. Not even in a wildlife documentary.

It was a true National Geographic moment — and our guests were incredibly lucky to witness it. ❤️

The back-and-forth continued for quite some time, until we eventually had to leave.

And now we’re left wondering…

What happened after we left? 🤔🐋

We filmed the entire encounter, and the pilot whales even approached our boat several times — perhaps looking for a little protection, much like herring sometimes do around orcas.

We’ll be sharing some of the remarkable videos from this encounter over the coming days, so keep an eye out. 👀

We’ll also be sharing all the photos and footage with the researchers at Ocean Sounds, so they can hopefully help us understand more about what was happening between these two fascinating species.

Have you ever witnessed an encounter between Risso’s dolphins and pilot whales like this?

And perhaps the biggest question of all:

Why do you think the Risso’s dolphins were so determined to drive the pilot whales away? 👇

We’d absolutely love to hear your theories!

📍 Bleik, Andøya, Northern Norway
📅 16 August 2026
📸 Photographer: Krisztina Balotay

Enjoy! ❤️🐋

fans
Green Gold of Norway

03/08/2026

What an unforgettable midnight encounter! 🌙✨

Two days ago, we were lucky enough to spend a perfect evening on the water with an incredibly calm, curious, and sociable pod of pilot whales.
For a long while, we had the privilege of sharing time with them all on our own. They were completely relaxed, playful, and seemed to be enjoying every moment. We watched breathtaking breaches, saw males interacting with females, and delighted in the energy of the joyful young whales.

It had been quite some time since our last pilot whale encounter, which made this reunion even more special. Experiences like these remind us just how magical the ocean can be, and how grateful we are to witness these incredible animals in their natural home. 💙

We hope these moments bring you as much joy as they brought us.
Enjoy! 🐋

📅 All photos were taken on August 1, 2026.
📸 Photo credit: Krisztina Balotay.

Booking link in the comment section.

26/07/2026

ORCAS again

20/07/2026

Sea-day

Today, after many, many days of being landlocked, we finally were able to get out to sea.

This summer is quite special; we have not had so many windy days in a row in the past 4 years as we had this summer.

Today, we finally were able to go out, and we were lucky to spot a group of orcas during our extensive search of the area

18/07/2026

Exclusive video!

Experience a rare nighttime encounter in the Norwegian fjords as humpback whales and orcas approach a fishing vessel during the herring fishery.

During the winter season, our crew had the unique opportunity to board a commercial herring fishing vessel and document the fishing process from onboard. As the net was filled with herring, humpback whales and orcas approached the vessel and the net, creating an extraordinary interaction between the fishing operation and the wildlife attracted by the enormous concentration of fish.

We have created this short video clip as a glimpse into this remarkable experience.

fans

Experience a rare nighttime encounter in the Norwegian fjords as hu...

13/07/2026

Stormca :)

Tomorrow is World Orca Day :) Happy Orca Day to everyone :)

This day is dedicated to the species and all of their conservation efforts :)

Yesterday we were lucky enough to celebrate this special occasion with the orcas themselves :)

It was a bit wavy, and we were on our way to see the puffins when the orcas appeared.

The encounter happened quite close to shore; you can see our beautiful Bleik in the background

08/07/2026

ORCAS again

05/07/2026

Pilot bonanza

The past few days, the fjord around Andøya has been filled with life.

We have a large group of pilot whales in the area.

We have been lucky enough to encounter the animals while they were mostly socializing and resting

03/07/2026

FINALLY

This season has been a little quiet when it comes to orcas. Each summer is different.

Last night we finally encountered multiple groups of orcas feeding in the area. They appeared in the area sometime after 18 in the evening.

All groups had calves with them, and they seemed very focused on foraging. There were several birds in the area, indicating that the animals were feeding.

I hope the presence will be more stable in the area now.

We also enjoyed other wildlife, puffins, eagles, and a lot of seals nearby these days :)

Enjoy the photos!

fans
Green Gold of Norway

All photos of orcas were taken on the 2nd of July, 2026, around Andøya, Bleik, Northern Norway.

Photo credit: Krisztina Balotay