Brim Explorer sells one idea, and sells it honestly: ships built for watching wildlife rather than converted from something else, running on battery power when it counts. Its Tromsø whale tour is a full Arctic day — eight to nine hours, out before dawn, back at dusk — at 1,990 NOK direct. If the thing that puts you off whale watching is engine noise and a crowded open deck, this is the operator that has engineered around both.
What the company actually is
A Norwegian travel and technology company established in 2018, with tours in Tromsø, Lofoten, Bodø, Oslo, Stavanger and Svalbard. It was founded by Agnes Árnadóttir, still the CEO, and Espen Larsen-Hakkebo, its chief technology officer, and it has designed and built five electric and hybrid-electric ships. That in-house engineering is unusual in whale watching, where most operators buy second-hand hulls and adapt them.
MS Bard gives the measure of the fleet: 25.3 m long, 11.2 m wide, 145 guests, a cruising speed of 8 knots, an inclined bow and raised main deck for seakeeping, and high-torque electric motors driving 1,700 mm fixed-pitch propellers with no gearbox in between. Inside are floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, three decks open to guests and a Scandinavian fit-out; food on board comes from the Norwegian restaurant Einer.
The tours, and how they differ
Tromsø, Silent Whale Watching. Mid-October to the end of January, 8–9 hours, departures from 07:30. The ships leave in the dark, time their arrival at the feeding grounds for the few hours of polar daylight, and switch to fully electric propulsion when whales are sighted. Guides are marine biologists. Orcas and humpbacks are the targets; fin whales also turn up. There is a variant that splits the journey between boat and bus for people who want the same time with the whales and less of it on open water.
Svolvær, Silent Trollfjord Cruise. February to October, 3–3.5 hours, twice daily with extra summer departures. This is a fjord and white-tailed eagle trip through Raftsundet into Trollfjord — an opening 100 m wide with mountains of over 1,000 m on either side — with an underwater drone lowered when conditions allow. It is not a whale tour, and the company does not pretend it is.
What you will see, and the ethics claim
Orcas are the headline animal of the Tromsø winter, humpbacks the second, with fin whales on the list too. The herring stock that draws them is one of the largest in the world, and the fjords around Skjervøy are where it overwinters. None of that is in the operator's gift, which is why the honest reading of a Brim ticket is that you are paying for a better platform, not better odds.
The ethics claim is worth taking seriously, and it is testable rather than vague: the ships switch to fully electric propulsion around the animals, cutting engine noise and vibration at the moment it matters most to a species that hunts by sound. The company says it follows strict internal guidelines to reduce stress and intrusion, sources food and drink locally, and states outright that it does not feed wildlife on its tours.
What it costs
Direct: 1,990 NOK adult in Tromsø, 1,492.50 NOK for 12–17s and students, 995 NOK for children 3–11, infants free, rising to 2,189 NOK for adults over the Christmas and New Year weeks. The Trollfjord cruise is 1,490 NOK. Compare those with the GetYourGuide listings before you book — prices are checked regularly, and the direct fare is usually the lower of the two.
Sighting guarantee
No sighting guarantee at all. Brim publishes a success rate and a weather fallback, and refunds only on cancellation.
- The claim
- "More than 95% chance to see Orcas, Fin or Humpback whales" on the Tromsø tour.
- The caveat
- "While our crew works tirelessly to find whales, sightings cannot be guaranteed" — and there is no published free-retry clause, unlike most Icelandic and Vesterålen operators.
- Weather fallback
- "If the weather is detrimental to this tour, the whale watching cruise will resume as a Arctic Fjord Cruise" — the day runs, on a different itinerary.
- Cancellation
- More than 48 hours in advance, 100% refund, "no questions asked". Less than 48 hours, no refund.
- Minimum numbers
- The whale tour needs 8 passengers and takes a maximum of 140; the Trollfjord cruise runs 8 to 120.
Read the cancellation window on your listing if you book through a platform.
One caution when you scan the Norway listings below: the group mixes real whale trips out of Tromsø and Skjervøy with pure fjord sightseeing — the two Svolvær Trollfjord cruises and the Bergen fjord day are scenery, eagles and mountains, not whale watching.
Price check · GetYourGuide
Live prices, per person, checked regularly. Sorted from lowest.
| Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta: 4-Hour Fjord & Whale Watching Cruise | $177.28 Lowest | 4 h | ★ 4.4 (8) | Check dates |
| Tromsø: Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat | $196.16 | 9 h | ★ 4.5 (6,663) | Check dates |
| Tromsø: Whale Watching Safari on High-Speed Catamaran | $196.68 | 8 h | ★ 4.6 (3,731) | Check dates |
| Tromsø Catamaran Whale Watching | $206.48 | 6 h | ★ 4.2 (250) | Check dates |
| Tromsø Whale Safari with MS Gabriele | $208.57 | 6 h | ★ 4.3 (1,953) | Check dates |
| Alta: Altafjord Whale Watching in a Heated Boat | $208.57 | 4 h | ★ 5.0 (80) | Check dates |
The practical detail
Meet at Kaigata 6 in Tromsø, on the pier next to Skarven, 15 minutes before departure. The lounges are heated but the whales are outside: bring wool layers, a hat and gloves for the decks. The company's own advice is to carry seasickness tablets, and it is right — the crossing can be rough, and nine hours is a long time to regret not taking one.
You cannot bring food or drink on board; the café and bar handle that, with local produce and a full licence. Wi-Fi is free, the toilets are indoors, and MS Bard is wheelchair accessible, though the company asks you to email ahead if you need assistance with mobility, vision or hearing. In bad weather the whale tour converts to a fjord cruise rather than canceling, so the day is not wasted but the whales may be.
How it compares with the neighbors
Around Tromsø the competition is mostly fast catamarans and open RIBs running to Skjervøy — cheaper per hour, louder, colder and far less comfortable. Whalesafari Andenes, four hours' drive away in Vesterålen, is the year-round alternative and the one to pick for sperm whales rather than orcas; it also offers a free retry that Brim does not. Our Norway page sets out which port suits which month, the orca page explains the herring migration, and the humpback page covers the second animal of the Arctic winter.
Our call
The Tromsø whale day in November or December
Purpose-built sightseeing ships, floor-to-ceiling windows, three decks, marine biologists guiding and a silent electric approach when the whales are found — the most comfortable long day on this water.
Skip it if It if you are short on time or prone to seasickness: this is 8 to 9 hours on open Arctic water, not a two-hour harbor run.
Check Tromsø dates from $196.16Questions people ask
Are the ships really electric?
They are hybrid-electric, and the company is straight about the split: its own booking page states that "about 10% of this tour is on our electric engine". The point is where that 10% falls — the ship switches to battery power around the whales, which is when noise matters.
How long is the Tromsø whale tour?
Eight to nine hours. Departures are at 07:30, 07:45, 08:00 and 09:00 and the ships generally return between 17:00 and 17:30. There is a shorter variant that splits the journey between boat and bus if you want less time afloat.
What does it cost direct?
Per brimexplorer.com, 1,990 NOK for adults, 1,492.50 NOK for youths aged 12–17 and students, 995 NOK for children aged 3–11 and free for infants. Fares rise to 2,189 NOK for adults over the Christmas and New Year period. The Lofoten Trollfjord cruise is 1,490 NOK.
When is the whale season in Tromsø?
The company sells the tour from mid-October to the end of January and describes the season as "typically late October to end of January". That matches the herring: orcas and humpbacks follow it into the fjords around Skjervøy and Tromsø through the dark months.
What is on board?
Heated panoramic lounges, three decks open to guests, toilets, free Wi-Fi, a café and a fully licensed bar with local food and drink. You cannot bring your own food or drink. Dogs and cats are not allowed on the whale tour, but are welcome on the Trollfjord cruise.
Is the Lofoten cruise a whale trip?
No. The Silent Trollfjord Cruise from Svolvær is a 3 to 3.5-hour fjord and white-tailed eagle trip, running February to October, with an underwater drone deployed when conditions allow. Whales are not the point of it.
Where do I meet the boat?
In Tromsø, at Kaigata 6 on the pier beside the Skarven restaurant, 15 minutes before departure — look for the boat showing your departure time. In Svolvær, at the pier on the main square next to the Paleo Arctic restaurant, Torget 22.
Official sources
Updated September 17, 2026 · partner prices refreshed October 6, 2026
