Seals and sea eagles: wildlife on Tromsø kayak tours
Seals, sea eagles and otters live along the routes. Whether they show up on your day is up to them.
Part of the appeal of winter kayaking around Tromsø is the wildlife: seals in the fjords, sea eagles overhead, otters along the shore. In a kayak you are quiet and low on the water, which is a good position to see animals if they are there. But these are wild animals. No operator promises a sighting, and neither do we. Below are the tours that name wildlife, and what each operator says lives along its route.
The tours built around wildlife
The animals each operator names for its route. Sorted by number of reviews.
| Photo | Tour | Animals the operator names | Wildlife focus | Group | Reviews ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Winter Sea Kayaking with Wildlife Arctic Resorts | Seals, sea eagles, seabirds | Wildlife in the tour name | Up to 10 | ★ 4.9 (666) | €218 per person | Book now |
|
Easy Winter Kayaking with Seal Watching KaruArctic | Grey seals, sea eagles, long-tailed ducks, otters | Seal watching is the focus | Up to 6 | ★ 5.0 (76) | €176 per person | Book now |
|
Easy-going Winter Sea Kayaking Arctic Resorts | Sea eagles, otters, seals | Named on the product page | Not stated | ★ 5.0 (27) | €195 per person | Book now |
Kayak tour prices in this table come live from GetYourGuide and include taxes and booking fees. Whether transport to the water is included differs from tour to tour.
What the operators name
Arctic Resorts names seals, sea eagles and seabirds on its winter wildlife tour, and sea eagles, otters and seals on the easy-going version in Kaldfjorden. KaruArctic builds its tour around seal watching and also names grey seals, sea eagles, long-tailed ducks and otters. Steam Tours and 69Nord do not name a wildlife focus for their paddles. These lists describe what lives in the area, not what you will see on a given day.
What travellers saw
The reviews give a realistic picture. On the KaruArctic tour, travellers write about curious seals in the distance, seals that followed the group for the whole trip, and once an otter catching a bird. On the easy-going Arctic Resorts tour, one traveller saw harbour seals after a demanding paddle. And on the Arctic Resorts wildlife tour, a traveller from France paddled out and back along one side of the fjord and saw no wildlife at all. All of these are real days on the water; the reviews are below.
If seals are the main reason for your trip, the KaruArctic tour is the one built around them. Even there, sightings depend on the day. Choose a tour you would enjoy for the fjord, the light and the paddling. Wildlife is a bonus when it happens.
Why a kayak helps
A kayak makes no engine noise and sits low on the water, so you move quietly along the shore at eye level with the water surface. Small groups help as well: KaruArctic takes up to 6 paddlers, the Arctic Resorts wildlife tour up to 10.
Light and wildlife in winter
From roughly late November to mid-January the sun does not rise over Tromsø, and the tours run in the blue twilight around midday. You can see the shoreline and the mountains, but spotting a seal’s head at a distance is easier in better light. From mid-January the days lengthen quickly. More on the seasons is on our best time page.
What travellers saw on the water
The traveller who saw no wildlife gave the tour three stars. That day belongs to the picture as much as the seal sightings.
“Jenni was an excellent guide and gave us an amazing experience. Even though the temperature was around -15°C we never felt cold on the water. Occasionally we encountered curious seals in the distance and even witnessed an otter attacking a bird at the end!”
“It was a beautiful and intimate experience. Our guide Jenni was fantastic and so kind, very local, with the public bus and setting off from her garden, it was lovely with little personal touch. She knew the seals well and they followed us the whole trip.”
“Absolutely beautiful scenery and a lovely time spent out on the water with the company of the cheeky seals!”
“Our guide spoke French, which was great. We kayaked in a [fjord] that resembled a large lake. We paddled along one side and then returned the same way. We didn't see any wildlife.”
Reviews written by paddlers after their kayak tour, from GetYourGuide.
FAQ
Will I see seals on a kayak tour in Tromsø?
Possibly, but no tour can promise it. KaruArctic builds its tour around seal watching, and the Arctic Resorts tours name seals among the animals along their routes. Travellers report seals on many tours, and one reports seeing no wildlife at all.
Can I see sea eagles from a kayak?
Sea eagles are named by Arctic Resorts and KaruArctic as part of the wildlife along their routes. Whether one appears on your day depends on luck and conditions.
Which kayak tour is best for wildlife?
If seals matter most, the KaruArctic tour is the one built around seal watching, in a small group. The Arctic Resorts wildlife tour names seals, sea eagles and seabirds. The Steam Tours and 69Nord paddles do not name a wildlife focus.
Are otters common on kayak tours?
Arctic Resorts and KaruArctic name otters among the animals along their routes, and one traveller saw an otter catching a bird. They are shy, so treat a sighting as a bonus.
What if I see no animals?
It happens. One traveller on the Arctic Resorts wildlife tour saw no wildlife at all. The operators name the animals that live along their routes but do not promise sightings. The refund rules on the product pages cover cancellations, for example when a tour is called off because of the weather.
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