TROMSØ

First up was a lecture on how the fjords had formed. According to the lecturer, whose name I unfortunately missed, they were the result of immense glacial activity during repeated ice ages, particularly the most recent glacial period. That period ended around 11,700 years ago, with glaciers retreating from much of Norway during the millennia that followed.

As massive glaciers moved slowly towards the sea, their sheer weight, combined with the rocks and sediment trapped beneath them, carved deep U-shaped valleys into the landscape. Unlike rivers, glaciers can erode far below sea level, grinding away the underlying bedrock and producing the steep cliffs, deep basins and narrow profiles for which fjords are now famous.

When the climate warmed and the glaciers retreated, seawater flooded the abandoned valleys. Many fjords also developed a shallow threshold, or sill, near their entrance, formed either by reduced glacial erosion or by rock and sediment deposited near the glacier’s former edge. The result was the spectacular landscape now seen across Norway, Iceland, Alaska and New Zealand – long, deep waterways surrounded by towering cliffs and shaped almost entirely by ice.

Norway still contains an extraordinary number of glaciers. An inventory published by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate mapped 2,534 separate glaciers and 3,143 glacier units across mainland Norway, although their size and classification continue to change as the ice retreats. Lyngenfjord, meanwhile, remains one of the most dramatic fjord landscapes in northern Norway.

The second presentation focused on the wildlife of the north and the remarkable ecosystem sustained by Norway’s coastal waters. Many of the fjords rarely freeze completely because their salt content, tidal mixing and the continued inflow of relatively warm Atlantic water help keep them above the freezing point of fresh water. Combined with nutrient-rich currents, these conditions support vast kelp forests and an extraordinary abundance of marine life, even during the darkness and bitter cold of winter.

Beneath the surface, the kelp forests provide shelter and feeding grounds for cod, wolffish, halibut and countless colourful invertebrates. In winter, huge schools of migrating herring gather in the fjords around Skjervøy, attracting orcas, humpback whales and, occasionally, other large whale species. Harbour porpoises and seals can be encountered throughout much of the year, while white-tailed sea eagles patrol the coast from above. Puffins are mainly summer visitors, but kittiwakes, guillemots, cormorants and other seabirds remain an important part of the wider coastal ecosystem. Reindeer can also be spotted along the fjord edges and surrounding valleys, while Arctic foxes are far rarer and generally confined to remote mountain and tundra habitats.

Given the richness of these waters and the sheer length of Norway’s coastline, it was hardly surprising to learn that fishing and whaling played such an important role in the country’s early development. In fact, a playful phrase sometimes used to describe Norway’s relationship with the sea is: “In cod we trust.” Each winter, north-east Arctic cod, known in Norway as skrei, migrate towards their spawning grounds along the northern coast and around Lofoten, historically drawing fishermen from across the country. Dried cod went on to become one of Norway’s most valuable and recognisable exports.

That maritime tradition remains just as important today. Norway is the world’s leading producer of farmed Atlantic salmon, accounting for more than half of global production, while also remaining one of the world’s major suppliers of cod and other seafood.

The third and final lecture was devoted exclusively to the MVP of the tour – the one animal practically everyone aboard had come to see – the orca.

Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family and the most widely distributed of all cetaceans, inhabiting every ocean on Earth. They are especially common in productive temperate and polar waters, including the North Atlantic around Norway and Iceland. Large males can approach nine metres in length, with towering dorsal fins reaching up to 1.8 metres, while females are generally smaller. Researchers can identify individuals by the shape of their dorsal fin, the grey saddle patch behind it and the markings around their eyes.

They live in complex, often matrilineal family groups centred around older females and their descendants. Knowledge, vocalisations and hunting techniques are passed down through generations, allowing each group to develop its own distinct culture. Females typically live for around 50 years, although some can survive into their 80s or even 90s, while males tend to have shorter lifespans.

Scientists have identified several orca ecotypes and morphotypes around the world, although their precise classification remains the subject of ongoing research. These different populations vary in appearance, diet, behaviour, vocalisations and hunting strategies. Some Antarctic orcas, for example, appear slightly yellow or brown because microscopic diatoms grow on their skin.

Their hunting methods are just as diverse. Here in northern Norway, orcas are particularly famous for carousel feeding, during which they work together to herd herring into a tightly packed ball near the surface. They then strike the school with powerful tail slaps, stunning the fish and making them easier to catch. Elsewhere, different populations deliberately beach themselves to seize seals or sea lions, create waves to wash seals from ice floes or ram larger prey to stun and incapacitate it. They can also be seen spyhopping, rising vertically from the water to inspect their surroundings, although this is an observational behaviour rather than a hunting technique. Bubble-net feeding, which had also been mentioned during the lectures, is mainly associated with humpback whales rather than orcas.

From four-legged early cetaceans such as Pakicetus, which lived along the shores of the ancient Tethys Sea around 50 million years ago, to the apex predators now ruling the world’s oceans, their evolutionary journey is utterly extraordinary. Orcas were pure awe in motion, and although wildlife sightings could never truly be guaranteed, the crew sounded pretty confident that we were gonna find them.