Magic Skjervøy review
My verdict: the small-group RIB day, rating 4.7 from 1,211 reviews at the time of writing, and the one whose reviewers keep writing about the animals rather than themselves. Twelve hours, bus each way to Skjervøy, and two and a half to three hours on a RIB carrying four to twelve people. Departure is 05:30 from Prostneset, and you need to be there by 05:20.
Where you meet, and why people get it wrong
Prostneset bus terminal, Samuel Arnesens gate 5, ground floor, behind the Magic Ice bar. Arrive by 05:20 for a 05:30 departure. In the dark, in a terminal building, at that hour, the difference between the right door and the wrong one is your entire day, so walk it the afternoon before if you are the kind of person who worries about this. I am, and I do.
From there it is the standard Skjervøy shape: four hours north-east, a RIB in the fjords where the herring are wintering, four hours back. All three tours that make that journey follow the same pattern, and what separates them is the boat at the end and the number of people in it. The road is the constant.
Four to twelve people
That is the smallest published group size of the six tours, and it changes the day in a way that is hard to convey until you have done both. On a twelve-person boat the guide is talking to you rather than to a crowd, you can ask a question and get a real answer, and when the skipper cuts the engine and lets a group of orcas come past on their own terms, nobody is jostling for the rail because there is no rail to jostle for.
The kit list is the most complete on this site: thermal suits, mittens, balaclavas, waterproof boots and ski goggles. The food is better than it needs to be — fresh baguettes with chicken or ham and cheese, boiled eggs, tea, coffee and biscuits. Photos from the excursion are included, which on a day when your own camera is full of grey blur is worth more than it sounds, and so is a year’s access to the operator’s orca documentary series.
The ethics theme in the reviews is real
I read a lot of review files for this site and this one is unusual. Sarah from the UK praised the operator’s respect for the rules and health of the mammals. Nathalie from Sweden told other travellers to choose this company if they want a company that cares about the animals. Ann-Sofie from Sweden wrote that she could not stop crying. Sanne from the Netherlands is in the same file. Most review files for this kind of product are counts and weather reports. This one reads like people writing about how the animals were treated in front of them, which is a different thing and a rarer one.
- “They respected the rules and the health of the mammals.” Sarah, United Kingdom
- “Choose this company if you want a company that cares about the animals.” Nathalie, Sweden
- “I couldn’t stop crying.” Ann-Sofie, Sweden
Two strangers independently reaching for the word care, in a market where every listing claims it, is worth something. Norwegian guidelines ask operators to keep a safe distance, minimise engine noise and let encounters happen on the whales’ terms, and reviewers notice when a skipper actually does it. What the rules ask for is worth reading before you judge any operator on how close it got you.
What works
- The smallest group size published here, four to twelve people
- The most complete kit list: suits, mittens, balaclavas, boots and ski goggles
- Real food — fresh baguettes, boiled eggs, tea, coffee and biscuits
- Photos from the excursion are included
- A year of access to the operator’s orca documentary series
- A review file that keeps returning to how the animals are treated
Worth knowing
- Twelve hours for two and a half to three on the water
- An open RIB, so the cold is the same as on any other RIB day
- Minimum height 140 cm and maximum weight 120 kg
- A 05:20 arrival at a terminal building most visitors have never been inside
- English only
- The season runs October to late January and does not stretch past it
Usually included
- Bus to Skjervøy and back
- Thermal suits, mittens, balaclavas, waterproof boots and ski goggles
- Fresh baguettes with chicken or ham and cheese, boiled eggs, tea, coffee and biscuits
- Photos from the excursion, and a year’s access to the orca documentary series
Not included
- Seasickness tablets
- Any sighting — the whales owe nobody anything
- Places for anyone under 140 cm tall or over 120 kg
The 140 cm minimum height and the 120 kg maximum weight are about the suits and the harnessing, not about who deserves to come. Check both before you book rather than at 05:20 in a bus terminal. All the limits across all six tours are on the accessibility page.
Who should book it, and who should not
Book it if a small boat matters to you more than a warm one. Book it if you want the operator whose reviewers talk about distance and engine noise rather than about how many whales they counted. Book it if the included photographs appeal, which they should: photographing a black animal in blue twilight from a moving RIB is harder than anyone expects, and that page will tell you why.
Do not book it if you are under 140 cm or over 120 kg, because those are hard limits. Do not book it if an open boat for three hours in midwinter is beyond you — the heated boat reaches the same fjords. And do not book it as a casual add-on to a city break; twelve hours is most of your available day and it eats the one after it too.
The alternatives
Highest ratedTromsø: Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour
Warm all dayTromsø: Orca and Whale Watching Heated Boat Trip
Everything includedTromsø: Whale & Orca Safari – All-Inclusive (Max 50 pax)
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Magic Skjervøy tour meet?
At Prostneset bus terminal, Samuel Arnesens gate 5, on the ground floor behind the Magic Ice bar. Arrive by 05:20 for a 05:30 departure. It is four hours by bus to Skjervøy, two and a half to three hours on the RIB and four hours back. See getting to Skjervøy.
How many people are on the boat?
Between four and twelve, the smallest published group size of the six tours on this site. That is the main reason to choose it over the other Skjervøy RIB day, which rates a tenth of a star higher on a similar sample. Compare them on the RIB tours page.
Are there height or weight limits?
Yes: minimum height 140 cm and maximum weight 120 kg, both set by the suits and the safety equipment. The season runs October to late January and the tour is in English. Every age, height and weight limit on the site is listed on the accessibility page.