Aboard the ship, you can’t help but wait with bated breath for a real-life Free Willy moment. For those who grew up on the 1993 cult classic, spotting a whale in the wild can feel like stepping into the film’s climactic scene. Ask the friendly bartender aboard the ship to play Michael Jackson’s iconic song as the ship speeds across the choppy waters.

These waters, rich in herring, become active feeding grounds for humpback whales and orcas from late autumn to mid-winter. Orcas, one of the stars of Free Willy and the apex predator of these waters, travel in coordinated pods. Their dorsal fins parting the icy waves are often the first sign of their presence. Interestingly, orca, or the ‘killer whale,’ is part of the dolphin family. The humpbacks, larger and often more acrobatic, sometimes breach—a rare sight where they propel themselves dramatically out of the water, with a backflip that deserves a standing ovation. For a few seconds, they turn into graceful soaring arctic spirits, taking the opportunistic seagulls coasting the air currents by surprise. The seagulls often hover eagerly over the whales, happy to jump in and steal a beak-full of herring.

Onboard naturalists use hydrophones to allow guests listen in on whale communications. The soundscape—a mix of slicing splashes in the water, whistles, and deep calls beats any of Hollywood’s CGI enhancement. Meanwhile, guides offer science-based briefings on whale behaviour, conservation, and climate-related threats to marine habitats.

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