Author: Audun Rikardsen (NO)
Description: Since 2011, large biomasses of herring have spent the winter in fjords of Northern Norway for 3-4 dark months. This has attracted hundreds of whales and fishing vessels. Fishermen use the whales to localize the herring and the whales follow the fishing boats to get a "free meal" when the boats retrieve their fishing gear. This seemingly "win-win" situation also creates some negative interactions, including an increasing number of accidents where whales may become entangled in the fishing gear, sometimes with serious or potentially lethal injuries, and subsequent damage to the fishing gear. Some of these whales are fortunate and are saved by the coast guard and volunteers.
1 The silvery of the Arctic Ocean
Atlantic herring arrive at the overwintering grounds outside Northern Norway in the last rays of sun before the polar night settles for two months.
2 Feeding killer whales
Following the large shoals of herring arriving at the overwintering areas, lots of orca and humpback whales also arrive to feed on the surplus of easy accessible food, as seen here in the last rays of sun before the polar night settles.
3 Night feeding
During the polar night in northern Norway where there is no sunlight for two months, the whales continue to feed throughout the day, even at night.
4 Preparing for a free dinner
Following the herring, large numbers of fishing boats also arrive in the fjords where many whales have learned that they have the possibility of getting a “free meal” eating the leftovers lost by the fishermen.
5 Fighting for the food
Some whales have become so trusting that sometimes they can be a problem for the fisherman, and sometimes they actively try to steal fish from the fishing gear, which in some cases can destroy both the fishing gear and the herring caches as well as creating danger for themselves.
6 Eating leftovers
Around the fishing boats the orcas pick the herring one by one. They can even become so trusting that the fishermen can nearly feed them out of their hands.
7 Whale frost steam
During the dark polar winter the air temperatures often drop many degrees below 0 °C and you can see the whales' breath emanating from their mouths while they feed in the fjords.
8 Please help me
Unfortunately, because of the high density of whales and fishing vessels, some whales may get entangled in fishing equipment or other objects found in the fjords, creating a life threatening situation for the whales. The Norwegian Coastguard and several local volunteers try their best, and often succeed, in saving the whales that are spotted.
9 Arctic whale farewell dance
February, and the humpback whales are leaving the Northern Norwegian fjords and are migrating south to tropical waters to mate and give birth. At the end of the feeding season, many whales start to sing and become more playful, probably preparing for the romance to come in the south…