Brim Explorer Tromsø - Meeting Point Tours

"Winter is the best time for spotting whales in northern Norway. You will find loads of different tour operators offering whale watching boat trips, but not all of them are equally ethical and sustainable. Brim Explorer is a Norwegian company that offers boat trips in several places around Norway. They use hybrid-electric ships to minimise disturbance to sea animals. When the crew finds whales nearby, they will switch to the electric motor, so the animals are not bothered by the sounds and vibrations of regular motors. Moreover, they will not try to come as close as possible, but let the animals showcase their natural behaviour. Next to offering tours that are as non-intrusive as possible, they also consider their impact in other ways. Examples include sorting waste on the ships and selling food from local suppliers. The food that can be bought on board is primarily vegetarian or pescetarian to avoid the environmental impact of meat. In terms of educational value, Brim Explorer is trustworthy, too. Their staff include marine biologists and other researchers. The company is involved in a few research projects and actively supports anti-whaling campaigns. They also provide educational material to schools on topics such as preventing plastic pollution and safety at sea. Most importantly, whale sightings are not guaranteed with Brim Explorer. This means they are not using food to lure the animals in. You are still very likely to spot at least one whale during the 8 to 9 hour trip, but it depends on the migratory patterns of the animals, which cannot always be predicted!"