3 August 2016

Norway (Excluding Spitsbergen)

Sperm Whale, Physeter macrocephalous, Lofoten Islands

I’ve been to Norway several times but only once for mammal watching. It is a beautiful country but it can sometimes be hard to enjoy a place where you need a bank loan to buy a beer.

Dovrefjell National Park

 August 1996 – Caribou are easily seen here as are reintroduced Muskox. Also saw a Mountain Hare. Lemmings are quite often seen too (though not by me).

Muskox, Ovibos moschatus, Dovrefjell

Lofoten Islands

August 1996 – whale watching around the Lofoten Islands (out of Andennes) is good for Sperm Whales, which we saw, along with a Minke Whale and a pod of Orcas (uncommon).

Killer Whales, Orcinus orca

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Community Reports

Norway & Sweden, 2024: Hugh Lansdown, 2 weeks & 10 species including Musk Ox in Norway and a Wolverine in Sweden!

Winter Whale Watching in Northern Norway (Skjervøy area), 2024: Morten Kure Kattenhøj, 4 days & 6 species including Orcas, Sperm and Fin Whales.

Norway, 2022: ru-seva, 5 weeks & 11 species during a season of whale watching including Fin and Sperm Whales,  Orcas and a Stoat. 

Vesteralen and Lofoten Islands, 2022: Ralf Bürglin, 3 weeks with mammals including Musk Ox, Sperm Whale and Orca.

Norway, 2022: Michael Kessler, 7 days & 11 species including Musk Ox and Eurasian Otter.

Dovrefjell National Park, 2019: Ralf Bürglin, 1 week & 5 species including Musk Ox and Elk (Moose).

Southern Norway, 2018: Ingo Weiss, 3 weeks & 24 species including an impressive collection of small mammals like  Wood and Norway Lemmings, Grey-sided Vole and more, Musk Ox,  Pine Marten and Northern Bat.

Estonia, Finland and Arctic Norway, 2012: Dominique Brugiere, 3 weeks & 17 species plus another 3 dead, including Wolverine, Brown Bear, Wolf, and Reindeer.

Norway, 2012: Mark Hows, 5 days & 9 species including Musk Ox and Norway Lemming.

Norway, 2011: Karl Van Ginderdeuren, 2 weeks & 22 species including Arctic Fox, White-sided and White-beaked Dolphins, Mountain and Wood Lemmings, and three Vole species. Great photos too.

Russia, Norway and Svarlbard, 2007: Coke Smith, 3 weeks in Norway and Svarlbard and 20 species including a Sei Whale.

Also See

Density Maps for Bears, Wolves and Wolverine in Norway and Sweden, February 2023

Crazy footage of a Wolverine vs Reindeer December 2017

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