Approximately 20 orcas and four humpback whales are in the midst of a feeding session, as two sea eagles hover above them and bicker over a herring. The sunset paints the Arctic sky in pastel colours, as orcas curiously spy hop and dive in the vicinity of our boat. Meanwhile, the humpbacks emerge from the water with a loud thud, gulping down their prey with their mouths wide open.

We are not the only vessel at sea. Several Zodiacs and a catamaran drift beside us with tourists on board. Suddenly, the whales’ activities are interrupted, as the neighbouring catamaran powers its roaring motor. The large vessel surges forcefully ahead, heading straight towards a pod of feeding orcas. Seemingly oblivious to the marine mammals, the catamaran abruptly sails directly over the pod, as its tourists on board blissfully wave at us. And then – silence. The pod of orcas remains underwater, buried under the crest of the large catamaran that just passed over it. My awe and fascination fade instantly. Overcome by shock and exasperation, I put my camera down. As whale watching regulations in Northern Norway do not exist, the behaviour I just witnessed is not considered a crime.

Despite the thriving whale watching industry in Northern Norway, there are still no legally enforced guidelines for tour providers. This leaves little room for ethical considerations, accountability and standardised operations. Rather, whale watching providers are encouraged to take it upon themselves to form an industry standard. While many companies conform to these stipulated standards, outliers such as the catamaran I witnessed are not uncommon. As more tourists participate in whale watching, collisions and interceptions of whale paths occur more frequently. This is especially prominent with very large or fast-moving vessels, as well as with so-called ‘swim-with-cetacean tourism.’