Fred. Olsen racks up thousands of wildlife sightings with ORCAFred. Olsen racks up thousands of wildlife sightings with ORCA

More than 9,500 wildlife sightings were recorded last year during Fred. Olsen sailings featuring ocean conservationists from the whale, dolphin and porpoise charity, ORCA.

Across the fleet, 9,539 sightings were made over a distance of 44,873km, with the most frequent wildlife spotted being the common dolphin, sighted 4,367 times, and a total of 189 humpback whales. 

Other sightings included 307 tuna, 75 beluga whales, 11 orca, 5 blue whales and 16 of the deepest diving animals known, the elusive Cuvier’s beaked whales, which can dive to depths of nearly 3,000m.

The data collected contributes directly to the conservation of marine wildlife by helping to establish important protected areas, such as those in the Bay of Biscay and the Hebrides. 

ORCA’s continued monitoring in these hard-to-reach areas is crucial for creating safe habitats for whales and dolphins around the world.

ORCA-Fred. Olsen marine wildlife sightings 2024. (Photo: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines)

‘An extraordinary year’

‘Last year was extraordinary for marine life encounters aboard our ships, thanks to our partnership with ORCA,’ explained James Moss, cruise product manager at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. ‘As we’ve sailed across the globe, ORCA’s expert teams have been on hand to record remarkable wildlife sightings and share their knowledge with our guests.’

Moss added, ‘It’s a real privilege to work with ORCA, as we know that for our guests, spotting native wildlife is something that makes a cruise truly unforgettable, while also learning more about the wildlife they spot, and playing a part in capturing important data too.

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‘We’re looking forward to another successful year working together in 2025.’

ORCA itineraries 2025

Steve Jones, director of fundraising & operations at ORCA, said, ‘Our collaboration with Fred. Olsen goes from strength to strength every year, and once again we have a stunning set of itineraries in 2025 that will take us to all kinds of exciting destinations. 

‘Our ocean conservationists will be onboard giving guests unforgettable wildlife experiences and teaching them about the amazing world of whales and dolphins - but most importantly, they will also be collecting important data to help us study and understand these animals better and help to protect them for the future.’ 

Jones went on to add, ‘Every Fred. Olsen guest who comes and joins our teams out on deck will be helping us in our conservation mission and we can't wait to work together for another amazing year in 2025.’

Portugal

2025 will see ORCA ocean conservationists join a variety of Fred. Olsen voyages, among them, Balmoral’s 14-night ‘Easter Escape to Portugal’s Unspoilt Islands’ voyage, sailing roundtrip from Southampton on April 10. 

Passengers will discover the legend of Sete Cidades crater lakes on Sao Miguel Island and embrace Portuguese traditions, like thermal bathing in Furnas Valley. 

The ship will call at Praia Da Vitoria, Horta (overnight), Funchal and sail by Santa Maria, before heading to Spain for La Coruna and cruising by the Tower of Hercules Lighthouse. 

Prices star at £1,559 per person.

Scotland

The following month, on May 2, Bolette operates the ‘Scenic Scottish Isles in Five Nights’ cruise which also sees passengers get closer to nature with the help of ORCA, explore the rugged coastlines of the Hebridean Islands and discover the traditions of the Western Isles. 

The vessel will sail to Portree, Ilse of Sky (anchor port), Stornoway (anchor port), cruise by the Small Isles, Dutchman’s Cap and Fingal’s Cave. The ship sails roundtrip from Liverpool and prices start from £949. 

Iceland

A further ORCA sailing, which also enables passengers to encounter puffins before they head south for the winter, is the 12-night ‘Whales, Waterfalls and Geysers of Iceland’ cruise, sailing roundtrip from Dover on July 17. Priced starting at £1,679 per person, highlights include picturesque volcanic landscapes and insight into how Iceland turns its natural power into energy.

In the land of fire and ice, Borealis will cruise Nordfjardarhorn and Gerpir, as well as Borgarfjordur Eystri and Eyjafjordur. Akureyri, Isafjordur (anchor port), Reykjavik and Heimaey, Vetmannaeyjar, (anchor port) follow. 

The ship then cruises by Ellidaey Island before passing the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. 

Torshavn in the Faroe Islands comes next, followed by stops in the UK: cruising Pentland Firth, the Old Man of Hoy and The Needle, before the vessel cruises by Duncansby Sea Stacks, Scotland.