Animals in Lofoten
Lofoten has a rich wildlife.
It is not unusual to encounter moose, foxes, otters or other animals along the roads or in nature in Lofoten.
Moose
The first moose in the area was seen on Hinnøya in 1949.
From there, it has spread to Aust-Lofoten, where there is now a significant population.
The island of Lille Molla east of Svolvær actually has the country’s highest density of moose in relation to surface area.
Moose prefer forests, but can also be found on the highest mountain tops in Lofoten, or swimming between the islands.
Rev
The population of foxes is relatively large in Aust- and Vest-Lofoten, where they often search for food near towns and villages.
Since the arrival of the bridges, foxes are also often seen in Henningsvær.
There are no foxes in Flakstad and Moskenes.
Hare
Moskenes and Flakstad have large hare populations that are hunted.
There are currently no hares in Vestvågøy and Austvågøy, which is probably due to a relatively large population of foxes and golden eagles.
Otter
Otters mainly feed on fish that they catch themselves.
Otters are found throughout Lofoten and the population is growing.
Otters can be a problem for the salmon farming industry as they can cause considerable damage to salmon cages.
Mink
The mink established itself in Lofoten around 1940.
As elsewhere in Northern Norway, wild mink are descendants of the mink that managed to escape from the many mink farms that were established in the interwar period.
In many places, the mink has led to a sharp reduction in the eider population.
Weasel
The weasel is a skilled swimmer and can be found over large parts of Lofoten.
Here it has rich access to small rodents and fish waste.
Killer whale/ Orca
A large proportion of the North Atlantic herring stock has overwintered in the Vestfjord and adjacent fjords over the past thirty years.
The killer whale is therefore particularly numerous in Lofoten in the fall and winter, when several hundred of them come to graze on the large herring stocks.
The rest of the year it appears more sporadically.
The killer whale belongs to the dolphin family and can be eight meters long with a body weight of approx.
5000 kilos.
Minke whale
The minke whale is the smallest of the fin whales, but can still grow to ten meters in length and weigh around 9000 kilos.
Minke whales are found in all the world’s oceans, but are particularly abundant in northern areas all the way up to Svalbard.
It can be observed all year round in Lofoten, but does not make much of an impression.
They quickly surface to catch their breath and then remain underwater for up to half an hour.
The minke whale feeds on carrion and fish.
Pilot whale
The pilot whale is closely related to the killer whale.
It is often observed in large herds along the Lofoten Wall, where it hunts squid that migrate inland.
It also eats fish and is most numerous in the fall.
In earlier times, pilot whales were caught in Lofoten.
The pilot whale can grow up to six meters long.
