Our season begins in May and ends in October
The drone shot above was taken during Nome’s 2024 breakup season.
The northern Bering Sea is covered in ice more than half the year, with the icepack usually building in November and thawing late May. Nome’s brackish harbor, fed with fresh water from the Snake River, can cause icepack as early as October and sometimes delay the final thaw until early June.
Since we are committed to the safety of our passengers, crew, and vessel, most of our operations are in June, July, August, and September. Late May and early October operations are definitely possible, but are dependent on ice conditions.
The best time to come for calm seas
Summer storms are a regular part of life in Western Alaska. If you are planning around the smoothest seas, we highly recommend being in Nome in June. In our 15 years of experience operating offshore in Norton Sound, we’ve found the early window to be the most consistently calm, with more frequent storms starting around the 4th of July holiday.
But don’t worry if you can’t make it in June - there are still plenty of opportunities to get out on the water in July, August, and September!
Are you planning a trip for a group or bringing guests to Nome? Get in touch. We offer special buy-out rates for third-parties booking group trips and welcome any operators who want to hire the Orso to give their own custom tours.
Tour operators & travel agents
Payment, Cancellation & Weather Policies
A 50% deposit is required to reserve your date, with the remaining balance due prior to departure.
Safety in northern waters is our top priority.
If the Captain cancels a trip prior to departure due to unsafe weather, high sea states, or hazardous conditions, you will receive your choice of a 100% full refund or a credit to reschedule for an available date.
Weather cancellations are determined strictly at the Captain’s discretion. Rain or overcast skies do not constitute unsafe conditions if sea states are manageable.
Guest Cancellations & Refunds.
Because our season in Nome is short and capacity is strictly limited to 6 passengers:
14 or more days notice: 100% refund of your deposit.
7 to 13 days notice: 50% refund of your deposit.
Less than 7 days notice (or no-shows at the dock): Deposits are non-refundable.
Rates are custom, but here are some guidelines
All custom trips are going to require custom quotes based on fuel consumption, distance, and time.
That said, we never like it when we’re trying to make a purchase and a website just says “call for quote.” So here are some guidelines.
2-hour trips: $799
This would be a typical spin down the coast to see the offshore gold dredges, photograph birds, or just see Nome from the water.
4-hour/half-day: $1,499
This might be a trip out to Sledge Island or a longer, more involved trip down the coast.
8-hour/full day: $2,499
This could be a more involved excursion, a commercial job, or a package of shorter trips.
Multi-day or commercial jobs: call for quote
Ok, you really do need to contact us for a quote for this one. A multi-day job means we can provide the best value possible.