Iceland does not have a rainy season, but precipitation peaks in October to February, with the southern and western parts receiving the most rainfall. Where do you need to travel to find the most spectacular waterfalls? You do not, therefore, want to be responsible for emptying the cliffs at a popular bird-watching destination just because you thought a puffin wanted to be stroked. Horticulturalist James McDaniel, who works in Selfoss, a town over five kilometres from the ocean, found a lost puffin hiding between two greenhouses. Taking a boat tour from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour to see an island full of puffins seems too convenient to be true, but from May to August, is more than a possibility. The fact, however, that in Iceland you can get so close to them, that they nest in such numbers, and that they nesting grounds are in such beautiful locations, puffin-watching over here has a special kind of magic. As you can hear puffins are not only cute, but also quite smart. When they are nesting, puffins are often very easy to see and approach; in spite of being hunted and having their eggs raided in Iceland for a millennium, they have very little fear of people, and it is easy to get within a metre of them in some places. Coming to these cliffs just for the bird-watching is well worth the trip, but thankfully, many other wonders of the Westfjords are close by for when you’ve had your fill. There are fewer other species of bird than at Látrabjarg (although eider ducks are also numerous), but the puffins still number in the thousands. Photo from Spectacular 2.5 Hour Big Whale Safari & Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour with Transfer from Husavik. If one takes off in a panic, all the others may follow suit; they tend to flock together and fly in a tight circle above where they are nesting, to intimidate and protect from potential predation. The Látrabjarg birdwatching cliffs are the most westerly point of Iceland; considering Iceland is the most westerly European country, they are often also considered to be the most western point of the whole continent (in spite of the fact that they are actually on the North American tectonic plate). The peninsula is also in a convenient location near other awe-inspiring sites of the North. This makes puffins quite as awe-inspiring collectively as they are adorable individually. While Atlantic Puffins are found across Northern Europe from Iceland to Ireland, the UK and Scandinavia (and occasionally a tad further south), Ireland is certainly one of the easiest places to spot these adorably iconic birds. Secondly, it allows you to watch puffins doing more than just guarding their burrows, such as bobbing in the water and diving for fish. They are not only good swimmers but can also  flap their wings very fast up to 400 times pr minute and can reach speeds of 80 km an hour. From Húsavík, you can book a tour on a RIB vessel to head out in hunt of diverse wildlife. It is also home to an old lighthouse and some long-since deserted fishing huts, which, as unhomely as they appear, once kept the few residents of the area from the brink of starvation. The breeding season of puffins stars in early May. Best time to see the puffin in Iceland. As discussed earlier, if you want to make the most of the largest Atlantic Puffin colony in the world, you can take boat tours from Heimaey in the Westman Islands to fully immerse yourself in an avian spectacle. Can you find puffins throughout the year? With a large part of this population walking almost hand in wing with humans during the summer season, it is definitely something Icelanders are proud of. Photo from Whale Watching on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Due to the harsh decrease in puffins' population, Ireland becomes one of the unique spots for watching them in the wild. While in September, there will certainly still be a few puffins at, say, Vestmannaeyjar, they are likely to have already left Grimsey by mid-August. Also they are great divers and can dive up to 60 metres. To both the east and the west, you can see the South Coast stretching far in both directions; to the east, the views are particularly great, as they go across the notorious black-sand beach of Reynisfjara to the Reynisdrangar sea stacks. They are in bloom and visible almost wherever you drive aro... On my search for turf houses around Iceland, I visited Sænautasel hypothetical turf house on Jökuldalsheiði heath in the highland of Iceland. Where to see the puffins in Iceland, what season is best and further information . Driving Route 1 South, you cannot miss this enormous landmark. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Common, by Gsd97jks. If you like them you should be able to find them easily in Iceland in summer. Iceland is the only country in the world, where you can hunt Puffins. Puffins are ‘Threatened’ according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN); their populations are in decline across their range, including in Iceland, so ensuring that you do not hinder their protection will help in their recovery efforts. There are several advantages to taking a boat tour to see puffins, rather than just walking up to them on the shore. Are there waterfalls all around the country? May 25, 2020 - More than 60% of the world’s Atlantic puffin population calls Iceland home. There are binoculars on board so that you can get a perfect view of the nesting puffins. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Milan Nykodym. Read ahead to learn all you need to know about safe travel in Iceland.... Guide to Iceland | The Story of the Leading Travel Agency of Iceland. We recommend a boat trip from town Stykkishólmur to islands Þórishólmur and Steinaklettar. The puffins are so numerous in the Westman Islands that there is a tradition in the town where the children help pufflings who have wandered away from the cliffs, confused by the lights of the town, make it to the ocean. So I booked. Puffins are just one of the dozens of species of birds that come here to nest; you will also find guillemots, northern gannets, auks and forty percent of the world’s razorbills. They cannot be seen all year, however. I started looking for ways to see these puffins in Iceland and came across a whale watching tour combined with a visit to “Puffin Island”. Many trails will take you close to the cliff edge, where you can easily admire the many animals, be they nesting or swooping out to sea. How close will they let you get? Icelandic word for puffin is “lundi”. While it is not so easy to book a trip to see puffins specifically, there are tours that combine the experience with whale-watching; considering the number of Humpback Whales in these waters, and the areas’ tendency to invite even mightier creatures such as the Blue Whale, this is hardly a problem. Luckily, however, there are puffin colonies just a few hours away along the South Coast, the closest being at Dyrhólaey Rock Arch. What makes them special is the penguin like colour with a very colourful beak. Puffins nest on clifftops in huge colonies, where they each dig a burrow to lay a single egg. While admiring them, you can keep an eye out for the elusive ptarmigans, great cormorants, and black guillemots. Papey is a low-lying island, just two kilometres squared, that since 1948 has been deserted of full-time residents. Again, after a little nursing, it could be released back into the wild. That is also the time when puffins have brightly colored beaks and are … Even so, however, there are multiple boat trips you can take from the historic town of Stykkishólmur that will allow you to explore the fjord and see these birds both nesting and hunting in the waters. On Heimaey, a centuries-long tradition of hunting puffins has shifted to a culture of conservation. Those travelling around the country may have this in their plans anyway, as the ferry carries cars and is the quickest way to get between the two locations. You won't find it difficult to observe these birds if you visit their most favourite spots such as Great Saltee, the Cliffs of Moher, and Skellig Michael. Though it is available throughout the year, taking this tour between May and September almost guarantees that you will see several islands with thriving puffin colonies. Two islands out in Faxafloí Bay, Akurey and Lundi, become the nesting grounds for thousands of these darling creatures every summer. Many of the little isles and rock crops you will pass (and, of course, linger at) will be packed with puffins, and throughout the tour, you will see many in the air and water. By the end of July or occasionally the start of August the puffins will have left us again for another season. This part of your journey is mainly comprised of sightseeing landscapes, rather than specific features, so interrupting it with a boat trip to Papey can make for a great way to break up the day. Althoug… Here are the best places to see puffins in Iceland. Plenty of Puffins. The ability to see so many different types of birds in one spot is highly unusual. How do you sleep during the... Iceland is a country of many amazing waterfalls, but which are the best ones? Are there any tours particularly tailored to puffin watching? There are many museums and natural sites that you can spend hours exploring to learn about all of this colourful past. The Atlantic Puffin is one of the four species of puffins and the one most commonly found in Iceland. This hidden gem of a destination is surrounded by mighty cliffs, and only accessible by crossing the dunes to its north-west; its sheltered, protected location makes it a thriving home for Iceland’s puffins and other birds. Látrabjarg is renowned for its dramatic scale and unmatched bird-watching but is also a place of Icelandic culture, tradition and history. With millions of these sweet little birds fluttering around on the coast, finding them might seem easy. The ‘Capital of the North’, the cultural town of Akureyri, is just an hour and a half away. Puffins on Latrabjarg, Hornbjarg, Hornstrandir, Haelavikurbjarg, Breidafjord and … They really make your day and put a smile on your face. 15 Aug 2019. Puffin viewing season in Iceland is from late April to mid August. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by MosheA. Are the Icelandic roads dangerous? The world’s largest puffin colony is actually found in the Westman Islands where you can grab a ferry. Puffins in Iceland Where to find puffins in Iceland. Ever Heard About the Puffin Island of Grímsey? Photo from Up Close 2 Hour Whale & Puffin Watching Boat Tour with Transfer from Reykjavik. They love to build their nests in rocky cliffs so therefore you can most likely meet them at Látrabjarg in the Westfjords, Dyrhólaey on the south coast, Ingólfshöfði, the Westman islands of course and a few other places around Iceland. What sites are within close proximity to the airport? The Atlantic puffin breeds in Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and the Faroe Islands, and as far south as Maine in the west and parts of Great Britain in the east. If you are interested in a guided photo tour or want to participate in our upcoming workshop feel free to get more info by mail. Small island boat Tour to see birds are at sea for eight a! 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