Puffins spend most of the year out at sea bobbing around on the waves only returning to land during the summer months for the breeding season. The winners, who claimed their third trophy of the season, were the Kópvogur Puffins. Avid birdwatchers seeking more than just puffins should head just a few minutes south-east of the peninsula to Víkingavatn, the Viking Lake. To conclude, Iceland is the puffin-watching capital of the world. If you’ve come to Iceland to see puffins, you’re in luck; 60% of the world’s Atlantic puffins live here. In many of these, you can follow a trail to reach them, without having to book a boat tour. Dyrhólaey is a protected nature area in Iceland and access to the area is closed during a certain period of the puffin nesting season in order to help protect the puffins and other nesting birds from disturbances by both tourists and hunters. There are fewer other species of bird than at Látrabjarg (although eider ducks are also numerous), but the puffins still number in the thousands. When was Guide to Iceland founded and why? 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. If you wish to spend more of your time on land, however, you need not worry; there are colonies in the cliffs here too. 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. If taking a self-drive tour around the whole country, this town will be visited on the day in which you head from the Jökulsárlón/Höfn area to Egilsstaðir, the largest settlement of the east. Unfortunately, there aren't any tours into Breiðafjörður focussed on locating and admiring its puffins. Iceland does not have a rainy season, but precipitation peaks in October to February, with the southern and western parts receiving the most rainfall. The total population of puffins in Iceland is estimated to be between 8 and 10 million birds. Photo from Affordable 1 Hour Puffin Watching Boat Tour with Transfer from Reykjavik. Again, after a little nursing, it could be released back into 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. Is Reykjavík a safe city? 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. It is, for example, just an hour’s drive from Lake Mývatn, an area renowned for its diverse array of geological and geothermal wonders. 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. East Iceland Borgarfjörður Eystri. What is the condition of the Icelandic currency? Puffins on Latrabjarg, Hornbjarg, Hornstrandir, Haelavikurbjarg, Breidafjord and … The ability to see so many different types of birds in one spot is highly unusual. While the Látrabjarg birdwatching cliffs are well worth a visit, to reach them is a seven-hour drive from Reykjavík, making it quite a schlep for those staying in the capital. Every summer in Borgarfjörður, about 10,000 puffin couples nest alongside about 20 other species of bird. While puffins are out at sea, it’s difficult to spot them. Breiðafjörður is another place where puffins can be found. Most importantly, don't Information on where the best place to see puffins plus tips and information about these beautiful birds, including when to … Most of these tours will make a stop at Flatey island, which is renowned for the sheer number of puffins that crowd it. It is, in my opinion, an extremely cute turf house, buil... Sænautasel Turf House in the Highland of Iceland. The most affordable and direct trip will take you out in a boat that has been visiting these islands for seventeen years; it is small enough to get close to the islands safely and quietly, yet still has a sheltered area in case it the weather becomes problematic. Read more for the best spot to go for free to have an up-close experience of the puffins in east Iceland. A great advantage of birdwatching from Tjörnes is the fact that, when looking out to the ocean, you have a good chance of spotting whales and dolphins. Your best chances of spotting a colony of puffins in Iceland are in summer, from May to August. By the end of July or occasionally the start of August the puffins will have left us again for another season. Here are the best places to see puffins in Iceland. Faxafloí bay has a huge wealth of life, with White Beaked Dolphins, Harbour Porpoises, Minke Whales and Humpbacks all frequently seen in the summer months; you also have a chance to see Blue and Fin Whales, Orcas, and even Basking Sharks. As will be discussed below, once on Heimaey it is possible to take a boat tour, which will introduce you to islands teeming with puffin life. 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. Photo from Whale Watching on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The birds are at sea for eight months a year but we would be there bang in the middle of puffin season in Iceland. This nook in the South Coast is often overlooked by travellers, so is the perfect place to come if you want to admire puffins without the crowds. It has many little islands dotting it and fertile waters making it a perfect place for puffins to nest. This takes us all the way to July when the young puffins, of pufflings begin to fledge. 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. Iceland is the only country in the world, where you can hunt Puffins. 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”. Puffins nest on clifftops in huge colonies, where they each dig a burrow to lay a single egg. Discover all you need to know about Iceland’s most adorable animal. If you like them you should be able to find them easily in Iceland in summer. 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