If you’re interested in bird-watching then visiting Iceland during summer months is one of the best things you can do for watching puffins – a unique species of cute birds that are abundant in the country. You would be amazed to know that Iceland is home to more than 60% of the world’s puffins. That amounts to a whopping figure around 8 to 10 million. Without any doubt, Iceland is the puffin capital of the world.
A word about Atlantic Puffin
It is a fact that puffins have breeding grounds around The Arctic circle and Atlantic waters. Recently the species has been rated as vulnerable. They are also known as sea parrots. The puffins mostly spend their life at sea but come to the coasts during spring months that you will witness during private tours in Iceland. They usually nest in cliff-top colonies.
When can you see puffins in Iceland?
If you are interested to visit Iceland with the sole purpose of watching puffins then the months between May and August are the best for your Iceland Tours. The beautiful birds arrive in late April. They stay in Iceland until the latest weeks of August. They are most active during the evening time.
The best Icelandic locations where you can watch them
There are curated puffin-watching tours in Iceland. You can avail of a suitable package that provides you the opportunity to watch the birds in huge numbers. There are two Islands called Akurey and Lundey in the vicinity of the Reykjavik coastline. It has 100% guarantee of puffin-watching experiences in summer.
South Iceland
- Iceland’s largest puffing-watching spots can be found on its south coast. The Westman Islands boast off the single largest puffin colony globally. You can also watch 30 more colorful bird species additional. You would be able to take domestic flights in good frequency during the summer to the Westman Islands that depart from Reykjavik Airport. You can also avail of public ferries from the location of Landeyjahofn.
- When you drive 2.5 hours from Reykjavik you reach Vik. Vik is the region famous for its black sand beaches. A few kilometers from this place will make you reach Dyrholaey. It is a popular nesting area during the summer days for puffins. A word of caution is not to disturb the peace of the birds when you are watching them.
- Ingolfshofoi is a wonderful location on the South coast where you can explore to watch not only puffins but exotic birds like kittiwakes, guillemots, and several other species. It is not accessible easily. Only guided tours take you there.
East Iceland
Every summer in a place called Borgarfjorour, about 10000 puffin couples flock with numerous other species of birds. Local authorities make a live video stream of these birds. Their wooden platforms and specific shelters let you watch for the birds without risking any fall.
North Iceland
The Tjornes Peninsula in North Iceland has a famous route that has been named The Bird Trail due to great bird-watching points. You can enjoy bird-watching and click photographs of this lovely species at the spot.
