1/9/2024 0 Comments Puffin penguin![]() Puffins from above | Látrabjarg sea cliffs, Westfjords The Westfjords is a very long way to travel solely to see puffins. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in South Iceland by Norris Niman 2. However it’s a great vantage point to see the puffin swooping back to land in their nests within the cliffs overhead. You won’t see them waddling along the ground. Aside from the impressive basalt columns, volcanic sands and crashing waves of the beach, it is also home to a colony of puffins in summer. We aren’t so bold as to call these puffin tours but they certainly give you a great chance to see them. Puffins from below | Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, South Iceland If you join our South Coast: Fire & Ice day trip, or our multi day trips along the south coast of Iceland you’re sure to stop at the black sand beach between walking to the front of glaciers and walking behind waterfalls. THE 5 BEST PLACES TO SEE PUFFINS IN ICELAND 1. So without further ado here are the 5 best places to see puffins in Iceland. There’s so many other things to see in Iceland on any given day so we suggest pairing your puffin tour with other activities in case the little critters are busy fishing when you stop by to say hello. You should never plan a day with one thing in mind. Hidden Iceland Where is the best spot to see puffins? Should I book a puffin tour? We have a similar sentiment to the Northern lights as we do to the puffins. As soon as the puffling is big enough to fly (usually around 40 days) it’s time to return to the sea until the following year. They spend their entire time either caring for their puffling or fishing. They will remain close to the sea for the entire summer with a mass exodus occurring in early September. Rather unusually a few puffins have already been spotted this year (first week of April) which many attribute to the favourable temperatures. They will start returning to the land in large numbers in late April with the majority arriving around mid-may for the rest of the summer. When is the best time to see puffins? Between 8 and 10 million puffins come to Iceland to breed each year, which is more than half of all Atlantic puffins with the majority being in the south of Iceland and on isolated islands like the Westman Islands or Grímsey. The puffin needs to worry about mink, human hunters, and predatory birds like the Great Skua. Aside from easy access to the sea these remote perches also aid them in avoid predators. This can make it harder for budding ornithologists to spot these little sea birds. This means steep sea-cliffs tend to be their favourite spot for nesting. A constant exercise during nesting season. Even then they stay as close to the sea as possible to be able to fish. They only come back to land in order to find their lifelong pair and mate to hatch one solitary egg each year. They’ll duck waves and dive up to 60m below the surface in search of food. The Atlantic puffin will spend up to 9 months at sea. Despite the puffins ability to fly in strong winds and land on cliff edges they are happiest when at sea. Here, with their mate for life, they’ll nest and hopefully raise a chick (puffling). Unlike the penguin, the puffin can still fly expertly onto perches of a steep cliff face. ![]() Both the puffin and penguins are most at home in the sea. They are often compared to the flightless penguin due to their black and white coat and bright beak. What is a puffin? The Atlantic puffin is a small bright billed seabird small enough to fit into the palm of both hands. So we thought we’d detail the elusive little birds and give a few tips on how best to see them without disturbing them. What is the best puffin tour to join? When is the best time to see puffins? Where is the best spot to see puffins? These are the types of questions our guides at Hidden Iceland get on a daily basis in the lead up to the summer puffin season.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |