Mr. Puffin - Bird Watching Reykjavík

08/04/2026

We‘re very excited to welcome the Puffins back and have already had the first sighting of the year! 🐧 In just 12 days, we will start our first puffin tours in 2026! 🎉

Check out our blog that Naturalist Sam wrote about what the puffins have been up to this winter, and data from the last years on the return dates of our feathered friends:

With the arrival of spring also accompanies the arrival of our Atlantic puffins, adorned with their orange bills ready to return to our islands for the 2026 breeding season.

12/02/2026

⚫Razorbill Profile⚫

Next up, another common sight on our tours, the Razorbill (Alca torda).

Razorbills are part of the auk family, like the puffins. Whilst they look similar to the guillemots, they are easily recognisable by their deep, flat-sided bill with white bands along the length and vertical band near the tip. Fun fact: Their eggs are uniquely patterned so that parents can locate them on the densely populated cliff ledges.

29/01/2026

⚫⚪Common Guillemot Profile⚪⚫

One of our favourite regulars on our tours is the Common Guillemot.

Common Guillemots are often observed in their hundreds or even thousands on the sea, and can dive up to 230m deep for their food. A close relative of the puffin, they nest in dense numbers on the cliffs alongside our little feathered friends. We also have some individuals, known as the "Bridled Guillemot" which are not a separate species, but a polymorph of the Common Guillemot. These individuals have a distinctive white ring around their eye.

12/12/2025

⚪Northern Fulmar Profile⚪

Another bird we see regularly on our tours is the Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis).

Northern Fulmars are seen year-round on our tours, and they come from the tube-nosed family of seabirds, which can be seen clearly in the first photo. This family also includes albatrosses and the Southern Fulmar, it‘s relatives in Antarctica! The nasal passages, or naricorns, are used for breathing, secreting salt and for the olfactory system.

10/12/2025

🦆Eider Duck Profile🦆

One of our most commonly spotted birds is up now, the Eider Duck (Somateria mollissima).

The Eider Duck, or Æður in Icelandic, can be seen year-round in Iceland, and is the most common duck species in Iceland. The black and white ducks are the drakes (males) and the brown are the hens (females). Their down is sought after and sustainably collected in Iceland to this day, with the down in nests being replaced by hay, which the ducks don‘t seem to mind and carry on as normal.

08/12/2025

⭐Northern Gannet Profile ⭐

Next up is one of the larger and most striking birds we can see on our tours, the Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus).

The Northern Gannet, or Súla in Icelandic, can be seen year-round in Iceland, and we often see them diving for food from a great height on the tours. They have a network of air sacs located between the skin and muscles to cushion the impact of hitting the water. They are also a good indicator of presence of other wildlife, such as whales and dolphins, since they are often feeding on the same fish!

05/12/2025

⚫Black Guillemot Profile⚫

During our quiet time this winter, we are going to be profiling some of the more common species we see on our tours (not just our feathered friends, the Puffins!), and first up is the Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle).

The Black Guillemot, or Teista in Icelandic, can be seen year-round in Iceland, though is most common between February and September. They are commonly seen on our Puffin tours, especially around the islands of Akurey & Lundey. You can also see some photos of the Black Guillemot taken on our tours, including that of a juvenile Black Guillemot.

Stay tuned for the next bird profile, coming soon!

19/08/2025

😭😭😭We‘re not ready to say goodbye yet, Mr Puffin!!

Tomorrow, 20th August, is officially our last day of the 2025 Puffin Season. A lot of our adorable feathered friends have already left the islands, and in the last few days, we have had around 30-50 individuals in the waters nearby, as they get their final snack before leaving Iceland! 💔

We are already counting down the days until 20th April next year, when they come back 😍

These photos were taken yesterday by Puffin Naturalist Ricardo on our 09:00 Premium Puffin Tour. 😎🐧

11/07/2025

Orange you glad it's breeding season? 🤩

Our latest blog post is live, by our very own Captain & Naturalist Emily! The puffins are probably most famous for one very prominent feature – their bright orange beaks. Not only is their bill very fashionable, but it is also functional. Just like a dress with pockets!

Read the full blog here:

The puffins are probably most famous for one very prominent feature – their bright orange beaks.

08/07/2025

Puffin Season is in it‘s PRIME right now, and we are seeing THOUUUSAAANNNDS of our little feathered friends EVERY DAY! 🐧😍🤯🐧 One of our brilliant puffin naturalists, Ricardo, took these amazing photos of the Puffins on their Island yesterday, 7th July! 🤩

We have up to 8 departures a day right now, from 09:00 until 16:00! See you soon?! 🐧🥰

18/06/2025

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new and improved website, and what better way to introduce it then through one of our blogs! 🐧😍

Puffin Love: A Story of Beaks, Bonds, & Second Chances
https://puffintours.is/the-puffin-diary/puffin-love-beaks-bonds-second-chances

Written by Naturalist Guillermo, this blog covers the wonderful love connections of our favourite feathered friends, accompanied with pictures taken on our tours. 🥰

Every summer, puffins return to the same cliffs, the same burrows—and often, the same partners. These loyal little seabirds have a love story full of quirks: from beak-rubbing billing rituals to pig-like grunts and head-bobbing courtship displays. In this blog, we explore the tender, funny, and so...