Spotting PUFFINS in Iceland

Puffins are one of Iceland’s most beloved summer visitors and a bucket list item for many that make their way to Iceland — and for a good reason. They're but super pretty and also let people get very close to them. These colorful, charismatic seabirds spend most of their lives far out on the open ocean and only returning to land to nest.

WHEN TO SEE THEM

Their breeding season offers a limited window for travellers to see them —usually late April through early August, with June and July being the absolute best months for sightings.

WHERE TO SEE THEM

Iceland hosts millions of puffins each summer, and some locations provide remarkably close and respectful viewing opportunities. Top spots include:

• Dyrhólaey (South Coast): Easy access on both sides with great views of black sand beaches and cliffs in the distance.

• Reynisfjall cliffs (near Vík): Basically where the most famous black sand beach is in Iceland.

• Borgarfjörður Eystri (East Fjords): One of the safest and closest puffin-watching platforms in the country.

• Látrabjarg (Westfjords): Europe’s largest bird cliff and a paradise for puffin lovers.

Lesser known / more secluded options:

• Ingólfshöfði (South Coast): A remote headland accessible by guided tours only. Fantastic for photography with fewer crowds.

• Vestmannaeyjar / Westman Islands: Especially Stórhöfði, often called the windiest place in Europe, and one of the densest puffin colonies in Iceland but have been getting fewer as time goes by.

• Grímsey Island (Arctic Circle): A unique option for travelers wanting both puffins and the Arctic Circle experience.

PHOTOGRAPHING PUFFINS

Puffins are approachable, but they're still wild birds — and the cliffs they nest on are their homes and can be fragile. You can still get very close without disturbing them and here's a few tips to help you get some great puffin shots during your next trip:

• Telelphoto lenses: To get some close-ups it's obviously better to have a long lens — however, you can ofter get really close so even a 70-200mm will get you a very decent close up.

• Aperture: Like always, this boils down to a point of preference. Personally I like to photograph them between 2.0 and 2.8 to create some separation between the foreground, the puffin/s and the background.

• Shutter speed: Puffins generally move fast, especially during takeoff and landing. For still portraits, 1/500s should be plenty for most scenarios. For flight shots: 1/1600s–1/2500s helps freeze action cleanly.

  • NOTE: This will depend a bit on your lens, if you've got a long telephoto, you'll generally need a faster shutter to compensate for any camera/lens movement.

• Time of day: Personally I like overcast days but golden hour both offers the best light and also fewer people around, so you're more likely to have the puffins all to yourself. They also tend to feed during those hours in case you're looking for photos of them with fish in their beaks.

• Be careful and respect nature: Never step off marked paths and stay well back from any cliff edges — puffin burrows collapse easily and can destroy nests.

• Patience: Like with any type of wildlife photography, patience is the name of the game. However, usually you'll have hundreds of puffins to photograph but still be patient, try focusing on one spot that offers a composition you like and then wait for the puffins to do their thing — puffins often take flight suddenly but will usually return to their spot, often with fish in their beak. Also be on the lookout for some interactions between the puffins, since those can offer some interesting moments.

I hope these tips come in handy and help you experiencing some special moments around the beautiful puffins of Iceland — best of luck!