Saving Pufflings
Vestmannaeyjar are known for being the home of the biggest puffin colony in Europe. Over 700.000 pairs of puffins migrate to the islands to raise their pufflings (baby puffins). As adult puffins head overseas over the winter time, they leave their puffling behind in the burrow. Late at night, the pufflings take to sea, using the moonlight for guidance, where they will stay for several years until they return to land to breed. The city lights (light pollution) of Heimaey island cause them to crash/fly into the streets and harbour of the island. With no way to find their way back to the ocean they can get stranded and starve. So it’s up to the people of Heimaey island to catch them and return them safely to sea.
Attention: The puffling season usually starts in late August / beginning of September and lasts for 3-4 weeks. However, due to the variability of wildlife, it’s not possible to determine an exact start date. Therefore, bookings for this trip will not be available until the start of the season has been confirmed.
PLEASE CONTACT ME AND I CAN LET YOU KNOW WHEN
THE PUFFLING SEASON STARTS AND OPEN FOR BOOKINGS.
Departures: 22:30 PM
Price: is per person (tax included)
Adult: 6000 ISK
Children: 3000 ISK
Duration: 2 hours
-With the option to extend after agreement with additional fees.
Note:
There are no bathroom facilities on the route.
Always dress according to the weather and wear good shoes.
All trips are dependent on weather conditions.
Maximum participants: 10
Rank: Easy
NB. Please visit Safetravel.is for weather and road conditions.
What to bring
Gloves
Good shoes
Wind and rainproof jacket
Warm clothing
Camera/phone
“Bjork picked us up at 10:30 and we spent about two hours driving around Buhamar looking for pufflings. When we spotted one, we’d get out and gently capture the bird and put it in a cardboard box for safekeeping. Along the way, Bjork explained the efforts to protect the puffins and the history of the island. The next morning she picked us up again and we got to release the pufflings to the sea. It was amazing! It was one of the highlights of our trip. Bjork is friendly, patient, and very knowledgeable.”
“Björk was a fantastic tour guide and made our trip to the Westman Islands absolutely magical. She picked us up and we had the best night driving around town spotting and rescuing baby puffins, then met again in the morning to release them together. Björk, a native of the island, told us all about the history of the island and of helping the baby puffins. We were so lucky to meet her and have this experience, thank you Björk!”
