Puffin Adventures

Puffin Adventures is a family-owned and operated RIB safari tour company in Borgarfjörður eystri. Driven by love for nature and wildlife, Puffin Adventures specializes in delivering tours that enable visitors to immerse themselves in beautiful landscapes, towering cliffs, and captivating wildlife of this magical area. 


Puffin Adventures primary objective is to create unforgettable experiences and forge memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. We are dedicated to ensuring that each visitor enjoys a truly remarkable and memorable adventure. 

The Puffin Capital of Iceland

You’re in good company in this beautiful region: around 100 friendly locals populate the village, tourists pass through to enjoy the surrounds (including first-rate hiking trails), Icelanders make an annual pilgrimage for a great summer music festival, birdlife pays a visit for a few months each year, and even royal elves call the area home. True! You can visit the central hill known as Álfaborg – the name translates as the ‘Elves’ Castle’, and the queen of the Icelandic elves allegedly resides here with her court. 


The 50 minute drive from Egilsstaðir to Borgarfjörður winds through some exceptional viewing points, over and around the mountains, until it reaches the small bubble of civilization. Follow the road through town and after about 5km you’ll reach a small fishing harbor. Here, at the Puffin Marina, is some of the best bird-watching in the world!, including easy close-up viewing of puffins and kittiwakes. 


Borgarfjörður Eystri has also become renowned for its excellent hiking trails known as ‘Víknaslóðir’, which traverse colorful rhyolite mountains and lead to deserted fjords and coves on the way to Seyðisfjörður. Other trails take hikers into the dramatic Dyrfjöll mountain range. Locals have marked numerous trails that cater to most skill levels and range from an hour to a full day, and compiled a detailed map. They’re ready to help you explore. 


For more information about the town of Borgarfjordur eystri, please visit: 

https://www.borgarfjordureystri.is/en

The Icelandic puffins

The Atlantic puffins are the celebrities of Iceland's wildlife scene, charming everyone with their adorable looks and playful personalities. 


Appearance: Atlantic puffins sport sleek black and white plumage, a large head, and a colorful beak. During the breeding season, their beaks turn into a dazzling palette of bright orange, blue, and yellow, but come autumn, they tone it down to a more demure gray.


Size: Puffins stand about 10 inches (25 cm) tall with a wingspan of 20-24 inches (50-60 cm).


Range: In the winter time puffins migrate to the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. But when it's time to settle down and start a family, Iceland is their ultimate destination, hosting over half of the world's puffin population during the breeding season.


Breeding Sites: They nest in cozy burrows on grassy clifftops and rocky islands. In Iceland, you can find their colonies in hotspots like the Borgarfjörður Eystri, Látrabjarg cliffs, Westman Islands, and Dyrhólaey.


Breeding and Nesting: Puffins are all about that #CoupleGoals life. They’re monogamous, returning to the same mate and burrow year after year. They lay a single egg, and both parents take turns incubating the egg and feeding the chick.


Diet: When it comes to dining, puffins are pescatarians with a penchant for small fish like sand eels, herring, and capelin. They’re also incredible divers.


Fledging: After about six weeks, the puffin chick, adorably known as a puffling, leaves the nest and makes a break for the sea, usually under the cover of darkness to avoid becoming someone else’s dinner.


Flying Skills: Don’t let their small wings fool you—puffins are capable of flying up to 55 miles per hour (88 km/h).


Color Changes: Puffin beaks are the ultimate mood ring, shifting colors with the seasons. They’re vibrant in spring and summer, then mellow out to more subdued hues in autumn and winter.


Longevity: These birds know how to live it up, with a lifespan of over 20 years in the wild.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • When are the Puffins in Iceland?

    Puffins usually migrate to Iceland in late April and stay until mid August.


    In 2024

    They arrived 10th of April.

    and left the 10th of August.


    in 2023

    They arrived 12th of April

    and left the 17th of August.


    In 2022

    They arrived 16th of April

    and left the 19th of August.

  • Where are you located?

    We are locaded in a small town in the east region of Iceland, called Borgarfjörður Eystri, 

    Often referred to as The Puffin Capital of Iceland. 

  • Tour duration

    The tour is around 1 hour

  • Where do you sail to?

    We sail along the puffin cliffs and visit Sæluvogur, the journey usually includes a passage through Seal Valley and, if we know of whales or dolphins in the area we go visit them aswell, (usually later in the summer)

  • How many people can fit on the boat?

    The boat accommodates 14 people: 12 passengers and 2 crew members.

  • Can I bring my phone / Camera?

    Yes feel free to bring phones and cameras.


    The flotation suits have zipped pockets for safekeeping. 


    However Puffin Adventures is not responsibility for lost or damaged phones / cameras or any other electronic device.

  • Clothing/What we provide

    We provide you with a warm flotation suit, ski goggles and life jacket.


    We recommend that you wear a warm sweater, comfortable trouses, gloves, headband or hat and sneakers or hiking shoes.


    If you have long hair we highly recommend to put it up and secure it in a bun, braid or a ponytail.


    Do NOT wear  high heels or sandals!

  • Can I wear my glasses?

    Yes you can. 


    Ski goggles will be provided to protect your eyes from the wind and sea. You can wear them over your personal glasses, or skip the ski googles if preferred.


    Puffin Adventures is not responisble for lost personal glasses.

  • Road Conditions

    Conditions are really good in the summer time. There is a fully paved road all the way from Egilsstaðir to Borgarfjörður with fantastic views on the way.

    The drive takes about 50 minutes.


  • Can I go on tour if I'm pregnant?

    We do not recommend this tour for pregnant individuals.

  • Age limit

    The minimum age for the tour is 10 years old. 


    We do not provide any kind of baby sitting.

  • Health issues

    The tour is not recommended for individuals with back problems, heart issues, or who are pregnant.


    Puffin Adventure take no responsibilty of people dealing with health issues, shall they decide to ignore our recommendations.

  • Guides on tour

    There is a guide on board in every tour.


    Each tour is guided in English. If only Icelandic passengers are on board, the tour will be conducted in Icelandic.

  • Food and drink

    We do not allow eating or drinking on board. 


    Alcohol and/or drug consumption is prohibited before or during our tours.

  • Do I need to sign a waiver?

    Yes. 


    For safety and compliance reasons, all passengers must sign a waiver on location.

  • Wildlife

    You may see all kind of amazing wildlife, such as seals, puffins, dolphins and even whales up close.


    Please respect the wildlife and refrain from or littering or touching the animals.

  • Safety on board

    Puffin Adventure put a lot of effort into safety for our passengers.


    - A safety briefing is conducted before each tour, and passengers must sign a waiver.


    - Passengers are requred to wear a flotation suite and a life jacket. 


    - Staff is licensed and under go strict security training.


    - The boat and all equipment is inspected and approved annually by The Icelandic Transport Authority.


    - Safty equipment onboard inspected anually: 

    Automaticly inflatable liferafts for up to 16 people, fire extinguisher, emergency flares and fireworks, first aid kit, approved emergency plan, 2 types of radio devices and 2 types of location devices constantly reporting to the Icelandic Coast Guard in real-time.

  • Cancelation and refund

    Our cancelation policy is really simple. If you cancel atleast 24 hours prior to departure we offer full refund. 


    If Puffin Adventure need to cancel your departure for any reason you will get a full refund or the option to reschedule if possible.

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