Kenai Fjords - When do puffins return from migration?

I'm really hoping that someone out there might have an idea when the puffins normally return to the Kenai Fjords from their annual migration.

We will be in Seward on May 20 and 21 and we want to do a Kenai Fjords catamaran tour. We took one about 5 years ago and loved it, and the puffins were a real highlight for us. I don't want to book the tour unless the puffins are back.

If anyone has any idea when the puffins are usually back, I'd really appreciate it if you could let me knowl. Thanks!

Wish I could help. Have you tried calling Major Marine or Kenai Fjords to see if they can answer that question?

Have you visited the Sea Life Aquarium in Seward? They have a Puffin Encounter that we really enjoyed. You venture behind the scenes with a trainer and even feed the puffins and other birds.

This might help: https://www.travelalaska.com/Things%20To%20Do/Wildlife%20Viewing/Wildlife%20Guide/Puffins.

From the National Park Service website: "Tufted puffins arrive in the rookery islands about mid-May. Horned puffins usually follow one week later. "

http://www.nps.gov/kefj/learn/nature/puffins.htm

And we've had a mild winter... I wonder if they'll return a little sooner if we also have a mild spring.

there should be some for you to see. I'd go out both days anyway. :)

Thank you to everyone that responded, I really appreciate it. Hopefully, there will be some puffins for us to see. The weather has been mild, so maybe they will be back a little earlier than usual. They really are fun to watch... such unusual little birds.

Life has been so busy lately that I haven't checked the Alaska forum lately, so am rather late to this discussion.

We spent several days in Seward last May. My memory is that we were there from May 18 - 21. Our reason for being in Seward so early in the summer was to meet friends for lunch who were on a turnaround day on the first cruise ship into Seward for the 2015 season. We did the longest Major Marine cruise they offered so early, and my birder husband remembers that we saw both tufted and horned puffins. Other interesting birds included both marbled murrelets and Kittlitz's murrelets. Given the curious die off of common murres I wonder how many will be spotted this upcoming summer; for more information about the common murre situation the Alaska Dispatch has published some interesting articles and photos (http://www.adn.com).

Thank you Aurora for taking the time to post. That is great news. I would be so disappointed to miss the puffins! Much appreciated.