Iceland Puffin tours

[dairyf]

We are going on Iceland's Natural Beauty cruise this August 7th. Would like to know which excursions are the best for viewing puffins. Are there any independent tours that  are highly recommended? Thank you for your help.

[Camden lady]

We saw several on the Footsteps of the Elves excursion.  I know there was another one that involved a boat trip where they were seen.  We cruised to Iceland in August of 21 so we were in the bubble and couldn't do outside tours so can't help you with that.  You will love Iceland..it is amazing.

[TayanaLorna]

The Vigur Island tour has puffins.  It is the most popular optional tour on that stop.  You most likely won't get a private tour to the island and be back before time required to be on ship.  Visitation to the island is strictly controlled if the same family owns the island - as it should be.

 

The Skalane Center tour has lots of birds including puffins.  It was a delightful excursion.

 

Boat trips around Heimey in the Westmans Islands see puffins.  We could not stop due to weather but others on earlier cruise said they saw them high up on the cliffs but that's it.  Might be better to see them from on land if there is an excursion like that.

 

[SantaFe1]

I second all of this.  Vigur Island is the best.  A must do.  Skalane is also good, and just lovely, but nothing like Vigur for Puffins.  TayanaLorna and we did this two years ago on the first Welcome back cruises.  Just spectacular!!

My husband got the first with a telephoto, but the second is just my iPhone,  from Vigur.

 

 

 

 

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

The Vigur Island tour has puffins.  It is the most popular optional tour on that stop.  You most likely won't get a private tour to the island and be back before time required to be on ship.  Visitation to the island is strictly controlled if the same family owns the island - as it should be.

 

The Skalane Center tour has lots of birds including puffins.  It was a delightful excursion.

 

Boat trips around Heimey in the Westmans Islands see puffins.  We could not stop due to weather but others on earlier cruise said they saw them high up on the cliffs but that's it.  Might be better to see them from on land if there is an excursion like that.

 

Thanks, Lorna!  I'm not surprised that Vigur Island is the most popular.  It sold out and we didn't make the cut.  We did make Skalane Center and the Westmans boats. Hoping we stop there.

[philw1776]

Love puffins but Vigur is almost impossible to book. Had a PV cabin and tour was Sold Out. Not happy.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, philw1776 said:

Love puffins but Vigur is almost impossible to book. Had a PV cabin and tour was Sold Out. Not happy.

 

Phil, hopefully things have changed since you and I were on the second sailing of the "Welcome, Back" sailings in 2021. For one thing, booking shorex was a complete mess: they were not ready on time and when they did finally open it was first come, first served for the few seats that were actually available for tours.

 

A lot has changed in the past two years and I suspect that capacity on tours has increased immensely as guides, drivers and boats have returned to work -- and as Covid restrictions have eased and now all but disappeared. I also suspect that there will be more than one boat ferrying pax to the island and that each of these boats will be carrying more than the 40 pax that were on the ferry when I did the trip.

 

This was taken at Skalanes. (It has been cropped and photoshopped; it was hazy along the cliffs). Skalanes also has capacity issues because they have to use special buses to ford the streams.

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Peregrina651

[dairyf]

Thanks to everyone for the information. We definitely will try for Vigur

 Island, might not get it as our cabin is a V.

[SantaFe1]

8 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

I also suspect that there will be more than one boat ferrying pax to the island and that each of these boats will be carrying more than the 40 pax that were on the ferry when I did the trip.

The problem is that Vigur is a private island, owned by a couple, with a young son,  and a friend of theirs.  It is a working farm, and she leads the tours.  So hard to do much more than she was doing when we were there in 2021.  I found their story fascinating.  To read more:

 

https://www.vigurisland.com/about

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

The problem is that Vigur is a private island, owned by a couple, with a young son,  and a friend of theirs.  It is a working farm, and she leads the tours.  So hard to do much more than she was doing when we were there in 2021.  I found their story fascinating.  To read more:

 

https://www.vigurisland.com/about

 

Yes, it is privately owned and operated but she talked about the student interns who used to join them in the summer to work the tourist and the conservation operations. I think that what we saw in 2021 when we were there was a toned down version of what the operation was prior to the pandemic because they were just coming back up to speed. That is why I think that their daily capacity is greater than what we saw.

[SantaFe1]

25 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Yes, it is privately owned and operated but she talked about the student interns who used to join them in the summer to work the tourist and the conservation operations. I think that what we saw in 2021 when we were there was a toned down version of what the operation was prior to the pandemic because they were just coming back up to speed. That is why I think that their daily capacity is greater than what we saw.

Oh, I hope you are right.  We were on the first inaugural Iceland cruise, and I do believe it was just her.  It would certainly make financial sense to hire some interns.  I doubt we will ever go back, but if we did, I would move heaven and earth to do it again.  

[Peregrina651]

19 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

but if we did, I would move heaven and earth to do it again.  

 

me, too!

[NanciEA]

We saw numerous puffins on a private tour with Eyjatours while in Heimaey. 

[anaco_angler]

In addition to Vigur Island, I would add another vote for the Footsteps of the Elves excursion as a prime opportunity to see puffins. A word of caution, though. We were told the puffins leave the area around August 15th every year, so there's a chance the migration may be underway. Good luck.

[melgirl]

NanciEA, May I ask if you were happy with the Eyjatours experience? We have just booked their Puffins and volcano tour. We had booked with them in 2020, but had to concel(Covid). 

[NanciEA]

Yes, we were happy with the tour. It is a small group, maybe 12? It leaves from right next to where the tender's dock. It ends at the small aquarium, which is just across the street. They used a small mini bus, but you are not on it for long amounts of time. There are numerous stops and all are near the port. The puffins we saw were on a cliff over looking the town.

[melgirl]

Many thanks for your help NanciEA .