"Wildlife - Puffins" South Iceland by GrumpyDiver

South Iceland Travel Guide: 187 reviews and 598 photos

Close up and personal with puffins at Dyrholey

Puffins at Dyrholey

This has got to be the best place to see puffins when you travel the Ring Road. Just a short bit west of Vik is a puffin sactuary. Wander along the beach and look up to see the birds or head over to the wildlife preserve to see them at your level!

Best of all - it's free!

Image taken with a cheap Panasonic camera - yes you can get that close!

Great Skua at Ingolfshoefdi

Just a warning to anyone that gets suckered in to going to Ingolfshoefdi to do a "haycart" ride to see the puffins.

1. The haycart is more like a cattle car which they stuff 60 to 70 people on. By the way, they charge you 3000 kroner for this.

2. What puffins? The place is a breeding ground for the Great Skua (looks like a seagull to me). There are a few puffins, but they are very hard to spot, so unless you are a birder with a passion for the Skua, don't bother.

Going to Ingolfshoefdi was the worst mistake we made in the 10 days we spent in Iceland. 2-1/2 hours plus were wasted.

Image shot with a 400mm (600 mm equiv for 35 mm).

"Hay wagon" and the tough climb at Ingolfshoefdi

You get taken to the top of a large cliff and get to stand close to the edge. With 60 to 70 people standing there jostling to look over the edge, I was surprised no one fell off. Warning - if you are older or not in shape, you have a long climb up a hill that must be 70 - 80 m high and covered by a black sand drift. Not easy.

You can see the intimate "hay cart" and the lovely sand hill you have to climb. I used a 80mm (120mm equivalent for 35mm) for the shot, so it's actually worse than you see in the picture.

Last visit to South Iceland: Jul 2009
Intro Updated Jul 23, 2009
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nani80 Feb 9, 2012 at 11:28 PM

Amazing photos! ...I'm glad your Nikon survived the fall into a crater :)
Natasa
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Odinnthor Oct 26, 2009 at 11:07 PM

Great puffin photo, - they are tasty too....d;o) ......Erik
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angiebabe Aug 6, 2009 at 11:18 PM

When I travelled around the Orkneys&FAroes was too late for the puffins-lots of dead puffins being stuffed tho&the ferries had puffin on the menu!got to Skomer Is here in UK for my b'day &revelled in a few hrs just sitting watching puffins....was heaven!
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ViajesdelMundo Jul 28, 2009 at 7:34 AM

Sounds like a unique exprience!