{"id":1453,"date":"2025-08-12T20:57:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T20:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/?page_id=1453"},"modified":"2025-08-12T20:57:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T20:57:38","slug":"puffins-by-land-and-sea-the-best-ways-to-spot-puffins-on-atv-and-boat-tours","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/westman-islands\/puffins-by-land-and-sea-the-best-ways-to-spot-puffins-on-atv-and-boat-tours","title":{"rendered":"Puffins by Land and Sea: The Best Ways to Spot Puffins on ATV and Boat Tours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For many visitors to Iceland, the chance to see puffins is a big factor in their choice of destination. The Westman Islands, therefore, are a particularly good fit as this is where you\u2019ll find the largest puffin colony in the country. But is it better to base yourself on land or at sea? In this article, we will take a brief look at the best ways to spot puffins on land, on our ATV tours&nbsp;and on boat trips.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Land-based puffin viewpoints<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On land probably the best place in Heimaey to spot puffins is at the St\u00f3rh\u00f6f\u00f0i bird hide. Located a short distance south of the main port this cliffside locale is a smart choice because of the proximity of the hide to the puffins themselves. Snug and protected from the wind inside the little hut, you\u2019ll have the opportunity to really study the antics and behaviour of these cute and clumsy birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it\u2019s possible to get to St\u00f3rh\u00f6f\u00f0i under your own steam. In theory it\u2019s within walking distance of the port, though the uphill climb might put some visitors off. So what if you haven\u2019t had a car or brought your rental over to the Westman Islands? Fortunately this doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll miss out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"743\" src=\"https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/storfhofdi-kofi.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/storfhofdi-kofi.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/storfhofdi-kofi-600x435.jpg 600w, https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/storfhofdi-kofi-300x218.jpg 300w, https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/storfhofdi-kofi-768x557.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Puffin spotting on our ATV tours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is simple: reserve a place on our Volcanic Vistas and Puffin Paradise tour. Our ATV tours are a lot of fun but this one is particularly good for bird lovers. Throughout puffin season &#8211; from mid April until mid August &#8211; we incorporate the St\u00f3rh\u00f6f\u00f0i<strong> <\/strong>hide into our itinerary and make it a significant stop.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as seeing some of Heimaey\u2019s most famous landmarks, including Elephant Rock, there\u2019ll be ample time to study these comical birds with their orange feet and multi-coloured beaks. We\u2019ll see them coming into land with beaks full of silvery fish ready to feed their chicks that are still in the burrows.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our guide will tell you some background information about Arctic puffins in the Westman Islands and what it is about this part of Iceland that makes it such a great place to see them. They\u2019ll offer some fun facts which will give you a deeper understanding of the importance of this part of the Westman Islands for puffins and sea birds in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"975\" src=\"https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240927_135241.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240927_135241.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240927_135241-600x585.jpg 600w, https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240927_135241-300x293.jpg 300w, https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240927_135241-768x749.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seeing seabirds at sea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Puffin tours on Heimaey aren\u2019t confined to land. The clue\u2019s in the name: seabirds are also an integral part of any boat trip itinerary. So birdwatching in Iceland can also be easily combined with a boat tour, whether that\u2019s on a fast and thrilling RIB or a more sedate sightseeing cruise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference here is that you\u2019ll see the puffins offshore in the Westman Islands and get to observe a different facet of their behaviour. Instead of the clumsy landings, you\u2019ll see how much effort it takes for these squat birds to remain airborne. Watching their tiny wings flap extraordinarily fast is fascinating. You might see them dive into the water too, and perhaps see the moment when these strong swimmers emerge with a beak full of fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So should you choose a land-based tour or boat trip?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re really keen to see puffins during your time in the Westman Islands, then we\u2019d recommend you do both kinds of puffin tours in Heimaey. Even in a single day it\u2019s possible to book an ATV ride as well as a boat trip. The obvious advantage of doing so, of course, is that you\u2019ll get a much broader understanding of the way the puffins behave.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combining our ATV excursion with a boat tour enables you to experience puffins in a variety of settings and also ensures that you maximise sightings. Birdwatching in Iceland is a rewarding experience and even if it\u2019s not usually your thing back home, you\u2019ll be glad you built in several opportunities to encounter puffins in their natural habitat during your time in the Westman Islands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many visitors to Iceland, the chance to see puffins is a big factor in their choice of destination. The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":1081,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1453","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Puffins by Land and Sea: The Best Ways to Spot Puffins on ATV and Boat Tours | Volcano ATV<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/volcanoatv.is\/en\/westman-islands\/puffins-by-land-and-sea-the-best-ways-to-spot-puffins-on-atv-and-boat-tours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Puffins by Land and Sea: The Best Ways to Spot Puffins on ATV and Boat Tours | Volcano ATV\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For many visitors to Iceland, the chance to see puffins is a big factor in their choice of destination. 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