Puffins in Hafnarhólmi puffin rock

A visit to Hafnarhólmi puffin rock should be on everyone’s schedule, at least you should not miss out on them if you are visiting Borgarfjörður eystri, that is for sure. We here at Blábjörg highly recommend driving the short distance of only 5 km through the village to the other side of the fjord. In Hafnarhólmi, you will not only be able to see the famous puffin but also find fulmar, kittiwake, and eider, amongst other sea birds that nest in or around the Hafnarhólmi area. 

Every year, the puffin’s arrival brings life to Hafnarhólmi Puffin Rock – their arrival sure is a sign that spring is here and summer is just around the corner. It brings joy, not only to the habitants of Borgarfjörður but also to visitors, to get the puffin back “home” after their winter stays around the south of Greenland. The puffin’s arrival in Iceland is in early April and then they leave after the middle of August, with occasional puffin staying until the beginning of September. Each year there is a “Welcome home” event held by the locals of Borgarfjörður eystri as a celebration that they are back – the date is never the same, but it depends on the date that the puffins have arrived. 

The puffin is a social bird, they are calm, and not shy to strike a pose for your camera when being photographed. They also socialize quite a lot among themselves. You should pay attention to them when they come back after a long day of fishing, often with up to 10 small fish in their mouth, they start by stopping by their nestin hole proud and happy with their catch of the day. They are funny birds and maybe in some ways jokes – occasionally when they come out of their holes, they look around and then release a poo that often hits the neighbor’s hole. We are not sure if this is a friendly sign or if they are just showing off! These birds have a lot of character and you can easily lose track of time just looking at them and their peculiarity. The facilities for bird watching in Hafnarhólmi puffin rock are exceptionally good and it is easy to get in a close range of the bird, it also helps how calm they are for sure. Paths and platforms have been built on one side of the rock, as well as a birdwatching hut where you can take a seat inside and watch the birds without disturbing them. This is in fact one of the best places to see the puffin in the whole of Iceland. The best time to see the puffins is early mornings or in the evenings, but they are there all day around after the middle of May. You will be able to see thousands of birds! 

The puffin nests from the middle of May until the middle of June. A puffin pair only lays 1 egg each year, and once the baby puffin has hatched, he stays in the nesting whole for about 45 days. Then he takes off to the ocean to become independent. The next 3-5 years they spend at sea, feeding off the ocean and looking for a mate for life – the puffin is a truly loyal companion and chooses a mate for a lifetime. At the age of 4-5 years is where the puffin hits puberty. The average age of a puffin is 20-25 years old. In Hafnarhólmi around 8.000-10.000 pairs nest.

Here you can find a video of Hafnarhólmi Puffin rock: MEET THE PUFFINS