You don't have to be an ornithologist to want to see puffins. This is because they are a really funny and eye-catching birds s –with their distinctive black backs, pale breasts, round white cheeks, orange legs, and red, yellow, and black beaks–, but also because, during certain months of the year, you can see them on the cliff walls of beautiful places on the planet.
And it is that the puffins are pelagic birds . That is, they live in the ocean waters. More specifically, in the icy North Atlantic. They can withstand low temperatures thanks to their feathers, which are resistant to water.
Puffins at Latrabjarg.
They only look for solid ground when it comes mating and breeding season , which takes place
during part of the spring and summer, usually between months of May and August.
At that moment They build their nests in the holes they find between the rocks of escarpments
cliffs, one meter below the ground surface.
Going in search of these magnificent birds will take us to some of the most beautiful corners of the world. Here are a few:
ICELAND
Iceland is one of the European countries preferred by puffins. Its geographical situation, already almost in the Arctic Circle, and Its low human population makes it an ideal candidate for the quiet breeding of these birds.
Puffins are fascinating beings.
There are several places on the island where you can see them, in complete safety, between the end of May and mid-August. One of them is latrabjarg, a beautiful wall formed by a succession of cliffs that is found in the wild and spectacular fjords of the west.
The cliffs near the vast beach of Dyrhólafjara black sand , on which stands Dyrhólaey lighthouse , also harbor an abundant community of these “ocean clowns” (so called because of the appearance of their face).
Puffin at Latrabjarg.
However, there is no better place to see puffins in Iceland, and in the world, than the islands
Vestmann, where each season more than 1 million specimens of this species nest. These islands are located in the southern part of the country and can be reached by ferry.
LUNDY, ENGLAND
On an island whose name translates into Spanish as “Puffin Island” you can only
expect to find a good representation of these birds. At Lundy, there are different ways to witness this natural beauty . From a boat we can get close enough to witness how the colony digs the ground to settle their nests, feeds and nests.
However, it is possible to disembark and admire everything from much closer. In this hidden British gem we will find a kind of campsite with a few cabins. Staying in it we can approach on foot to puffin colonies.
Puffins in Lundy, England.
In any case, traveling by ferry from the picturesque towns of Bideford and Ilfracombe to spend the day is also worth it, since it will allow us to enjoy pubs, theater, markets and culture when we return from the island.
MYKINES, FAROE ISLANDS
The Faroe Islands form a Terrenal.paradise in which the human being has little to say before the grandeur of nature. Waterfalls, cliffs, lakes, impossible beaches and vast prairies they are only a part of what awaits us there. Within this Danish archipelago (although Faroe has its own autonomy) formed by 18 islands, it stands out, as far as puffins are concerned, Mykins's.
Along with Iceland, it is the point of the planet where there is a greater concentration of these birds during the breeding months. We will be able to get to Mykines both by ferry and by helicopter, and we will have to pay an entrance fee to access the protected land.
Lighthouse on the island of Mykines.
Mykines owns a very special landscape , with vast bright green farmland, modest homes with captivating ocean views, and the holmur lighthouse , which can be reached by performing one of the best faroe treks.
KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA, USA
There's plenty to do in Kenai Fjords National Park, including seeing puffins, which are different from the Atlantic breeds found off the coast of Alaska. Kenai Fjords National Park is home to two types of puffins during the mating and breeding season: tufted and horned puffins.
Emerald Beach, Beehive Island, Resurrection Peninsula, and the Chiswell Islands They are places where you may see quite a few specimens. Alaska is a good place to see puffins up close, but make sure you do so while being careful not to disturb their surroundings.
Hiking on the glacier, Kenai.
RATHLIN ISLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND
To some 25 minutes by ferry of the northern Irish coastal town of ballycastle the island is found
of Rathlin, famous for its large colony of puffins and for being the place where he took refuge, at the beginning of the fourteenth century, Robert The Bruce.
This beautiful island where the weather is inclement and the population sparse, can be visited aboard the funny bus called 'The puffin bus’. To admire the birds in question, we will have to bring binoculars as they nest on cliffs where passage is restricted to preserve their habitat.
Also worth visiting are the old lighthouse, the Robert The Bruce museum and the wreck of HMS Drake , a British ship that was torpedoed by a German submarine during the first World War.
Rathlin, home of puffins and braves.
LES SEPT-ÎLES, FRANCE
If we are in France and want to see puffins, we should travel to Les Sept-Îles , an uninhabited archipelago where these birds almost became extinct due to hunting. Thanks to a conservationist revolution that established strict protection measures, the puffin community in the archipelago has thrived, and you will be able to observe its extraordinary beauty by hiring one of the organized excursions on boats that depart from the towns of Perros-Guirec or Port Blanc.
NUUK, GREENLAND
Greenland is not one of the most frequent places on puffin migration maps. However, there is a island near its capital , Nuuk, where these colorful birds flock. In order to enjoy the puffins, boat trips are organized that approach the colonies, but always taking care not to disturb the daily routines of these beauties.
The sunset from Nuuk, Greenland.
Furthermore, Nuuk is a colorful city too often overlooked by travelers, and its waterfront location offers a good locally sourced table, shopping and cultural museums most original and interesting in the country.