Puffin Watching Boat Tour

The puffin watching boat tour is a short cruise from Reykjavik Old Harbour, at Ægisgarður 5 about 1 km from the city centre, to the islet of Akurey in Kollafjordur bay, where Atlantic puffins nest in summer. Operators such as Elding run the trips, which last about one hour and sail between mid-May and mid-August, when the birds come ashore to breed in burrows on the grassy island. The tour is rated easy: it needs no fitness or skill beyond boarding a boat and standing on deck, and it is suitable for most ages, with the operator providing guidance for families with young children. The boat does not land on the island, which protects the colony, so views are from the water and a zoom lens or binoculars help. Warm clothing is advised because the open sea is cold and windy even in summer, and a camera is useful. The crew gives a safety briefing, life jackets are carried, and the vessel keeps radio contact with harbour authorities in case of problems. Guides explain puffin behaviour, including how the birds fish for sand eels and return to burrows, and point out other seabirds such as guillemots and eider ducks along the route. Prices run roughly ISK 8,000-10,000 per adult. The best time is June and July, when most birds are present, and tours usually run several times a day in the season; by late August the puffins leave for the open Atlantic, so cruises outside the season will not find them. Strong wind or heavy swell can cancel departures, and the operator normally offers an alternative time or refund. The cruise is a convenient, brief option for visitors who want to see puffins without travelling to remote colonies such as the Westman Islands, and it combines easily with a walk around the Old Harbour, where cafes and seafood restaurants line the waterfront. Visitors should treat the colony with respect and avoid bringing drones, which disturb nesting birds and are generally restricted around wildlife sites.