Mr. Puffin - Bird Watching Reykjavík - Reykjavík

Andrew S.

Excellent tour operating out of Reykjavik. We were on the premium puffin experience, and it did not disappoint! We saw what felt like hundreds of puffins; flying around the island, swimming in the water, and perched on the cliffs for us to see. If you want to see puffins in Reykjavik, this is the place to do it.

The staff were all friendly & accommodating, and made the experience all the better. And as an added bonus there is a nice cruise through the harbor on the way there and back to island, offering some different views of the city and landscape you don’t get to see on land. Must do for anyone wanting to see puffins on their trip!

Kimberly M.

The company dressed us nice and warm with full suits, hats, gloves, goggles, etc… in case you forgot your gear. The puffin nesting islands were only about 10 minutes away. The boat was equipped with these wonderful cushioned seats that moved with the boat, including handles on the seat in front of you. You must stay on the boat away from the puffins; there’s no getting on the island. Although they attempt to get as close as possible, it’s very difficult to get good pictures with just a phone. Other than that, the guide told us all about the puffins. They also shared their photos taken with a big lens camera.

Aaron C.

This was such a wondeful tour! We saw so many Puffins on the islands, swimming, and flying around! Our guide was very helpful and pointed out many other birds, their habits, and how they interact with the local population! Very conservationally focus and informative!

Isidore H.

Mr. Puffin retains excellent staff! We had a fantastic tour with Captain Megan and Avian Expert Mariana.

We felt safe, comfortable, and cozy in our provided water-resistant jumpsuits, hats, and goggles. Gloves were also available but not necessary even when going fast to and from the island.

And lots of puffins! We went early August, early afternoon and had lots of luck.

Milind G.

We only had a morning left in Iceland and were hoping for a short boat ride to see some puffins! Mr.Puffin did not disappoint! They offer an affordable 1 hour boat tour from Reykjavik out to Lundey Island (a.k.a Puffin Island). The boat ride is 15min to and from the island and then the boat spends about 30 min around the island where we saw hundreds of puffins! It was summer and nesting season so we saw many puffins in their burrows as well. The island is relatively close to the mainland so the water was not choppy either. A great experience for us!

Michael B.

This was an excellent experience. My wife and I went on the premium puffin expedition. They provided dry suits to keep us warm and dry while we went out to the island to see the puffins. We saw thousands of puffins. The marine biologist on board was very helpful and informative.

Tobias E.

This Puffin tour was one of the highlights on this trip. The tour guide was really knowledgeble about the many birds in the area and we could see many puffins flying about.

I was surprised to learn that the puffins are much smaller than you would think. They can be a bit hard to catch on camera if you don't bring a dslr with a proper zoom lens seeing how they are quite small and often don't come too close to the boat.

But you may see many of them both alone and in groups on land and in the water. It was pretty rainy on the sea after a while on the day we went so I would very much recommend anyone to bring a good rain jacket or poncho as an umbrella won't do in the kinds of winds that might occur on the sea.

I hear there are also the chance that you might see a whale or otter if you are lucky. Although we didn't see any of that I can much recommend the puffin tour for anyone who likes a nice boat trip to learn about and see these cute birds and also enjoy the ocean.

Lauren K.

TL:DR - The price is not insignificant but I would do it over and over again. The prep staff was incredible, the captain drove safely and kept the RIB in positions with the best views, the guide was knowledgeable and friendly, the puffins were adorable and special. See special note on fat-friendliness. 10/10 strong recommend.

No need to wear waterproof clothing for this excursion - they provide a suit that is required that will keep you dry and warm. Wear regular appropriate layers for the season. Definitely bring a warm head covering and probably a scarf as well - it is cold on the water (we went in May 2023). Bring binoculars if you have them - if not, they will provide you with some. Bring a camera but don't expect to be able to get great photos of these small birds without a pretty darn good long lens. Birds are hard to photograph, harder when you're on a boat.

Even if your goal is not photography, you'll have a great time. We got there right on time and it was already crowded with people changing in their little locker area. They checked us in (make a reservation!), sized us up without asking about our sizing and accurately outfitted myself and my friend - pretty impressive. There are lockers for you to leave your excess stuff, a bathroom, and a little kitchen area if you want some water. Iceland is wild - no one is worried about theft at all. We all just left our stuff in these unlocked lockers and went on our merry way.

They carefully explained the safety features of the suit and life vests, and then made sure we put the vests on correctly. You'd think it was pretty easy but I got tangled up in mine and needed help. Also, my chest was too big for the first one they gave me and he got me a different one without missing a beat. They led us to the RIB and were super careful about explaining why stuff was moving and how to get onto the boat - if you're a nervous boater, you'll feel good with these guides.

The seats on the RIB are like stand-up rollercoaster seats, or like cushy, sort of wide bike seats with a little back, and on a pretty springy suspension to minimize bouncing once you're underway. Your crotch might hurt a little afterward, like riding a horse. Not too bad.

The views from the water are incredible - the city skyline is killer and the surrounding mountains otherworldly and gigantic. We saw hundreds of birds. Puffins, yes. So many puffins. In fact, the first island didn't have enough puffins so they took us to another island that was like... the REAL puffin island. Beyond puffins: arctic terns, common eiders, mallards, brent geese, northern fulmars, black guillemots, greater and lesser black-backed gulls, a eurasian shag. It was a really great day for birding (see photos below) and everything I wanted.

The lady who guided our tour was incredible - super funny, knowledgeable, obviously likes her job, obviously actually likes these animals - I was super happy with everyone we dealt with actually. The service from everyone was great - something that I found sort of rare in Iceland except at these high-tourist locations.

The tour was too short for me and I wish they offered a longer one, but we sure were all cold by the time we went back so maybe they know what's best.

Fellow fats: There is a weight limit for the boats that is 140 kg (about 308 lbs.) so do keep that in mind. They did not weigh me or anything, but this limitation is probably most dependent on whether or not you can fit into their mandatory seafaring outfit. The outfit is a heavy, durable coverall that zips from the crotch up. They had me in a size XXXL and it zipped up just fine - people with larger chests might feel some tightness there. The legs, hips and arms were roomy. Folks with larger bellies might find that they are pressed up against the person in front of them, and may try for one of the front two seats to avoid that. For clarity, I am a US size 20-24, depending on the item, and 5'10", and carry most of my weight in my chest and on my lower abdomen.