Puffin Island Boat Tour from Husavik

Puffins in the North

Husavik is famous as Iceland's whale-watching capital, but the charming northern town also offers one of the most accessible puffin-viewing experiences in the country. Gentle Giants runs short boat tours to Lundey — literally "Puffin Island" — a small flat island in Skjalfandi Bay that hosts thousands of nesting Atlantic puffins during the summer months.

At just one hour, this tour is ideal for travelers who want a quality wildlife experience without committing half a day. It also pairs perfectly with Husavik's whale-watching tours, making the town a one-stop destination for Iceland's most popular marine wildlife.

The Boat Trip

The tour departs from Husavik's picturesque harbor, passing colorful wooden houses and fishing boats as you head out into the bay. Lundey lies a short distance offshore, and the approach reveals an island that looks like an unassuming grassy mound until you get close enough to see that every square meter of its surface is occupied by puffins.

The boat circles the island slowly, giving passengers on both sides ample viewing time. Puffins line the cliff edges in rows, waddle across the grassy top, and launch into flight with their characteristically frantic wing-beating. The real entertainment comes when they return from fishing trips with beaks stuffed full of sand eels — somehow managing to hold a dozen fish at once in those oversized bills.

The guide provides information about puffin biology and behavior through a speaker system. You learn that puffins mate for life, return to the same burrow each year, and spend most of their existence at sea — the summer nesting period is a brief window when they come ashore, and you are privileged to witness it.

Photography Tips

The one-hour format means you want your camera ready from the moment the island comes into view. A zoom lens in the 100-300mm range produces excellent results from the boat. Puffins are relatively unperturbed by the vessel, so they continue their normal activities while you photograph them. The low Arctic sunlight in Husavik creates warm, flattering light that makes even phone photos look impressive.

Shoot in burst mode to capture puffins in flight — their rapid wingbeats make single-shot timing difficult. The moments when they land or take off from ledges are the most photogenic.

Combining with Whale Watching

The strategic move is to book both a puffin tour and a whale-watching excursion on the same day in Husavik. Gentle Giants often has morning puffin slots and afternoon whale-watching departures that pair naturally. Husavik's bay is home to humpback whales, minke whales, and occasionally blue whales, making it a complete marine wildlife destination.

Between tours, the town offers excellent seafood restaurants, a whale museum, and a geothermal beach at Geosea with infinity-edge hot pools overlooking the bay. A full day in Husavik, combining puffins, whales, food, and geothermal relaxation, ranks among the finest day experiences in northern Iceland.