Wild Reykjavík: Whales, Puffins and Arctic Terns

Reykjavík’s wild side, from the whales and dolphins of Faxaflói Bay and the puffins of Akurey, Lundey and Engey to the Arctic terns of Grótta and the waterbirds of Tjörnin, with a directory of the places in our guide. Facts from the Environment Agency of Iceland, Elding and Whales of Iceland.

Few capitals have whales on the doorstep. From Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, boats head out into Faxaflói Bay to look for minke and humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises, and in summer puffins nest on three small islands so close to the city that you can see them from the shore. At the western tip of the peninsula, Arctic terns raise their young beside a lighthouse.

This is a short, honest guide: Reykjavík’s wildlife is mostly at sea and in the air, and the best of it comes in summer. But it is easy to reach, from a morning boat trip to an evening walk along the coast.

Whales in the bay, puffins on islands you can see from the harbour, and Arctic terns nesting beside a lighthouse at the edge of town.

Whales and dolphins of Faxaflói Bay

Elding, a family-run company at Ægisgarður by the Old Harbour, has run whale-watching and sea tours for more than 25 years, all year round. It names the minke whale, the humpback whale, the white-beaked dolphin and the harbour porpoise as the four species most often seen in the bay; the whales are most reliable in summer, while dolphins and porpoises can be seen in any season. Trips last several hours, and the North Atlantic can be cold and rough, so dress for it.

Ashore at Grandi, Whales of Iceland shows life-size models of the whales found in Icelandic waters, with an audio guide; it calls itself the largest whale museum in Europe, and it is open every day of the year from 10:00 to 17:00. It is a good way to grasp the true size of the whales before you go to sea.

Puffins on the doorstep

Just off Reykjavík’s coast lie three small islands, Akurey, Lundey and Engey, which Elding describes as natural sanctuaries for Atlantic puffins and other seabirds. In the breeding season, puffin tours from the Old Harbour take you out to the islands to watch the birds. Elding notes that over half the world’s puffins come to Iceland to breed.

In the city itself, Tjörnin, the pond in the heart of Reykjavík beside City Hall, is busy with waterbirds all year, and Heiðmörk, the woodland on the edge of the city, has hiking trails for a quieter walk.

Feature: the Arctic terns of Grótta

Grótta, at the western tip of Seltjarnarnes, is a small island with a lighthouse, joined to the shore at low tide. It is also a protected nesting ground: the Environment Agency of Iceland counts around 450 pairs of Arctic terns here, and because the Arctic tern is fully protected, the island is closed to visitors from 1 May to 15 July while they nest. Out of season you can cross to the lighthouse at low tide; in summer, watch the terns from the shore path, and expect them to dive at anyone who strays too close.

Did you know? Arctic terns make the longest migration of any animal, flying each year from their Arctic breeding grounds, Grótta among them, to the edge of Antarctica and back.

Our advice

Our advice: book whale and puffin trips with an operator that follows a responsible whale-watching code, and go in summer for the best chance of whales and puffins. Dress in warm, windproof layers even in July. Check the tide before you cross to Grótta, and keep off the island from 1 May to 15 July. Never feed birds or approach nests, and use binoculars rather than getting closer.