Atlantic puffins have returned to Iceland, with the first sightings of the 2026 season recorded on 10 April at Grímsey island in the north and at Borgarfjörður Eystri in the east. The birds were spotted by local observers along cliff faces near the lighthouse at Grímsey. Their arrival is slightly ahead of the typical mid-April return window.
Why this matters for photographers
The puffin season runs from mid-April through mid-August, with peak activity — and peak photography conditions — in late June and early July when colonies are fully active and adults are feeding chicks. Early arrivals at Grímsey and Borgarfjörður Eystri signal that photographers planning spring trips may already encounter birds at key sites. Access to cliff edges in these areas carries significant hazard, and pressure from early-season visitors while colonies are still establishing can disrupt nesting behaviour.
What photographers should do
- Maintain a minimum distance of 5 metres from nesting areas at all times — even when birds appear relaxed and approachable.
- Avoid flash photography; it can disorient birds, particularly at dusk and dawn when puffins are most active around burrows.
- Stay well back from cliff edges at all puffin sites — loose gravel and soft turf make edges unstable, especially after winter.
- Peak photography conditions arrive in late June to early July; if your primary goal is photographing active colonies with chicks, plan accordingly.
Leave No Trace note
Puffin nesting sites are fragile. Trampling burrow entrances — even unintentionally — can collapse nests and displace eggs. Stay on marked paths where they exist, and treat any ground with puffin burrow holes as a no-walk zone.
For full guidance on ethical puffin photography, see our How to Photograph Puffins in Iceland Without Disturbing Them.
Source: The Reykjavík Grapevine — https://grapevine.is/news/2026/04/13/puffins-return-to-iceland/