Atlantic Puffins in iceland

A three hour ferry brought me to the foggy Grimsey Island, 40 kms off the north coast of Iceland. The island not only straddles the Arctic Circle but is also a breeding ground for Puffins from May through mid August. Puffins breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs and nest in crevices in rocks or by burrowing in the soil.

Puffins form long-term pair bonds, with the female laying a single egg, both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick. They eat fish and zooplankton and can be seen holding several small fish at a time, allowing them to take longer and fewer foraging trips.