As a visitor in Iceland or an enthusiast about birds, you may wonder about the state of the puffin – how it’s faring against climate change, volatile weather conditions and human impact. This article covers some of the most important factors relating to puffin survival, including puffin hunting and changes in natural conditions. Let’s start by looking at perhaps the hottest topic: puffin hunting.

Why would you want to hunt such a cute and wonderful bird? Some of you might ask. Why not? Is what some of you might answer. It seems to be delicious and quite unique in its taste. Yes, puffins are being hunted in Iceland, and yes it is one of only two places in the world (next to the Faroer Islands), where the hunt is still legal.

USFWS, Atlantic puffins landing

Right now there is a lot of discussion about this practice and I will tell you what the fuss is all about. Remember that hunting puffins is basically as old as the the Icelanders themselves. They have pretty much done it since their Viking ancestors arrived on the island, because they probably knew it from other places in their territories. Hell, there is a whole festival in the Westman Islands (since 1874), where the biggest puffin colony resides, that is inseperable of the enjoyment of smoked puffins, which to this day is considered a delicacy.

And it does make sense. The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) is still the most common bird in Iceland with millions of pairs nesting on many of the steep cliffs. Take abundance and tradition and you have two very strong arguments to keep up this practice that is past on from generation to generation without much alteration or change. The technique has basically been the same all along. No guns are used. It is quite a simple technique: you attach a triangular net on an up to 4m long pole and voila- you have your háfur (Iceland) or fleyg (Faroer); the pole that is used to catch the puffins since centuries. Sounds simple, but actually requires a lot of skill to catch those puffins in their flight.

Want some proof? Even Gordon Ramsay tried it in a very controversial Youtube Video from 2008. After hours, he finally managed to catch a puffin. The first one of the season! Traditionally that one is released for good luck. With some more practice, he went on to catch two more and after the neck is broken and the chest meat is taken out, followed his Icelandic teacher in eating the raw heart of the puffin. Leaving the showman aspect of this particular hunt, we have to keep in mind that Iceland is a very scarse country, where survival has never been guaranteed. Under such harsh conditions, easily accessible animal protein was crucial for the survival of the settlers.

A skilled hunter could catch a few hundred puffins in a single day, providing enough food for himself and the community. In that fashion even in the 1970s approximately 150,000-200,000 puffins were killed in Iceland alone. Icelandic hunters have long kept track of their catches (since 140 years!). That enables scientists even today to look at the numbers of puffins and how puffin survival is affected by different factors.

A puffin catcher in Suðurey, Faroe Islands (CC BY-SA 3.0)

That‘s also how we know one thing: Things have changed. The hunters were the first to recognise this, as it got harder to hunt plenty of puffins – simply because there are not so many around anymore. The hunting had to change with the dropping numbers. Over the time the hunting season has been shortened and shortened. While it was 46 days long just a couple of years ago, they cut it down to just a week in 2021. Now the hunting season in South-Iceland is only three days long. In fact, it‘s such a short season that many of the more passionate hunters that do it travel to the North, to Grímsey, where the hunting season is longer (~6 weeks). Still, hunting has decreased by 90% in comparison to the 1970s (still reaching about 15,000-20,000 birds each year). What is happening?

Puffin populations are struggling. Especially in the Westman Islands, where researcher Erpur Hansen speaks of a breeding failure since 2003. Almost no subadults are recruited into the breeding populations with the consequence of an alarming 70% decrease over the last 30 years. And it doesn‘t look much better for the rest of Europe. In total the population is calculated to be declining at a rate of 50-79% over three generations (65 years) according to new data from the IUCN. That has led the puffin to be listed as vulnerable, with some populations on the European level even as endangered (IUCN 2018). Because Iceland and Norway together hold about 80% of the total population in Europe, their status here is of the utmost importance for puffin survival overall.

A group of puffins protecting their burrows

But what are the factors for such a drastic decline? It surely isn‘t all to blame on a few hunters right? Indeed the problem is way more complex and has to do with all of us, not just some hunters. One of the most important factor is the warming of the climate due to human activity. The puffins’ main prey species in (the South) of Iceland is the sand eel. It thrives at a sea surface temperature of around 7,1°C, with rates of puffin survival and reproduction dropping the more temperatures vary. Just like the young herring and the capelin (other staple foods for the puffin), they are cold water fish. And they are being fed to the young puffins!

Because of the warming sea water, prey populations are dying. Or they are pushed further North, out of reach for the puffins in their breeding colonies. That is one reason why puffin survival around Grímsey is still comparably better than in the Westman Islands, where sand eels have vanished. In the absence of enough prey, the parent puffins must fly further and further away to find enough food to feed their young, very energy taxing and often not sufficient, which results in the starvation of the young.

A beak full of sandeel for the pufflings

As if that wasn’t already a big enough problem, overfishing is another important factor further decimating prey stocks for the puffins. Sand eel is not being eaten directly by humans, but it is further processed into fish meal and fertilizer. It’s the same for capelin. I don’t have to tell you much about herring.

So, what role does hunting play in the overall decline of the puffins? According to lead scientist Hansen, breeding puffins tend not to fly into the nets of the hunters, because they fly directly in and out of their burrows while it is the young adolescents that fly along the cliffs more aimlessly. They are the ones that are being caught by the hunters. He subsequently called for a hunting ban. Hunting seems to account for about 10% of the recent decline, because it has robbed the populations of an upcoming breeding generation while the reproduction performance of an aging population decreases more and more. Therefore, any hunting of puffins is considered ecologically unsustainable.

Bill Ward, Puffin meat at a restaurant in Reykjavík (CC BY 2.0)

Why this might be interesting for you? Let’s say you’d walk through Reykjavik and come across a restaurant that still serves puffin meat. Puffin „harvesting“ has for the longest time been a local activity, where the inhabitants hunt in their local, unforgiving environment for survival. But things have changed and curious tourists are creating a demand for puffin meat that wouldn‘t exist without them. I believe through the given information you are enabled to make a reasonable decision with puffin survival in mind. Although curiosity is strong in us, you just have to ask yourself, if you think that eating such a unique and wonderful bird that is in severe decline is a bright idea? If you are still not convinced, I’d love to show you the beauty of these birds on one of our Puffin Express or Puffin Express by RIB Speedboat tours here at Special Tours.

As always, thanks for reading and hopefully see you soon.

Blog by Daniel Blankenheim, Special Tours guide

PS: As of the 29.05.2023, there is news about hundreds of dead puffins (among other sea birds) being stranded dead in the Westman Islands. We don’t know exactly what is happening right now and are waiting for data to be released. There is reason to believe these deaths are the result of bird flu, which has wreaked havoc in several countries among different bird species in recent years. It certainly is alarming news for the puffin population in Iceland that is already struggling.

(more…)

10 great family activities in Reykjavik

You may have heard rumours about the vibrant nightlife in Reykjavik, and perhaps you thought to yourself that this is only a place for party people. Well, you would be wrong. Iceland’s capital is a great place for a trip with your loved ones and little ones. We gathered a list of ten great family activities in Reykjavik. We’re certain that after trying out one or more of these, you won’t hear those dreaded words from your child: “I’m bored”.

#1 Puffin watching – Parrot divers? Sea clowns? Little friars?

Now that I have your interest, let me introduce Atlantic puffins to you. If you go on a puffin tour with us (between May and August) you will find the answer to why these animals have all these weird names in different languages. They might be smaller than what you expected – also they are not penguins! But what they lack in size, they make up with their amazing flying and diving abilities. That combined with their delightful character will not leave you or your child unmoved. We are fortunate enough to have the ability to see these amazing birds just outside of the Old Harbour!

Two puffins debate the weather close to Reykjavik

#2 Horseback riding – “They are horses, not ponies!”

Very few things are as magical for a child as travelling on a fuzzy fur animal that is big as a giant in their eyes. Well, maybe not the Icelandic horses since they are rather small for horses (they are still not ponies). Speaking of the oddities of these horses, did you know that other breeds have 3 gaits while the Icelandic horses have 5? Horseback riding will certainly be a family activity that everyone can enjoy together. As you ride through breathtaking nature you get to experience a fraction of how the people in the olden times lived on this island. We recommend Íshestar, which is the industry leader in animal welfare and animal treatment. And don’t forget it’s possible to combine horseback riding with whale watching or northern lights hunting!

Riding through Icelandic lava fields on a beautiful day

#3 Whale watching – Nurture the love for nature with an authentic wildlife encounter

One of my favourite moments as a whale watching guide was when a little girl dropped her jaw upon seeing a humpback whale just next to the boat and shouted: “This is the best day of my life!” Seeing the giants of the deep with your own eyes can indeed be a life-changing experience for the young and the old. So why not venture on a marine adventure with your family and have a good old fashioned “who spots the whale first” competition on one of our large family friendly boats? It’ll be one of the most memorable family activities in Reykjavik.

Whale watching is a memorable experience for a traveler of any age

#4 Whales of Iceland museum – A different perspective on these magnificent creatures

To consolidate the family’s knowledge about our marine mammal friends, go to the Whales of Iceland Museum. You’ll see life-sized whales and dolphin models and learn more about them with excellent audio guides and a guided tour as well. There is also a children’s playground on site where they can draw colouring books, take a whale quiz and crawl inside a wooden orca. The museum is also one of our favourite family activities in Reykjavik that are perfect for rainy days!

#5 “Ísbíltúr” – Going on the icecream drive

Ok, so if your native language is not of Germanic origin you might have trouble deciphering what “ísbíltúr” might be. We are talking about icecream here, icecream in a car, icecream in a car while driving around! Indeed, the icecream drive is one of the favourite pastime activities in the country, no matter what season it is. Grab a scoop of your favourite flavour or try “bragðarefur” – soft ice-cream with several toppings of your choice, all blended together. Get back in your car and drive around until your family finishes their tasty treats. Everyone has their own version of this custom, with a different selection of icecream shops and driving routes. You can try the shop called “Ísbúð Vesturbæjar”, or “Valdís” in the Grandi area. Your truly prefers to go to “Huppa” and then drive to the lighthouse of Grótta to watch sunset. Whatever your choice is, you can’t go wrong if the family is having a good time.

#6 Reykjavik Park and Zoo

Considering that the original name of the Reykjavik Park and Zoo is “the family park” it naturally made the list. Maybe you come from a big city and the kids don’t have a lot of opportunities to meet real domestic animals? Now here is your chance to do just that. Rekindle your own wonder through your child’s eyes as they get excited by seeing a cow, sheep, chicken, or even other more exotic animals, such as the mink, seal, Arctic fox and reindeer. Fun fact: the only native land mammal in Iceland is the fox).  The other section of the park is an amusement park for the little ones. They can ride in kiddie cars, trains, boats and carrousels. And do lots of jumping around!

A sleeping Arctic fox with its fluffy tail wrapped around itself

#7 Skating or skiing

Just next to the Reykjavik Park and Zoo is Reykjavik’s main skating rink, Skautahöllin Laugardal. It’s a fun place that’s always icy, even when the outside is not. Believe us, it happens! Our favourite moment is when they dim the lights, put on some disco lighting and turn up the music a bit. That’s a chance for the older ones and the parents to forget time and place and just have fun! No preparation is needed, except maybe putting on some warm clothes. You can rent the skates and helmets on the spot, and there’s supportive equipment for anyone without a sure footing on the ice. If you’re in Reykjavik in winter, there’s a great skiing resort within minutes from downtown Reykjavik. Ski resort Bláfjöll offers several slopes of different difficulties, as well as cross-country skiing tracks. You can also rent anything you might need there. Why not start the day with a walk and breakfast downtown, followed by skiing or snowboarding, and then ending the day melting away in hot jacuzzi?!

#8 Swimming pools – Swim like a dolphin, chill like a seal

With 121 swimming pools in a country of 370,000 inhabitants, we take our swimming pools seriously. Right, maybe not THAT seriously. But seriously enough that we want to access them anywhere in the country, any time of year! And with lots of hot water too! There will usually be several pools with different temperatures and different functions. So you can relax at 37°C while your kids play in the shallow pool for children. One swimming pool that could be of special interest is Laugardalslaug where you can find a massive waterslide! (It’s also just next to the Reykjavik Park and Zoo and the skating rink.) Don’t worry, it is perfectly normal for you as an adult to join them! After all, it is moments like these that remind us that we are all still kids inside. As far as family activities in Reykjavik go, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Laugardalslaug swimming pool has a big waterslide and many different pools

#9 Perlan – Education meets fun

This domed palace-like structure overlooking the city houses a world of knowledge and immersion. Perlan is a great stop to learn about Icelandic geology, history, glaciology, flora and fauna, all through fun and interactive features. I would like to emphasize the artificial ice cave tour that might be a fun little thing to do with the little ones, especially if you start a snow-ball fight in there. Another thing that is worth checking out is the northern lights show in the planetarium that will leave you wanting more. If you weren’t into it before, you’ll probably want to see the lights with your own eyes afterwards!

#10 Feed the ducks at Tjörnin

With 388 bird species in Iceland, it is truly a birdwatchers paradise. Being a birder myself I can think of no better incentive for your child to start loving birds than to take them to the city pond known as Tjörnin (Bus stop #2 is right next to it). Depending on the season, you’ll see different species of birds. Also, in the wintertime this pond is often frozen, and sometimes frozen hard enough to walk or skate on! Some of the regular inhabitants that your little ones will be happy to see and feed are eider ducks, whooper swans, greyleg geese, Eurasian wigeons and common teals. Keep in mind that bread and crackers are not suitable for them. Cracked corn, oats, rice, birdseed, frozen peas, chopped lettuce, or sliced grapes are a much better alternative. If you happen to come in the summer, you can spot the Arctic terns that nest on a tiny inlet in the pond called Þorfinnstjörn.

Written by Lucas Heinrich.

Winter is here! And because of fewer daylight hours and the cold, we have reduced the number of our whale watching departures each day. With the boats being less busy, I find myself helping out in the reception a lot more. I‘m surprised about how many times I have heard the following question in the last couple of weeks: „We would like to see puffins. Can we join one of your tours to see them?“ I get it; puffins are extremely appealing and cute birds. People travel from all over the world to see them here in Iceland, where we have the biggest breeding population of Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) on the globe. But the short answer to the question is: „No, unfortunately you cannot!“ It‘s not my devilish nature that I don‘t want our guests to see the puffins, but they are simply not around anymore. They migrate away after the summer. The more interesting question is: where do these millions of puffins go so suddenly at the end of the summer? What is their life in winter like? Well, let me tell you all about it. We are here to unravel the mystery of the puffin in winter.

Atlantic puffin at sea in the beginning of winter.

What we often explain on our tours during the summer in a jokingly manner is that the puffins get tired of the colony life and need some time off. In fact, they are mostly solitary during the winter, whereas they are very gregarious and have an active social life during the breeding season in summer. Once they are gone, they spend the winter months out on the open sea, somewhere in the vastness of the North-Atlantic ocean, possibly without touching soil for up to eight months. That‘s definitely one of the many „Wow!“- moments on the tours.

It is interesting to note, though, that the exact winter migration of the puffins is poorly understood and little studied. While it is very easy to study puffins during the summer months in their colonies, studying individualistic behaviour during the winter is very difficult. Some new research, especially with the rise of tiny geolocators has shed light on what used to be completely uncertain. Brace yourself for a few more „Wow!“ moments!

Not all puffins migrate to the same places. They show great variability in where they travel during the winter and how they get there. Some birds migrate over 1,700 km away and others stay within 250 km of their colony to which they always return for the breeding season (the same one, like frogs) (5). The record seems to be one individual who was found to have covered 7,700 km (4,800 mi) of the ocean in eight months, traveling northwards to the northern Labrador Sea then southeastward to the Mid-Atlantic before returning to land (7). At the same time, and somewhat surprisingly individuals show remarkable consistency in their own migratory routes among years.

It seems like they trust their own „gut feeling“ more than the word of their neighbours. Beside the fact that routes are very different among individuals (which implies that there is no genetic fixation of migration routes), you also have to keep in mind that most pufflings (baby puffins) will fledge in the middle of the night, leaving the nest and their parents behind. That means that migration routes are also not taught by the parents. It seems more likely that each indiviual learns and explores their own winter route and that they will stick to it for better or worse. How they always find back their own routes and navigate in the often featureless open sea, we simply don‘t know (1). Crazy isn‘t it?

A puffin in flight

But why is it important at all to understand where the puffins go in winter? It is crucial to know more about these puffins because the time out at sea accounts for two-thirds of the year or up to eight months (3). This period is crucial for the puffins to prepare for the breeding season. In a study focusing on puffins that breed in Scotland and Norway it was shown that their body mass increased by 20–30% between the chick-rearing period and the end of winter (2). So, if conditions are favourable, the fitness of the puffins is increased, which means that they rear their offspring more successfully. This is, in the long run, essential to save the declining population across the globe.

In general female (but not male) winter foraging efforts seem to be very important for reproductive success. Their pre-breeding condition, is critical for successfully having offspring. And although this seems to be of greatest importance, get ready for a Hollywood romance story: there is an interesting study (8) in which they found that pairs that followed more similar routes bred earlier and had a higher breeding success the following spring. Moreover pairs can benefit from following similar migration routes by synchronising their returns and reunion, which in turn increases reproduction success. Isn‘t that beautiful?

While some puffins remain social throughout the year, most puffins live a very solitary life out at sea with a population density as low as 1 bird per km² (6) and even split up from their partners. They really seem to need their space! Of course that‘s the secret to a healthy relationship and these romantic and very monogamous puffins truly understand that. Independence yes, but always think about the team in the long run!

Atlantic puffin distribution (taken from Fayet et al., 2017)

Different puffin populations have different migration behaviours. And they mostly overwinter in different areas, allthough there are certain areas where populations overlap. These areas are especially crucial for protection. If we find their crucial feeding sites and wintering locations, we can stop oil exploration, commercial fishing and even offshore wind parks in these areas by protecting them (5).

There are many factors influencing how far puffins will migrate away from their summer breeding colony. One of the more important ones seems to be the size of the colony: the bigger the colony, the more the puffins have to compete for a given food source (5). So if you have a big colony, like in Iceland with up to 10 million individuals during the summer (4), resources near the colony might be depleted more quickly which might lead birds to exploit more distant areas and spread more.

On the other hand, a recent study from Maine (closer to the southern end of the Atlantic puffin distribution) found no evidence of inter- or intra-colony differences in overwinter movement. Puffins mostly stuck close to each other and remained relatively close to the breeding site (9). It seems like food is abundant enough here to sustain the smaller Maine population.

What we now see is how complex the winter migration is and how difficult the question about where they go to really is. Some will stay in the cold but abundant waters of the North, while others might go for a winter „holiday“ in the Mediterrenean sea. Some stay closer to their partners, some don‘t. Many of the mechanisms influencing these decisions remain unclear. We need more research to really understand the mystery of the winter puffin.

For you, dear reader, it means that you will have to come back to Iceland. Enjoy the beautiful and magical Goddess Aurora dancing in the night sky above iceland in winter (and maybe even enjoy New Year’s Eve here!) and come back to see the adorable puffins when they breed here in summer. You could also buy a boat including crew that takes you out into the North-Atlantic ocean to try to see the puffins in winter. Good luck and as always thanks for reading 😊.

Written by Daniel Blankenheim.

(more…)

Where to see puffins in Reykjavík 

The summer months are finally upon us in Iceland, with the First Day of Summer having been celebrated on the 21st of April. Although you may feel that the weather and the temperature on this near-barren island in the North Atlantic Ocean do not reflect this season, it still means significant changes for the life on this island. Wildlife is returning to Iceland, with the famous beloved Atlantic Puffin being the one that many people are interested in meeting during their stay in Iceland. 

This cute, little penguin-like fellow is in fact no penguin at all, but a member of the auk family, a family of seabirds who are better swimmers and divers than flyers. They can fly, but prefer to spend most of their lives out at sea, where they in fact spend the entirety of the winter months. But now they are back on land for their breeding season, and we don’t have to travel far to see them! 

You may have heard that the best place to see puffins in Iceland is in the countryside, such as on the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar), in the West- and in the Eastfjords. This is because they prefer to breed on high cliffs or small islands, where they are safe from predators such as the Arctic fox, the mink, and our pet dogs. So yes, it is true that these are the best places to see puffins from land. 

However, a fact that even very few Icelanders are aware of is that you can find puffins right outside the harbour of Reykjavík! There are a few small islands close to the shore, near the capital and most populated place in Iceland, that host puffins every year. The names of some of these islands are Akurey, Engey, and Lundey – the latter literally translating to “puffin island.” From mid-April to mid-August, these seabirds return to the burrows that they have dug into the earth all over these islands. As monogamous birds, they find their same mate again by the same burrow that they built together in the beginning, and each pair lays one egg that they hatch together into a cute little puffin chick, called puffling, which they raise and feed with fish until it can leave the burrow in mid-August.  

A group of puffins seen on our Puffin Express tour from Reykjavik

The puffin parents do not spend too much time in their burrows and in fact mostly fly in and out to sea to hunt for fish, especially once the puffling is born and they have to start taking turns feeding it. The little islands are also cut off from the mainland and are protected areas, thus we are not allowed to walk on them – we would have a hard time finding a stable way in between all these burrows anyway! That means, our best chance to see puffins from Reykjavík is by boat, for example on our 1-hour long Puffin Express Tour!  

Our boat Skúlaskeið or Rósin will take you as close as possible to one of the small islands, either Akurey or Lundey, depending on the tide, to enable you to observe these adorable little seabirds as they sit on the water surface or fly all around us. You can also watch them sit in front of their burrows on the island, with the help of one of our binoculars. Our expert guide will then also tell you all about these seabirds and their adorable antics. So, even if you’ve seen puffins in other parts of the country, this tour may still be a great way to spend your time should you want to experience and learn more about Icelandic nature even while staying in the urban capital! Just a heads-up though – you will only get to see adult puffins, as the pufflings stay hidden inside the burrows until the very end of Summer, when they are grown enough to leave the burrow on their own. 

The Puffin Tours leave the harbour several times a day, from May until the 20th of August. Check out this link for details! Although the puffins may arrive a bit earlier than May, we start the tours only once we are certain that we can show you the most abundant numbers of puffins on the islands.  

If you are in Iceland just before May, you can still join one of our Whale Watching tours and see puffins out at sea. You will most likely encounter them even during our Whale Watching Classic tours, so join one of them for a chance to see both whales AND puffins! Our RIB (the speed boat) that starts going out in mid-April will make a stop at one of the puffin islands as well just before heading out further to sea to find the whales, so you will also get a closer look at the burrows and puffins sitting on land. 

To summarize, puffins do live very close to Reykjavík in the summer, but since these are seabirds that are clumsy at flying, they prefer to stay out at sea and only land on small islands a little off the shore of the capital. Thus, your best chance to see them while staying in Reykjavík or its near surroundings is during a trip on any of our three main tours: Puffin Watching, Whale Watching Reykjavík and RIB Express! 

Written by Sophie Kass 

Yes, you most certainly can see puffins in Reykajvik!

Puffins are seabirds and spend most of their lives out in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. However, during their breeding season from May to August, they migrate to Iceland, Norway, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, the United Kingdom and Newfoundland. You can find colonies of puffins all around Iceland during the summer and scientists believe that 60% of the entire puffin population nests in Iceland every summer! But they are shy by nature and they nest in remote places so it can be hard to find them.

Just outside of Reykjavik Harbor there are two small islands called Akurey and Engey. There is a big puffin colony that nests on these islands, it’s estimated that around 10-15 thousand pairs nest on them every summer. Just when the breeding season is starting scientists go out to the islands to count how many holes are being used by the puffins. That way they can see if the population is declining or not. They went out to Akurey on the 2^nd of June 2019 and discovered that there were puffins in 4 out of every 5 holes. That is 8% more than last year so the population is doing great!

If you want to see puffins from Reykjavik, you can join us on one of our Puffin Express tours! The islands are only a 15-minute boat ride from Reykjavik harbor. We go out on a small wooden boat called Skúli which is built to sail into shallow waters so we can get extra close to the islands. There you can see the puffins in their natural habitat walking around on the islands, sitting on the surface of the water around the boat or flying over. We have about half an hour to cruise around the islands and enjoy the environment.

The boat is half overbuilt so you can stay inside or outside, whatever you feel is more comfortable. We provide binoculars on board, a lot of puffin books with extra information and warm blankets for those who need them. The tour is only one hour and is suitable for all ages. It’s the perfect opportunity to experience Icelandic nature and see Reykjavík from a different viewpoint. Just make sure you are dressed according to the weather and bring a long lens camera if you want to get some crystal-clear photos of the puffins because they are small and fast! I recommend to just sit back, relax and take in the nature around you. See more information about our puffin watching tour from Reykjavik here.

Blog by our Puffin Specialist
Íris Thorlacius Hauksdóttir