Day 5: Tuesday June 24 2025 Reykjavik and TRANSIT
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home. (Breakfast).
Our flight is late afternoon 5 PM. Check out is 11 AM.So after breakfast we finalize our packing and dress for the puffin tour.
PUFFIN BOAT TOUR 10 AM 1 HR SAME MEETING SPOT AS WHALES The tour takes you to one of three islands (Engey, Akurey or Lundey) known for their abundant birdlife depending on the tides and conditions. While we don’t land on the islands, the captains expertly navigate close to the shores, allowing for an up-close experience with the puffins without disturbing their nesting areas. In addition to puffins, you’ll have the chance to see other bird species, such as eider ducks, arctic terns, guillemots and cormorants.
Meeting time: 30 minutes before tour departing time
Meeting location: The Whale Safari ticket office at Ægisgarður (the Old Reykjavík Harbour, downtown Reykjavik).
We were surprised to be directed to a boat, so I could let go of my trepidation about it taking place on a RIB boat. It was very full, so we stayed outside on the deck.
While puffins nest near Reykjavik, getting very close to them can be tricky. Puffin watching tours from Reykjavik's old harbor take you near the puffin colonies, but access to the nesting sites is often restricted during the breeding season.
With 8 to 10 million puffins inhabiting the island, Iceland is home to more than 60% of the world’s entire Atlantic puffin population.
The breeding season for puffins in Reykjavik, Iceland, primarily occurs during the summer months, specifically from May to August. The peak time for observing puffins, including their nesting and breeding activities, is generally in June and July. During this period, puffins return to land to nest, and you can find them on small islands just a few minutes from Reykjavik, such as Akurey and Lundey, which we went to.
WHAT WE LEARNED
Thanks to their funny appearance, puffins have been nicknamed ‘sea parrots’ and ‘clowns of the sea’! Their waddling walks make them look a little comical. The Icelandic nickname of the puffins is “prófastur” which means preacher. Due to their “dressing”.
They change their color during the year. At the end of the breeding season, some of the special characteristics of their plumage are lost when they molt. Their white feathers become dark gray and their beaks also change, becoming narrower, with a tip that is bright. The birds develop their brighter colors once again during the spring. Their winter dress is, though, seldom seen by humans!
This is because puffins spend the winter – more precisely, the larger part of the year, some eight months – out at sea. They spend most of their lives resting on waves, coming ashore only to breed and raise their young, known as pufflings. Each female produces a single puffling every year.
While at sea, the birds spread out widely across the North Atlantic Ocean. Each bird has more than a square kilometer to itself, so it is very unlikely that anyone will spot a puffin on the open sea in winter.
In late spring, thousands of puffins form large colonies on coastal clifftops, coming together for the breeding season.
Puffins are monogamous. They usually mate for life and a couple can stay together for over 20 years!
To make their nests, known as burrows, they dig out a burrow in the turf or soil where they lay their single egg. Each year they return to the same burrow.
The male and female share parental responsibilities, they take it in turns incubating the egg. It takes 36-45 days for the baby “puffling” to hatch.
The chick grows rapidly, after about six weeks it is fully developed and capable of caring for itself.
Atlantic puffins have incredible skills. They can dive to depths of about 60 meters and fly at a speed of 88 km/h (24m/sec) by flapping their wings 400 times per minute!
The reason why they need to flap their wings so fast is that their bones are not hollow so they are heavier than other birds. This is also the reason why they can dive down as far as they do.
In bird terms, puffins live long lives. The oldest recorded puffin was ringed in the Westman Islands and died at the age of 38. However, the average lifespan of a puffin is 20 to 25 years.
Burrow holes.
National Geographic
After the tour we grabbed a quick lunch across the street, delicious fish and chips. Pricey, yikes.
Delicious, though! They also have a spot on Rainbow St.
Then we stopped for a twisted donut and coffee, the donut is $20 EACH!! We had been here on the Food Walk. At this point we just laugh at the prices.
We strolled before heading back to the hotel to change and pick up our luggage before heading to the bus stop for our pickup.
Unfortunately we both misread the instructions. We took it as a 2PM pickup and didn't notice the fine print of arriving 30-40 minutes ahead of time. This pickup takes you to the bus terminal (10 minute ride) where you transfer to a bigger bus for the 45-50 minute ride to the airport.
We walked to the nearest hotel and they called us a cab for the 45 minute ride.
Once we checked in, we went through security and headed to the Saga Lounge.
KEF airport at the gates was a zoo, so noisy and disorganized. You have to be bussed to the plane, so no seat assignment order for boarding.
Date 24 Jun 2025
Airline Icelandair Flight/Class FI603 A
Origin Reykjavik, Keflavik International
Destination Toronto, Lester B. Pearson International
Departing 1705 Arriving 1910
Estimated Time 6 Hrs 5 Mins
Seats 1D, 1F
Miles 2,605
We left late, the earlier plane was late and there was an airport shortage of workers.
Once seated, in our little cocoon, we were served prosecco. We had a VERY good looking flight attendant, all smiles and very efficient.
This was a delicious meal service.
We both had this with panna cotta for dessert.
Icelandair does not have gates directly in terminal 3 at YYZ. Passengers are bussed and in this case we were bussed directly to security which would have been great except the plane is so far away it took an hour for the first piece of luggage to arrive.
So even though we landed at 7:30 it was after 8:30 and our Uber was cancelled so we had to get another one.
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