Iceland is home to plenty of amazing animal species. A lot of them are extremely rare in other parts of the world. This country is a great place to watch whales, seals, numerous birds, arctic foxes, ermines and even reindeer! When it comes to sheep and charming local horses, you can see them virtually all over the place but where do we stand a chance to encounter these less popular animals?
Take a look at this list of top 5 places to watch wildlife in Iceland.
Whale watching: Husavik
Fishing boat cruise
Whale-watching cruises are a fantastic opportunity to see these gigantic mammals in their natural surroundings. Moreover, your chances of spotting at least one on such a cruise are very high. Otherwise, cruise operators often give refunds or invite you to their next cruise.
Such tours operate from several ports. But Husavik – the whaling capital of the north – offers top conditions. This town’s history, from its very early days, has been very much connected to whaling.
Other towns that offer whale-watching cruises are the nearby Akureyri, Reykjavik and Haimey – on the Vestmanneyjar (Westman Islands). The cruise takes about 2-3 hours. Depending on where you set out from and on which kind of boat, you have different chances of seeing various species of whales and cetaceans. Read more in a separate article devoted to this very topic: Whale-watching cruises in Iceland – how, where, when and how much.
A perfect way to complement such a cruise, especially if you are travelling with kids, is a visit to this exhibition Whales of Iceland in Reykjavik. There you can learn plenty about these huge aquatic mammals and see their impressive full-scale models. Mind you, during you typically cruise you get to spot the back or tip of the nose of a whale. Meanwhile this exhibition offers you the opportunity to take a close look at different species from every possible angle…
Rare arctic animals: Hornstrandir reserve
Arctic fox in Hornstrandir
Do not let the hardships of your journey dishearten you. In Hornstrandir you’ll get the chance to encounter arctic foxes, reindeer, puffins, seals and whales. Additionally, this tremendously exciting part of Iceland offers mind blowing views and landscapes. Towering vertical cliffs with violent ocean waves crashing against them is just one example of the astonishing scenery you can experience here. Hornstrandir has no roads of infrastructure – you are surrounded by wilderness stretching in all directions.
Another shot at spotting rare arctic animals is here islandzki interior. In this region Thorsmork you can see foxes and ermines, and reindeer on highlands. However, your chances of encountering them are much lower.
Látrabjarg: Puffin lovers’ paradise
Puffins on Latrabjarg
Near Látrabjarg there are numerous hiking trails that will take you to the most beautiful viewpoints. You can choose among trails of varying lengths, so every nature enthusiast will find something suitable.
If you don’t have enough time to go to remote Westfjords, here’s another good place to watch large puffin colonies Dyrholey peninsula not far from Vik. It is a small, rocky cape right next to Kirkjufjara beach. It is an easily accessible place that offers charming scenery composed of intricate basalt formations that often emerge straight from the ocean.
Finally, a very interesting place usually full of puffins is a ‘micro peninsula’ Harnarholmi, right off the Borgarfjordur Eystri haven. It’s about 75 km (45 mi) north east of Egilsstadir in the Eastern Iceland. It’s a bit of a detour from road #1, but if you have a bit of time and enjoy watching puffins – it’s definitely a place you have to visit. You can watch puffins from a very close distance here and many believe that this is the #1 puffin-watching spot, even better than Latrabjarg.
Seal colony on Ytri Tunga beach
Seals of Ytri Tunga
This is a perfect place for all nature and wildlife lovers. If you are keen on observing them in their natural surroundings, you definitely must go there: Ytri Tunga – beach teeming with seals.
Seal colonies can be encountered on many Icelandic beaches (they often appear here Hvitserkur in the north. However, only in Ytri Tunga can you be absolutely certain of this delightful encounter.
Bird lovers’ paradise: Myvatn lake area
Myvatn is mostly known for its amazing geological formations created by exceptional volcanic activity. The second thing that tourists often notice are the tiny little flies – midges. Myvatn literally means ‘the lake of midges’ and the area is really full of these tiny insects.
The area surrounding the lake is also home to a great variety of bird species. If you want to know more about birds here and observe their life from up close, it is good to start from the Sigurgeir´s Bird Museum (fuglasafn.is). This place is rarely visited by tourists, which is a bit of a shame as it is really interesting.
Bonus: Húsdýragarðurinn
A bonus place that is worth adding to your list for wildlife watching is Húsdýragarðurinn Zoo w Reykjaviku. Mind you, the name ‘zoo’ is not doing this place justice. It is more of a wildlife park where you can see (and often touch) many Icelandic species of animals. What makes this zoo special is that here you won’t find any exotic species, just animals that naturally occur in this country. This park in the capital of Iceland is great for everyone, be it a child or an adult.
