Stopover Tour – The Wildlife in the West of Iceland

Day 1: Keflavik – Snaefellsnes Peninsula - Grundarfjordur

After we have picked up all our participants from the Keflavik Airport we get on our way towards the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

Words cannot express the mystery, wonder and almost surreal energy of the Snaefellsnes peninsula! The major landmark is the Snaefellsjokull glacier which is renowned for its mystical powers and has captured the imagination of people all over the world, ever since Jules Verne wrote “The Journey to the Centre of the Earth” in 1871. The area features extraordinary moorlands, meadows, marshlands, rivers, streams and small ponds along with beautiful rock formations and black sand beaches. Snaefellsnes Peninsula is with out any doubt one of the best places in Iceland for Nature- and Wildlifewatching during summertime. In this tour we can expect to see great variety of bird species, seals and possibly few cetacean species. These species will include bird species such as Harlequin Duck, Puffin, Brünnich's Guillemot, White-tailed Eagle, Arctic Skua, Arctic Tern, Northern Gannet and many more. In recent years we have been able to see both Grey Seals and Harbour/Common seals and the cetaceans we have seen from land include species such as Orcas and Minke whales.

After traveling around the Peninsula we make our way to our hotel on the north shore of the peninsula.

Day 2: Grundarfjordur – Breidafjordur - Flatey Island

We will start day 2 by travel to the town of Stykkisholmur where our boat will be waiting for us to take us on a tour in the Breidafjordur bay. Breidafjordur bay located between the Westfjords in the North and Snaefellsnes Peninsula in the south has both landscape and seascape of different kind. It consists of small fjords and bays and is literally dotted with around 3,000 islands, islets and skerries. The wildlife in the area consists of millions of seabirds with species such as Atlantic Puffin, Black Guillemot, Northern Fulmar and European Shag abundant. The area is also the main breeding area for the White-tailed Eagle which we will have a look at. Both Harbour/Common Seal and Grey Seal can be found in the bay as well. After making a tour among the Islands we take land on the Flatey Island were we stay for the night. Flatey Island is a small inhabited island almost in the middle of the bay. The birdlife on the island is so used to live closely with humans resulting in hundreds of extremely tame individuals. Making it possible for the eiderdown farmers to even pick up some of the female Eider Ducks, collect part of their down and put them comfortably back on their nests. Other tame birdspecies such as nesting Black Guillemot, Redshank, Red-necked Phalarope and Snow Bunting can also be observed at extremely close range. The Island is also known for being the only public area in Iceland where we can see Red Phalaropes. After dinner at our hotel on the Island we will if weather allows end this great day of nature- and wildlifewatching by having a traditional Icelandic bonfire on the shore watching the sun go down for a short time and come up again.

Day 3. Flatey Island – Reykjavik  

The morning on day three will be dedicated to the Wildlife on Flatey Island. For those who are interested in photography or behavioral studying this time will possibly be one of your best times of the whole tour since the possibilities are endless. Weather you like to watch the puffins dive for eels, watch the Black Guillemots return to their nests with Butterfish in their beak, watch the Fulmars glide right by you, listen to the Black-legged Kittiwake tell their stories in the cliffs, watch the spinning on water Red-necked Phalaropes or even look for the rare Red Phalaropes it’s totally up to you. After lunch we travel back via the ferry Baldur to the town of Stykkisholmur from where we drive back to Reykjavik where you will have the late afternoon/evening for your self.

Day 4: Reykjavik – Blue Lagoon – Keflavik airport

Today we will make sure everyone gets to the airport in time. Depending on when your departure is you might have some free time in the morning to look around in the capital before heading to the airport. We will make a tour leaving from the hotel shortly after lunchtime and visit the Blue Lagoon before reaching the Keflavik airport at around 14:00pm.