Overview
We’ve been running trips to Iceland since we began organising wildlife photography holidays so it’s a destination we know well. During that time, it’s a country that’s been in the headlines with collapsing banks and erupting volcanoes, but it’s also an amazing place for both landscape and wildlife photography and this trip allows for the perfect blend of seabirds and summer breeding waders in some very dramatic settings. We’ll be based on the island of Grimsey, situated on the line of the Arctic Circle and where dramatic sea cliffs are home to array of seabirds. At the heart of these will be the iconic and incredibly photogenic Atlantic Puffin and our base is close to one of the best cliff colonies on the island, but other species which are either more challenging or only occasional visitors to the UK will offer a diverse array of subjects to work with including Black and Brunnich’s Guillemot, Razorbill and some incredibly picturesque Kittiwake colonies too. There are surprisingly approachable breeding waders here as well including Golden Plover (usually just outside the door of where we stay) along with Dunlin, Phalarope, Snipe and more besides. With Arctic Tern and Snow Bunting on our doorstep the diversity to work with is superb, although Puffins will never be far from our focus. The long days at this time of year (the quality of light the midnight sun offers can be stunning and it is possible to photograph pretty much 24 hours a day) will offer up plenty to work with on this northern summer island.
Itinerary Open +Close -
Day 1: We all travel to Keflavik airport in Iceland. We will then transfer to the domestic airport at Reykjavik for our flights to Akureyri. We will then look to transfer to a local hotel in Akureyri for the night and over dinner we can discuss our plans for the days ahead.
Day 2: After breakfast we will be transferred to the harbour at Dalvik for the morning ferry (it’s a journey of about 40 km) to Grimsey Island where we will be based for our trip. We should be able to get out for an initial explore with our cameras this afternoon before settling into our house after dinner at the local restaurant.
Days 3 – 7: These days will be spent photographing our primary subject the Atlantic puffin as well as several other seabird species, including: common guillemot, Brunnich’s guillemot, black guillemot, razorbill, kittiwake, fulmar and arctic tern. It is estimated that there are over a million birds on Grimsey’s cliffs during the breeding season. There will also be opportunities to photograph several wader species, including snipe, red-necked phalarope and redshank. Our accommodation is close to one of the best cliffs for puffin photography, but we will also walk to other areas of the 5 square km island to make the most of wind direction for flight photos and the midnight sun: we have so many options to choose from!
Day 8: After a final morning of photography, we board the ferry back to Dalvík and on to Akureyri. We will either then transfer to the airport for our flight back to Reykjavik for an overnight stop and then or remain in Akureyri – the flight schedules available when it is time to book will determine which but either will be comfortable and allow us time to reflect on our adventures over a final dinner.
Day 9: After breakfast we will begin our final journey home to the airport at Keflavik for our return international flights.
What our customers say
“Photographing puffins by the midnight sun was magical”
“The dramatic cliffs were a great setting”
“We covered the whole island many times over and discovered some excellent little locations to photograph”
Showcase gallery
