North Atlantic Puffins can be found nesting in summer along many cliffs bordering the North Atlantic Ocean. I was fortunate enough to spend a few days with these beautiful little birds along the Latrabjarg Cliffs in Iceland and off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada.
Puffins are the most comical and delightful birds. They lead the most interesting lives of which most humans only witness a small fraction of. Puffins spend three quarters of their lives at sea, with quite the change of plumage between land and sea. While out at sea they are much darker, with brown instead of white feathers and just a colourfully-tipped beak. Roosting for a short period in seaside cliffs, puffins change suits and raise their one puffling on sand eels they forage from the sea. They can dive to 60 m and fly at speeds of around 90 km/hr! That means flapping their wings 400 times per minute. Mating for life, these colourful characters share their lives for over 20 years.
I dare you not to be enamoured and fall in love with these charismatic birds.
