Atlantic Puffin Safari

The Atlantic Puffin Safari is a boat tour from Longyearbyen that searches for Atlantic Puffins, a bird of the Arctic. The destination is the bird cliff Diabas, reached by heading east through the fjords in a sturdy open Polarcirkel speedboat. The operator rates the difficulty 3 on a scale of 5 and describes the tour as suitable for people of average fitness.

On the way out, the fjord areas hold migrant birds that have come to Svalbard from many parts of the world, from May to the end of July. A whale may also appear along the route, though the page presents that as a possibility only. Diabas is home to many nesting Atlantic Puffin pairs, and the Brünnich's Guillemot is there in numbers at least ten times higher. At the cliff the crew switches off the engine, and the group watches the birds from the water close to the rock face. A warm drink is served during the stop, and then the boat returns to Longyearbyen.

The whole tour lasts four hours. A guide collects guests at their hotel and drives them to the expedition centre. There they receive a flotation suit, a life jacket and goggles. After that the group goes down to the harbour, where the speedboat is waiting. The minimum age is 8 years. The tour runs from May to August.