On Iceland’s misty, craggy cliffs, where the Atlantic meets the Arctic, the Atlantic puffins — known for their striking orange bill and soulful eyes — have long been a symbol of the country’s rugged beauty. But behind the charm lies a stark reality: the puffin population in Iceland has plummeted by a staggering 70% since 1995.

Despite Iceland’s outward celebration of the puffin as a national icon, the tradition of hunting these birds persists. This practice is primarily driven by cultural heritage and the financial lure of selling puffin meat to restaurants for tourism, according to Save Puffins.

“Puffin hunting in Iceland was once considered sustainable, but now scientists say it is absolutely not, and it still contributes to 10% of the puffin population decline,” said Puffinologist Jillian Taylor in the podcast Ologies with Alie Ward.

“People used to rappel down cliffs to get their eggs, which were considered a delicacy. Since puffins only lay one egg per season, that was really harmful for the population,” said Angelica Bas Gomez, a marine and environmental scientist.

“I’m very against selling puffins in restaurants because very few people around were raised with it, and it’s not something you eat every other week. It’s more of a traditional food, eaten once or twice a year,” said Saevor Erlendsdottir, an Iceland undersea specialist.

Puffins as part of history

For centuries, puffins were more than just a picturesque part of the landscape — they were a lifeline. Particularly in Iceland’s past when nutrients were scarce, puffins were a significant food source.

“Seabirds, not only puffins, were a necessary food item when you live in a place where there’s very little food” said Michael Jackson, an expedition leader for Lindblad Expeditions.

“Puffins used to be a diet of Icelanders because people needed to survive,” said Tua Pittman, a cultural navigator with Lindblad Expeditions.

But as Iceland modernized, so too did its relationship with these birds.

“As soon as sheep were imported, people consumed (fewer) puffins. And by learning from the herring people’s history that overhunting isn’t a good thing, they started to protect them,” said Pittman.

Yet, this respect towards puffins alone hasn’t been enough to counteract the powerful forces threatening their populations.

What do warmer waters mean for puffins?

“The collapse of the puffin population was due to not only hunting but also warming seas and overfishing the fish they feed on,” said Erlendsdottir.

“Killing their food resource is a big factor,” said Taylor.

Sandsíli (also known as sand lance) is the primary food resource of puffins. As a result of overfishing since the 17th century, these small, silvery fish that puffins depend on are becoming increasingly scarce, forcing the birds to travel farther and expend more energy to find food — often with fatal consequences.

Gomez expressed her concern about the warming water. “We’ll see a trend in species that prefer cooler waters migrating further north as the water gets warmer. But eventually, they’ll run out of places to go, leading to environmental pressures where only the birds that can adapt to the warmer temperatures will survive,” she said.

Social forces working together

On the island of Heimaey in the south of Iceland, a self-organized group of citizens called the “Puffling Patrol” help lost puffins in the town find their way home. Juvenile puffins are known as “pufflings.” 

“With so much light pollution in the city, puffins can mistake those light sources for the reflection of the moon reflecting on the sea and become disoriented to fly into town, and that’s dangerous,” Erlendsdottir said.

“Children with their parents, and the police, would go looking around the town for these puffins, collecting them in cardboard boxes, as many as 50 a night, and then finally throwing them off the cliffs back to the sea,” she said. “It sounds brutal, but it’s actually doing something nice.”

“Throwing pufflings off cliffs is part of helping them. Some go the wrong way when they fledge and end up in cities. Puffling Patrol helps get them back out to sea,” said Taylor.

Scientific research also plays a pivotal role in these conservation efforts. One critical method researchers use is the banding of puffins with small anklets.

“The anklets are small bands placed on puffins to help researchers identify individual birds and monitor their behavior, social interactions, and movements within the colony,” said Jackson. 

“The bands are designed to be as non-intrusive as possible. They are placed on the puffin’s leg away from any joints to ensure they do not hinder the bird’s movement or cause discomfort,” Taylor said.

“Puffins generally do not pay much attention to each other’s legs,” she said, explaining that the anklets do not affect how the puffins interact.

These efforts are not limited to rescuing pufflings. Locals are also taking direct action to protect puffins’ nesting colonies.

“People are trying to keep puffins away from their predators like Arctic foxes, rats, and big birds like fulmars by setting up fences and waving hands in their habitat land,” said Pittman.

An optimistic future for puffin conservation

Despite the challenges, there are glimmers of hope that the tide may be turning for Iceland’s puffins. “The puffin stock is coming back strong. It’s not doing as badly as it used to be. The biggest proof of that is the number of pufflings,” said Erlendsdottir.

Gomez also expressed her views on seeking a balance between puffin conservation and preserving cultural tradition.

“I think humanity has to accept that we have to use natural resources, but it is important to find a way to make it sustainable,” she said.

Editor’s Note: Lindblad Expeditions, our Planet Forward Storyfest Competition partner, made this series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. We thank Lindblad Expeditions for their continued support of our project.