Project Puffling - Rescue, Nurture, Release

Meet the tiniest visitors to the Beluga Whale Sanctuary – At Iceland's one and only Puffin Rescue Centre, where pufflings and their grown-up counterparts get a second chance at life.

The Vestmannaeyjar archipelago is no ordinary place. Every summer, more than 700,000 pairs of Atlantic Puffins descend on these beautiful islands to breed, making this historically Iceland's largest, and most spectacular, puffin colony.

When fledgling season arrives, thousands of pufflings emerge from their burrows and take their very first leap toward the ocean. It's one of nature's great spectacles. But sadly not every journey goes to plan.

Some pufflings are lured off course by the glow of town lights. Others get caught in a gust and blown far from their path. That's where the Pysjueftirlitið - the Puffling Patrol swoops in. These dedicated local volunteers work tirelessly each fledgling season to guide disoriented baby birds safely to the sea, and they do it in close partnership with the Sanctuary, who step in to care for any pufflings that are oiled, injured, or simply not yet ready to brave the waves.

Once at the sanctuary, every feathered guest receives expert care and treatment, and when they're fighting fit and ready to face the ocean, our team release them back into the wild.

2025 was our busiest year so far…with 276 pufflings needing our help.

Our puffin hospital was at maximum capacity with 110 birds at one time (previous seasons has only seen occupancy at around 15-23 birds at one time.) It was BUSY!

As our dedicated teams prepare for this coming puffling season, we are in need of essential supplies, including, vital equipment, medication, transportation boxes and heat lamps. Can you help us with a donation?

The following list shows how we divide our costs during puffling season:

Food: 2,500 GBP

Supplies and equipment: 1000 GBP

Veterinary and medication: 500 GBP

Staff time for 4 weeks: 2000 GBP

A donation of any size would go such a long way, and help to protect the animals at our Sanctuary.

Thank you so much for your kind support.