Norway - Hornøya bird island

A few hours on Hornøya, the easternmost point of Norway.

29 March 2025
At the very northeasternmost point of Norway lives the small town of Vardø, a very interesting fishing harbour and the departure point for Hornøya, a very famous bird sightseeing island. A sunny morning was the perfect excuse to jump on a boat (~500NOK per person) and spend some time around puffins and other penguins!
As the boat approached, many chaotic noises started to emerge from the bird cliff, and many birds were already flying everywhere. But it was only the beginning..
This island is the home of more than 80 000 birds of many kinds - puffins, penguins, ducks, gulls.. They are all very different and still living together. And they have one common point, they are afraid of falcons! As we arrived, one appeared high above the island, triggering a massing take off.
After everybody calmed down and came back, we were able to observe the impressive colony of puffins.
In addition to puffins, many different type of penguins and ducks (amongst others!) are living there.
Beyond birds, the landscape was also amazing. Russia coastline was even visible from the lighthouse.
And to supplement this already beautiful view, orcas were hunting around the island.