Bleiksoya Island Norway
Norway
Frequently Asked Questions
No, landing is forbidden: the birds' peace comes first. The colony is watched from the water, either as the ship passes or on a sea safari departing from the Bleik marina.
Off Bleik, a fishing village on Andøya island in the northern Vesterålen. It is a triangle of dark rock set on the sea, capped by a swirling cloud that is not a cloud at all: it is birds.
About 80,000 pairs, returning each spring to dig their burrows in the grassy slopes. It is one of Norway's most famous puffin colonies.
A traditional boat takes small groups from the Bleik marina in about ten minutes, and the full outing lasts around an hour and a half. Nearing the colony, the sea fills with puffins floating by the hundred around the hull, diving and resurfacing.
From late April to mid-August, while the birds occupy the islet to breed. After that the whole winged population returns to the open sea and the islet falls silent; the safaris stop until the following spring.
Guillemots and cormorants nest on the ledges, and white-tailed eagles, the largest raptors in northern Europe, patrol constantly. When one of those huge shadows glides over the slopes, tens of thousands of birds lift off at once.
One of the longest sand beaches in northern Norway, a pale crescent backed by steep mountains. The village houses press between sea and rock face, and trails head up the nearby heights for anyone wanting to extend the day.
Yes, some excursions combine both: the deep water close to the Andøya coast draws sperm whales and other giants. It is one of the few places where birds and cetaceans can both be seen in a single day.
Yes, the outing is short and puffins fascinate children. Bring windproof clothing though: the boat is open and the Vesterålen swell makes itself felt as soon as you leave the marina.
None, and it should be said plainly: no monument, no museum, just a rock, tens of thousands of wings and the steady crash of the swell. Anyone looking for built heritage should look elsewhere.
