2017 Wildlife Photo Contest

Species: Atlantic Puffin | Location: Látrabjarg, NW Fiords, Iceland

A gorgeous spring evening in NW Iceland, May 21, 2012. The extended twilight/golden hour and cloudless skies provided magnificent light long into the evening. Taken around 9:30 PM GMT at Látrabjarg, the westernmost point of Iceland (and Europe). An Atlantic Puffin returns to the clifftop from the ocean far below. Although I had lived in Iceland for a year as a child while my Dad was on sabbatical working with Glacial Geologists at the University of Iceland and had returned for another year to study Geology at the University of Iceland in 1977-78 on a Fulbright Scholarship, this was my first trip to Látrabjarg. Ironically, my Icelandic language skills had improved significantly when my boys 14 and under basketball team (KR Club from Reykjavík) was snowed in at nearby Patreksfjörður for a week over the New Year's holidays 1968-69. My wife and I are regular visitors to Iceland to visit with friends and enjoy the countryside.

About The Photographer

Recently retired geologist. Early days part-time (semi-)professional wildlife and landscape photographer. Lived in Iceland for a year as a child (1968-69) and attended the University of Iceland for a year on a Fulbright Scholarship (1977-78). Good friends there, and I learned Icelandic during those years, so Iceland is a fairly frequent destination.