Puffins, Plumbing, and 100km/hr: Seyðisfjörður Delivered

A Rough Start (and a Rogue Toilet)

A pinch and a punch for the first of the month! We had a very early start in Seyðisfjörður this morning for our 7:45am RIB tour — but before any wildlife spotting could happen, the bathroom had other ideas. Our toilet decided to go rogue and wouldn’t stop filling up, after which Ros found out I didn’t press the button hard enough and this is cruise number 2 (no pun intended) where I broke the toilet and had to call a plumber. A little panic later (thankfully, no nasties), I called reception, who promised to send a plumber. It was like one of the waterfalls flowing over the edge, most of the water was being captured in the big floor drains, but some looked ready to make a break for it — so I threw down towels like a DIY dam. Crisis averted... for now, but entertainment for Ros.

Into the Fjord with Viking Vibes

We were met by a young guy who thankfully turned out to be the assistant, not the driver — phew. Ros asked if anyone had fallen overboard before, and the young fella advised he was the only one, whilst he was taking a selfie movie, he showed us the movie it was funny. I wore my now-standard Iceland gear: beanie, neck gaiter, jacket, sunglasses, shorts, and shoes. Yep — still one of only two lunatics wearing shorts on the boat. (The other? The Kiwi we met earlier.)

Once suited up in our surprisingly easy-to-put-on dry suits, we met our guides: Hilmir and Hafþór, brothers and legit Viking lookalikes from Exploring Seyðisfjörður. There were 12 of us in total, and Ros volunteered us to sit at the back — just in front of the captain. It’s the most stable spot, especially when they hit the throttle later.

Seals, Puffins, and Serious Speed

The plan: wildlife and local history. The delivery: spot on. The guides were brilliant — respectful of the animals and knowledgeable about the area. We saw seals lounging like pros and more seabirds than we could count… including our first puffins in the wild! Well, actually, hundreds. Everywhere we looked — puffins!

As we headed back, one of the guides zipped up everyone’s hoods. You know what that means — speed time. We hit around 100km/hr across the water, a wild, chilly rush.

Crate Chaos and Cycling Shenanigans

Getting out of the dry suits went fine… except for Ros. While seated on a crate waiting to be unzipped, she leaned a little too far — and both crate and Ros went flying. No injuries, just lots of laughter.

Post-boat ride, we grabbed a couple of e-bikes from the ship for a town ride. Slight issue: it had been a while since Ros last rode, and these were all mediums, which weren’t exactly her size, which made for funny times watching her try to get on and off the bike. Still, we gave it a go — riding on the right (wrong) side of the road, no less.

We cruised through Seyðisfjörður, passing colourful houses, the famous rainbow street, and its charming blue church. Above town, we spotted construction on an avalanche protection structure. Ros gave me a few minutes to ride solo to check it out. I couldn’t quite get above the town, but I did hit 50km/hr on the way back down — which felt awesome… and freezing on the hands.

Mudslides, towels and maple glory

We looped back past the RIB dock and saw remnants of a mud avalanche that had destroyed around 14 houses — a sobering reminder of how raw and powerful nature can be in these parts.

Back on board, we bumped into Franciss, our housekeeper, who saw the towel barricade around the toilet. When we sheepishly explained, he said next time we should “hit the button really hard.” Good to know.

After lunch in the Yacht Club, I thought a little lay down on the bed would be nice. 2.5 hours later I woke up 😉Prior to dinner we just watched the port talk and got ready for dinner. Tonight it was in the Yacht Club for a Canada Day celebration. The food was full on with lots of options, including a whole suckling pig. There was so much food, but we started with a little bit of meat before delving into multiple maple-flavoured desserts. We had to roll ourselves up to our room afterwards where we just did nothing but watch the waves go by.

Tomorrow

We cross the Arctic Circle on Grímsey Island — and hopefully meet a puffin or two up close. Bring it on.