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16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Puffin heading out to fish off the southern coast of Iceland

Experiencing exotic Iceland via camper-van last summer was a wonderful adventure! Early one morning we awoke with the sun and headed out to view the puffin colony on the Dyrhólaey Peninsula. When we arrived we were the only people there. Pufflings were out of their dens enjoying breakfast fresh from their mother’s beaks. Their heads moved in unison with the shutter of my camera as they curiously observed me. Delighted by their antics, I must have taken hundreds of shots. Afraid of scaring them back into their home, I took a quick break, photographing the waves rippling over the other-worldly black sand beaches below. Unknowingly, I capturing a puffin heading out to sea for the next helping. What a fitting image of an unforgettable morning!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2018
Date Uploaded: 10.2018
Photo Location: Vik, Iceland
Camera: DSC-RX10M4
Copyright: © Heidi Schiller