Eldey Island Webcam

Welcome to Eldey Island, a small island off the Reykjanes Peninsula and home to Iceland´s (and the Atlantic ocean´s) biggest Gannet colony. The 77m high island serves as a home to around 16.000 Gannets. The island is made of hylaciastite and is part of rocks and skerries that extend 85 km out to sea.

The Gannets nests are mounds made of seaweed and dry grass glued together with guano. Parts of fishing nets and strings can also be found in the nests, but these can harm the young if they get entangled. The Gannet lays one egg in April, and incubation takes around 44 days with the young spending around 90 days in the nest. They leave the island in the autumn when they glide off the edge and have to fend for themselves from then on. During the day the Gannet colony is far from being a quiet place. The calls of the adults are harsh and grating, and they defend their nests vigorously so the neighbors do not steal their nesting material.

Live webcam of the colony (from www.gannetlive.com ):