Meet our ten rescue Puffins

Disa

Dísa arrived at our sister Beluga Whale Sanctuary in 2020 due to a permanent eye injury that left her with only half of her vision.

She is a petite little puffin with a heart of gold, standing out as one of the shyer, more introverted puffins on Puffin Island.

When Disa is being fed she likes to take her fish and scurry away as fast as she can to eat it whilst floating around the pool in peace.

Alongside Alma, Dísa enjoys basking in the sun, often dragging mats outside for added comfort.

Freyja

Freyja was rescued by our sister Beluga Whale Sanctuary in 2017 as a little puffling.

She was small and did not eat well. She gradually started to gain weight and got stronger with time however, her inability to swim led her to remain at the Sanctuary for ongoing rehabilitation. Today she swims and dives like a pro but, due to the length of time she spent in human care, she cannot be released as she has not developed the necessary hunting instincts needed for survival.

She is a very bold little bird, often nudging the others out of the way during feeding time!

Thor

Thor arrived at our sister Beluga Whale Sanctuary at the beginning of August 2016 as a tiny little puffling, weighing only 86 grams!

He is the smallest puffin to ever be brought into the sanctuary. He was rescued due to feather quality issues, which can lead to a loss in waterproofness.

Thor proves that size is no measure of strength as he is one of the most dominant puffins, often taking fish directly from the hands of the team.

Thor shares a special bond with fellow resident Freyja, serving as her devoted mate.

 Lundi 

Lundi holds the title of the youngest puffin among the group. Initially found by the Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland covered in oil, she was swiftly brought into the Sanctuary for cleaning.

Sadly, the exposure to oil and potential chemicals had lasting effects, causing damage to her preening gland, resulting in a loss of waterproofness.

This means that unfortunately, she is unable to be released Lundi eagerly engages in a daily routine of chasing bugs out of the nest box area for the benefit of the Animal Care team, a job role she takes very seriously!

Odin

ðdin arrived at the Beluga Whale Sanctuary in 2018, he was brought in with a head injury and one missing eye presumably from a collision with a building during his flight into town.

 Unfortunately, this impairment significantly impacts his depth perception, essential for flying, hunting, and fishing in the wild, therefore Óðin unfortunately cannot be released. 

Óðin is mated to Týr but has gained a reputation as a flirtatious puffin, charming all around him. 

Sigurbjorg

Sigurbjörg was brought to our sister Beluga Whale Sanctuary in 2017 weighing only 137 grams.

Despite efforts to rehabilitate her, Sigurbjörg became overly accustomed to human interaction, meaning she was unable to be released. Puffins must display a healthy fear of humans and predators to ensure survival.

Sigurbjörg is by far the most social puffin in our group! She will follow the Animal Care team wherever they go, usually having a nibble on their shoes. She loves enrichment and is very clever, she has even taken up surfing on a pool matt…fully embracing Cornish living!

Tyr

Týr was rescued by our sister Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland in 2018 as he was very small and underweight. Sadly, during Tyr’s rehabilitation he became too accustomed to humans to be released.

Puffin survival in the wild is determined by them displaying a healthy fear of humans and other predators, including seagulls. Tamed birds like Týr lack this instinctive fear, meaning that they would be vulnerable in the wild.

Tyr loves to swim, but his favourite thing is taking his food and throwing it in the water to watch it sink to the bottom to fish it back out.

Billie

Billie was rescued by our sister Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland in 2019 and cannot be released due to a permanent eye injury.

We think that this injury could be one of the reasons that she doesn’t dive as often for her food.

Billie is typically a shy little fellow and is the smallest of our puffins. She can often be spotted perched higher up in the enclosure alongside Tyr, engaging in what could be dubbed ‘puffin watching’.

Billie's playful spirit remains undaunted by her eye injury, and she frequently showcases her talent for flips and rolls, which is great to watch!

Alma

Alma was rescued by our sister Beluga Whale Sanctuary in 2020 after suffering an eye injury from flying into a building, resulting in the loss of vision in his right eye.

This loss of sight prevents her from being able to be released back into the wild as puffins need good depth perception for balance and to catch their fish.

Alma loves to climb rocks and wait patiently for his fish to be delivered straight to his beak, even tilting his head to one side to get a better look at the fish!

Alongside his fellow puffin Dísa, Alma spends most of his time in the outside burrows.

Karen!

Karen was rescued by our sister Beluga Whale Sanctuary in 2013 as a puffling. She was suffering from a hip injury which caused her difficulties walking.

She loves the water and is a very capable swimmer, spending most of her time splashing about in the pool. In fact, she was the first puffin to jump in when the group arrived at ‘Puffin Island’.

Unfortunately, her hip injury has now progressed to arthritis, causing her to have a permanent limp, this means she can often be seen flapping her wings when walking for balance.

Karen is a very sweet natured puffin and shows affection towards the Animal Care team, especially at feeding time!