11 Apr Ytri Tunga: Perfect Seal-Spotting Beach in Iceland

Maybe you are a wildlife lover and cannot wait to see seals while in Iceland. Or maybe you think seals are adorable and would not pass up a chance to see them. Either way, Ytri Tunga Beach is one of the best locations to spot seals in Iceland. While visitors might see a couple of seals at the Glacier Lagoon, they will most likely see a lot of seals at this beach. When we visited at the end of summer in August, we saw dozens of seals on the rocky shoreline at the end of the beach. Some rested on the rocks while others swam around in the water. 

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Contents:

1) Location of Ytri Tunga Beach

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

3) The Best Time to Visit

4) Quick Facts

5) Background

6) Information on Seals

1) Location of Ytri Tunga Beach

Ytri Tunga Beach is located in western Iceland on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. For reference, it is two hours northwest of the capital city of Reykjavík.

Two other nearby attractions on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula are Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall and Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge.

Parking

Upon arrival, you will see a designated parking lot for the beach.. There is a sign at the parking lot with some general information about the beach as well as visitor rules. This beach is not too busy, so you should not have to worry about not finding a spot. For example, we visited in August and easily found a parking spot.

Nearby Lodging – Ytri Tunga

Since Ytri Tunga Beach is located on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, your best option for lodging is on the peninsula as there are a fair amount of options. However, if you plan to head to Reykjavík for the night, then check out options in the city of Reykjavík. We stayed at Guesthouse Pavi, which was a cheap option but honestly the least nice accommodation of our whole trip (though we did expect that due to the fact it was in the city).

Look closely to spot some seals in the water and on the rocks

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

First, Ytri Tunga Beach is open to visitors all day, every day. You can thus visit at 3:00pm or 3:00am, whatever suits your preference. 

Second, there is no entrance fee for the beach. Additionally, there is no parking fee. You can thus add this beach to your itinerary at no cost. 

If you need some recommendations on what to pack for Iceland, check out my list of Iceland hiking essentials and Iceland summer road trip packing list.

3) The Best Time to Visit Ytri Tunga

The best season to visit Ytri Tunga Beach is in the summer. Why? Summer months are the best time to spot seals. While the beach itself is beautiful, the main attraction of the beach is the fact that you can see seals swimming around in the water or relaxing upon the rocks. 

Estimated Visit Time

My recommendation is to plan 30 minutes to one hour in your itinerary for a stop at Ytri Tunga Beach. Once you arrive, you can then walk along the length of the beach to the rocky shoreline to see the seals. 

We spent around one hour at the beach, and the majority of our time was spent watching the seals. If you like, you could spend hours at the beach watching the seals, especially if you are a photographer. 

4) Quick Facts

1. Ytri Tunga Beach is located on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland. 

2. There is no entrance fee for the beach nor are there restrictions on visiting hours. 

3. The best time to spot seals at the beach is during the summer. 

4. While the folklore of other countries often depicts seals in a negative light, Icelandic folklore depicts seals in a positive light. 

5. In today’s day and age, seals are mainly killed due to interference in fishing businesses. 

Seals sunbathing on the rocks just off the shore

5) Background of Ytri Tunga

After parking in the designated lot, follow the path to the right along the shore. We walked along this path, crossing the entire length of the golden sand beach. We kept walking until we reached the end of the path, for we then arrived at the rocky shoreline. Here we saw seals, seals, and more seals. 

One of the other most popular beaches in Iceland is the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. While you are not likely to see seals here, you might spot a couple of puffins flying around.

Spotting Seals

As I mentioned previously, Ytri Tunga Beach is one of the best locations to spot seals in Iceland. Seals are generally present at all times of the year. However, the summer months are the best time to spot them. The tide is lower between May and July, which means more rocks will be out of the water. Seals will take advantage of this opportunity and hop on the rocks for a rest.

Additionally, visitors will generally see harbor seals at the beach. It is possible to see a couple of other varieties as well, though it is not as likely.

In the past, Icelanders mainly killed seals for their oils, waterproof hides, and meat. On the other hand, seals are mainly killed today due to their interference with fishing businesses.

Icelandic Folklore – Ytri Tunga

In a lot of other Nordic countries, seals were depicted in a negative light or even as evil throughout history and in folklore. However, Iceland did not depict seals in that way. Instead they depicted seals in a much more positive light and as beautiful creatures.

Things to Keep in Mind

There is a sign at the parking lot with some general information about the beach as well as visitor rules. For example, we read information on the sign detailing the current state of the seals in relation to mating and birthing. What stage seals are at concerning mating and birthing can impact the recommended distance to keep from them at all times. The sign by the parking lot told us the exact distance we should keep at all times, so thankfully we did not have to google it. 

Please also keep the noise to a minimum in order to not frighten the seals.

Seals swimming just off the shore of Ytri Tunga Beach

6) Information on Seals

For a fun fact, baby seals are referred to as “pups”.

Types of Seals

The animal group of pinnipeds includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. All members of this grouping have fins as feet. For seals specifically, there are two different types: (1) true seals (2) eared seals. What is the one simple thing that differentiates the two types of seals? True seals have no visible, external ear flaps while eared seals do have visible, external ear flaps.

Iceland has a variety of true seals in their waters, including mainly harbor seals and grey seals.

Preferred Food

In terms of eating, seals generally stick to food such as fish. Additionally, they are able to store food in their systems to such an extent they can go days or even weeks without eating.

Use of Whiskers

Furthermore, seals have whiskers to assist with perception. The waters in which seals swim can often be dark or clouded, depending on the time of day as well as the water condition. When seals are not able to see well in the water, their whiskers help out with distinguishing their surroundings. The whiskers have nerves in them, and they are thus able to pick up information related to movements in the water. This is especially useful when hunting for food.

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