Gjesvaerstappan Nature Reserve

A few kilometers to the southwest of the North Cape, rises the verdant “Gjesværstappan” Nature Reserve, one of the largest bird cliffs in Norway. Covering 7,1 square kilometers, the reserve is composed of three islands namely, “Storstappen, Kirkstappen and Bukkstappen” The islands of the reserve are abundant in flowers and vegetation thanks to the hundreds of thousands of auks, guillemots, puffins, cormorants, ospreys and several other species who nest here in the summer and fertilize the grounds. Look up! Can you recognize the puffins and their unique and colourful beak? Did you know that they could carry up to a dozen small fish at a time and that year after year, they come back home on the 14th of April precisely? Can you spot their cousins, the guillemot and the razorbill? Both from the auk family, these birds are primarily black with a white underside. Auks tend to form lifelong pairs and typically lay a single egg. Are you able to tell the cormorant apart from the shag? The experienced ornithologist will spot the white patches on the Cormorant thighs and chin. In contrast, the shags display a perfectly black plumage. In the breeding season, the peaked forehead of the shag sports a tufted crest.