Recording Puffins: A Reflection on Environmental Changes

I’ve shared the sounds of puffins before, and their beautiful way of talking to each other never stops surprising me. This time, I want to share something different. During a recent interview, I was asked about how recording sounds reveals environmental changes, especially with the climate. Even though “Noise From Iceland” is mainly an artistic project, I can’t ignore these changes.

In the puffin sanctuary in East Iceland, there’s a sign asking people to be quiet, and most people do. But despite this, for several minutes, you can hear the noise of a motorboat among the bird songs. It’s sad and frustrating. These vulnerable birds are close to people who respect them, yet we still hear this disruptive noise. At first, I thought about editing out the motorboat sound, but then I decided to leave it in as a testimony to these changes. Plus, you can still hear the sweet stomping of a puffin close to the microphone, which is very endearing.