Iceland is a bird watcher's paradise, and among the world's 10 best countries for whale watching
Iceland is surrounded by the cool clear North Atlantic Ocean, but the Gulf Stream sends a steady supply of warm water up past Iceland making it warmer than would be expected in a land at this latitude. Iceland's coastal waters play a key role in making the country so rich in birds and marine mammals.
The only land mammal living in Iceland before the settlers came was the Arctic fox. It's believed that the Arctic fox travelled across the frozen sea in the very distant past and found a home here.