The Arctic Fox Center, tucked away in the tiny Westfjords village of Súðavík, is dedicated to the only land mammal native to Iceland. The nonprofit research institution and exhibition center was set up in 2007 by a group of enthusiasts and scientists to collect all kinds of information about the animal. Located inside a renovated farmstead (one of the oldest buildings in the area), it offers an exhibition that explains that the arctic fox probably arrived in Iceland via ice floes from Greenland, is larger than the European fox, and has a distinctive dark blue summer coat that turns white in winter. The venue also has an on-site café and a couple of orphaned foxes in the backyard.
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Arctic Foxes
Ísafjörður lays claim to being home to the only native terrestrial mammal in Iceland—the arctic fox. Most arctic foxes in this region make their habitat in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve 14 kilometers (nine miles) northwest of the center of Ísafjörður, but it would not be unheard of to spot them elsewhere along the coastline if you’ve got a pair of binoculars and some good luck. Usually there are clusters of fox pairs in dens and a few single individuals wandering nearby. The arctic fox has a distinctly thick, white fur, which allows it to withstand the cold.
