When you think of puffins, what comes to mind? For me, they seemed rare, exotic even. Their distinctive bright beaks and penguin-esque features looked like something I would only see on a National Geographic cover. Little did I know, they were a lot closer than I thought!
When I moved to South Wales in 2022, I had no idea that there was an island in west Wales where around 41,000 Puffins migrate for the summer. Skomer Island sits just a 15-minute boat ride off the coast of Pembrokeshire. Serving as a haven for all kinds of wildlife, it’s the perfect weekend trip for nature and animal lovers.
There are no cars on the island, and visitor numbers are strictly monitored and restricted to ensure the ecosystems in place are not disrupted by human activity. Puffins are one of the island’s main draws, seeing as they migrate to Skomer around mid-April, and stay until late July. Thanks to its isolation from the mainland, Skomer has no natural ground predators to the puffins (think rats), giving them a place to breed in relative safety over these months.
Puffins have an undeniable character about them, making them loveable and entertaining to watch. Find yourself a spot to sit in one of the many puffin hotspots on the island, and you could observe them for hours. We also saw lots of rabbits, seals, and other kinds of seabirds (such as Guillemots and Razorbills). If you’re lucky, you could see dolphins or porpoises.
I took my Canon 1000D with me to capture some of the moments below.
If you’re interested in visiting Skomer Island, scroll to the bottom of the pictures for some useful logistical information
So you want to go to Skomer Island?
Where to book: https://www.welshwildlife.org/skomer-island-day-trips.
Tickets go fast, so try to book in advance.
‘Skomer landing’ is the trip this blog post discusses (from £24pp), where you take a 15-minute boat ride to/from the island, and get 5 hours to explore the island on foot.
There is also an option for a boat trip around Skomer and its neighbouring islands, without setting foot on them (from £18pp).
All profits go towards the conservation of the island.
Useful Information
Paid parking: Martin’s Haven NT Car Park. Martin’s Haven, Haverfordwest SA62 3BJ. A 2-minute walk from where the boat departs.
The paths can be uneven, muddy, and waterlogged – bring good footwear that you don’t mind getting wet/muddy.
The island is very exposed, and there are no trees for shelter – consider bringing waterproofs/windproofs/hats/suncream, etc. based on the weather forecast.
There is nowhere to buy food on the island. 5 hours is a long time to be without snacks (in my opinion anyway) – bring lunch!
You can buy bottled water on the island.
There is a set of fairly steep steps at the dock which you will need to go up/down.
There are public toilets on the island.
Enjoy!