Birdwatching on Skomer Island, Wales: Puffins, Shearwaters and How to Visit

Skomer is a small island lying less than a mile off the coast of Pembrokeshire in southwest Wales. In spring and summer it is one of the best places in Britain to see Atlantic puffins up close, and it hosts tens of thousands of other breeding seabirds, including one of the world's most important colonies of Manx shearwaters.

Because the island is a protected nature reserve with limited visitor numbers, a successful trip depends on planning: knowing the season, how the boat and landing tickets work, and the rules that keep the burrows and colonies intact.

Why Skomer is special

Skomer's soil is riddled with burrows dug by rabbits, puffins and Manx shearwaters. Puffins return to the island each spring to breed underground, and between fishing trips they stand outside their burrows near the paths, often allowing close, natural views without anyone needing to approach them.

Manx shearwaters are the island's other headline species. They spend the day at sea and return to their burrows only after dark to avoid predatory gulls, so day visitors usually see them only as distant rafts on the water. Overnight visitors can experience the extraordinary sound of thousands of shearwaters returning at night.

Cliffs hold guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. Grey seals haul out on the beaches, and the island is home to the Skomer vole, a distinctive island form of the bank vole. Short-eared owls, choughs and peregrines are also present.

When to go

• Mid-April to late July: the puffin season. Most visitors aim for May to July when puffins are on land and active.
• Late June and July: pufflings (chicks) are in burrows and adults carry fish ashore — a good time to watch feeding behavior.
• August to autumn: puffins have left or are leaving, but seals pup on the island's beaches in autumn (visible only from a distance), and the island is quieter.

Weather matters as much as season. Boats do not sail in rough seas or strong winds, and sailings can be cancelled at short notice.

How access works

Day trips leave from Martin's Haven on the mainland. Landing is limited to protect the island, and day trips are sold in advance through the Wildlife Trust's booking system; tickets for the coming season have recently gone on sale in early December. On arrival, visitors receive a short briefing from reserve staff before walking a circular network of marked paths.

Overnight stays in the island's basic accommodation are booked separately and are popular, so book early if you want to see the shearwaters return at night.

Island rules and responsible watching

The burrows that make Skomer special also make it fragile. A single careless step off the path can collapse a burrow with an adult or chick inside.

• Stay on the marked paths at all times.
• Never touch, feed or try to coax a bird; let puffins come and go on their own schedule.
• Keep to the side of the path when puffins are crossing it and give them right of way.
• Do not use flash or play recordings.
• Take all litter off the island.
• No dogs, and no drones without explicit permission from the reserve managers.

Our bird-watching ethics guide explains the principles behind these rules.

Skomer is one of several great European puffin sites. Compare it with the Faroe Islands or browse our best birdwatching destinations in Europe.

References

• Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales — Skomer Island
• Natural Resources Wales — Skomer Marine Conservation Zone
• Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
• RSPB — Puffin
• RSPB — Manx shearwater
• Joint Nature Conservation Committee — Seabird Monitoring Programme