Pembrokeshire puffins are well deserving of their fame. They are incredibly cute, endlessly fascinating and are only around for a few months a year. All these factors and more make this pint-sized seabird a huge attraction for visitors to the Pembrokeshire coast. Here’s all you need to know if you’re looking to see a puffin while you’re here!
Where can I see puffins in Pembrokeshire?
Skomer Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire has seen its puffin population gradually increase, as numbers fall elsewhere. This makes it one of the best places to see puffins anywhere, let alone Pembrokeshire!
How can I visit Skomer?
If you’re staying in St Davids, there are two ways you can visit Skomer.
To land on Skomer, there’s only one place to be, and that’s Martin’s Haven, about an hour’s drive from St Davids. In the past, the boat has always run on a first-come, first-served basis, but it’s now possible to book online! When you’ve landed after a 15-minute crossing on the Dale Princess, you can spend hours walking around the island and, of course, puffin spotting!
If you’d like to see Pembrokeshire puffins from the sea, then you can take a boat trip from St Justinians, home to the St Davids lifeboat station. Falcon Boats run trips around Ramsey and Skomer and are a fantastic option.
Photo credit: Falcon Boats
When can I see puffins?
Puffins can be seen on Skomer from April to August. They can take time to settle, and the best time to see large numbers of puffins is from mid-June to mid-July!
What else is there on Skomer?
While the puffins tend to be the main attraction, there’s plenty more wildlife to be seen on and around Skomer. It’s home to 165,000 pairs of Manx Shearwater, as well as Kittiwakes and Guillemots. You can watch Gannets fish around the island, and see how well you know your Gulls, as there are plenty of those too!
Another main feature of Skomer is its rabbits! There are plenty of them, and so along with the puffins and shearwater, there isn’t much of Skomer that hasn’t been burrowed. This means it’s very important to stick to the designated paths when you’re exploring Skomer.
BOOK YOUR STAY IN PEMBROKESHIRE, AND LOOK FORWARD TO EXPLORING ALL THAT ITS COAST AND ISLANDS HAS TO OFFER
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