A visit to Skomer Island is like travelling back in time to a wild, beautiful, unspoilt British Isles. Situated to the south west of the Marloes Peninsula of Pembrokeshire, in Wales, Skomer is easily accessible by a short, often dolphin escorted, ferry ride. Its historic remoteness and strong tidal currents have stopped preditors such as rats, weasels and foxes getting to the island, and subsequently, has allowed the natural flora, fauna and birdlife of the area to flourish.
About Skomer Island
Skomer Island is very small, measuring just three square miles (or around 700 acres) but is packed with some of Britains most spectacular wildlife. Wind your way from the small jetty up to the hill tops of Skomer and you will find it is packed wildlife. Visit from May onwards and you will find over 6,000 pairs of Puffins (who incubate their eggs underground) entertain you by running and flying back and forth with sand eels to feed their young. Also, significant numbers of the Gull family from the smaller Lesser Black Backed Gulls to the enormous Great Black Backed Gull make an appearance. The island is also home to Guillemots and Razorbills and is one of the most notable breeding grounds of the Manx Shearwater in the world. The Manx Shearwater’s physical evolution with legs very far back on their bodies, makes them fast in water, but easy prey on land. To survive, they only return to their ready made burrows (created by rabbits who were introduced to the island over 600 years ago, ostensibly for their meat and fur) under the cover of darkness..
The situation of the island also makes it an important stop over for many migratory birds making their long pilgrimages from Africa, and is fleetingly home to numbers of Swallows, Skylarks, Chiffchaffs and Meadow Pipits. It is also a great place to see rarer birds, including prized sightings of the Golden Oriole, a large yellow bird with a light flute-like call. The Black Stork and Tawny Pipit also put in an appearance.
Darwinism At Work
Like many islands, isolation has allowed evolution of a unique breed of animal. The appropriately named the Skomer Vole – or Myodes glareolus skomerensis – is a subspecies of the more commonly known Bank Vole and is found only on Skomer. Although common across the coasts of the UK, the speckled grey seal is still a magical animal to watch, frolicking with its young just off the coasts of Skomer in early autumn.
Throughout the spring and summer, Skomer also dazzles its visitors with a carpet of beautiful wild flowers. Although ravaged by the salty sea storms and the attempted decimation by rabbits and the Skomer vole, the islands most resilient plant life including Red Fescue and Common Bent, Red and Sea Campion reign. In early summer Bluebells and Foxgloves carpet the landscape for as far as the eye can see. In autumn, and the end of the tourist season, also brings great swathes of purple heather and yellow Ragwort which contrast beautifully with the deep blue of the sea and sky. Due to its exposed position, Skomer has absolutely no trees.
Visit Skomer Island
The island wildlife and tourism are carefully managed by the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales, who lease Skomer from the Countryside Council for Wales. It is a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and due to its extreme importance is a Special Protection Area under European Law.
Skomer has no running water on the island, which means there are no cafes or refreshment stops (however, there are composting toilets should nature call). The remoteness of the island, far from being a problem, is one of its charms. Go for a walk, unpack your picnic, and enjoy the best of Britain’s wildlife in absolute peace and seclusion until it’s time to hop on the last ferry back.
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