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Ranked 1 of 3 facilties in ranked in Pembrokeshire
Wow factor
Accessibility
Photo potential
Skomer Island
| Directions: |
Skomer Island is accessible by boat only. A ferry service operates from Martin’s Haven in Pembrokeshire. |
| Accessibility: |
Day visits take place Tuesday to Sunday (and Bank Holiday Mondays) from 1 April to 31 October (weather permitting). Skomer can cater for up to 250 visitors a day, with a 15-20min boat ride from Martin’s Haven departing at 10am, 11am and 12noon. Return boats generally run between 3pm and 4pm but the boatman will advise on the day. Steps lead from the landing point to the top of the island. |
| Costs: |
£14 adults; £6 children for boat and landing fees. |
| Best time to visit: |
Spring and summer. Puffins are resident from May to July; Manx shearwaters April to August. Grey seals can be seen off the coast from July onwards. Storm petrels visit in June and July. |
Venue information
A visitor to the island in early summer will find the sea brimming with guillemots, razorbills and puffins. Further exploration reveals a coastline of sheltered bays, exposed headlands, towering offshore rocks and shaded inlets, all painted with the graduated colours of lichen. Perhaps
most stunning of all is The Wick, a sheer cliff carved with ledges ideally suited to nesting seabirds that’s partly enclosed by an amphitheatre of sloping stone. This provides a perfect view of the polished jade water and the birds wheeling, creening and diving. Guillemots, razorbills and puffins soar purposefully up to the cliff, while fulmars slide serenely along the currents of air. Flurries of kittiwakes circle like eddying snowflakes with urgent cries that are almost musical. In the cloistered stillness the air shimmers with the sound of wings, and strident seabird calls echo against rock and water. Access is excellent once you’re on the island and it’s possible to get very close to many of the birds without disturbing them. Flying shots, as well as portraits are very possible for the patient photographer. The flora on the island is also quite spectacular. So take a range of lenses – a medium-to-long telephoto is most suitable.
Venue verdict: Perfect for seabird photography, so long as the weather is good. For the best pictures of puffins, choose a spot and be patient.
Ratings (out of five): 4
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We were lucky and didn't have any problems with the weather. Superb walk around the Island. Look out for the wardens / helpers and tag along if you can. Full of useful info, pointing out birds and places and just really interesting to talk to.
Obvious, but pick your time of year if wanting to see particular birds, we missed the Puffins by 1 week :-) not that we had a choice.
(Written by: ElmPark)
07 February 2011 16:28
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You got to be really lckywit the weather hear as storms hit thi coast REGULAR. But catch it right and you will need a few memory cards :)
(Written by: porl1966)
30 July 2008 20:03
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If you visit at the right time of year, skomer is teeming with seabirds and other birds. fantastic photo oportunities. Got to be lucky with the weather though as thick fog first time we visited and could'nt get any shots at all. Also lack of facilities means u need to carry food n drink, jacket, sun cream n stuff as wellas camera gear so can be pretty tiring.
(Written by: ebony)
22 July 2008 15:56