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An Atlantic puffin with a beakful of sand eels on Skomer Island, Wales
Photo: Andy Morffew, CC BY-SA 4.0

Island · Wales

Skomer Island Wildlife Checklist

Skomer Island, off the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales, is famous for its puffins, with tens of thousands nesting from April to July, and for the world's largest Manx shearwater colony. This checklist covers 41 species, from puffins and grey seals to the Skomer vole, found nowhere else. Visit between late May and mid July for the best puffin views.

Skomer is a National Nature Reserve run by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. Day visitors land by boat from Martin's Haven, and a small hostel allows overnight stays.

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See all 41 animals
The Skomer checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked
Animals to find
41
Where
Wales
Best time
Late May to mid Jul
Manx shearwaters
About 350,000 pairs

Skomer's star species

  • Puffin, one of the animals to look for in Skomer

    Puffin

    The Wick is the famous spot, where puffins stand beside the path and fly in with beakfuls of sand eels. North Haven, near the landing, is good too.

    Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Manx Shearwater, one of the animals to look for in Skomer

    Manx Shearwater

    They spend the day at sea and come ashore only after dark to avoid gulls. Day visitors may see rafts offshore in the evening; overnight guests hear the whole colony calling.

    Photo: Original: Martin Reith ; this edit: Abyssal, CC BY-SA 3.0

  • Bank Vole, one of the animals to look for in Skomer

    Bank Vole

    The Skomer vole is a larger, tamer island form of the bank vole. Watch the bracken edges along the paths, especially near the old farm.

    Photo: Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Grey Seal

    Present all year, and pups appear in coves from late August to November. Look down into North Haven and the bays below the cliff paths.

  • Razorbill

    Nests on ledges and in crevices at The Wick. Its thick black bill with a white line is the easy way to tell it from a guillemot.

  • Guillemot

    Packs the cliff ledges shoulder to shoulder in May and June. Chocolate-brown with a thin pointed bill.

  • Short-eared Owl

    Unusually for an owl, it hunts by day, drifting low over the bracken. Skomer's voles are its main prey.

  • Chough

    A red-billed crow that feeds on short cliff-top turf. Listen for its ringing call along the coast path.

  • Harbour Porpoise

    Often surfaces in the fast currents of Jack Sound, which the boat crosses on the way out.

All 41 animals to spot in Skomer

Grouped the way you'll meet them. Tips show where to look.

Mammals 8

Seabirds 12

Land birds 19

Reptiles and amphibians 2

  • Last reviewed September 2026.
  • Sources are listed below the questions.
  • Wild animals only. Please give them space.

Best time to see wildlife in Skomer

Skomer's season is short and puffin-led. Boats run from April to September, with no sailings on Mondays except the Whitsun bank holiday. Puffins arrive from late March and early April but spend their first weeks mostly at sea. From late May to mid July they are busiest ashore, carrying fish to their chicks, and this is the peak window for photos. They start leaving in mid July and are nearly all gone by early August. Razorbills and guillemots leave the cliffs in July too. August and September are quieter but good for grey seals, short-eared owls and cheaper tickets, and grey seal pups appear in the coves from late August. Bluebells and red campion colour the island in May.

  • AprBoats start, puffins returning
  • MayBluebells, seabirds on the cliffs
  • Jun-mid JulPeak puffins carrying fish
  • AugPuffins gone, seals and owls
  • Sep-NovGrey seal pups, seen from the mainland after the boats stop

Tips for spotting wildlife in Skomer

  1. Book the boat in advance

    Landing tickets are sold online from 1 December for the next season and sell out fast for June. Boats leave Martin's Haven every 30 minutes from 10am to midday.

  2. Head straight for The Wick

    Most people start there, so it fills by late morning. Walk the island loop the other way first, or stay at The Wick until the later return boats.

  3. Stay on the paths

    Puffin and shearwater burrows riddle the ground and collapse underfoot. Keep to the marked paths and never lie down on the turf for a photo.

  4. Stay a night if you can

    The island hostel is the only way to hear Manx shearwaters flying in after dark. Book early, as places are few.

  5. Watch from the mainland in autumn

    After the boats stop, look down from the cliffs at Martin's Haven and the Deer Park for grey seal pups. Keep well back from the edge.

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Skomer wildlife FAQ

When is the best time to see puffins on Skomer?

Late May to mid July is best, when puffins are ashore feeding chicks and carrying fish. They are present from April, but spend more time at sea early in the season. The first birds leave in mid July, and almost all have gone by early August. Go early in the day and check that boats are running, as sailings are weather dependent.

How do you get to Skomer Island?

By boat from Martin's Haven, near Marloes in Pembrokeshire. The only landing trips are run by Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips from April to September, and there are no boats on Mondays apart from the Whitsun bank holiday. Tickets must be booked online in advance and sell out quickly in June. Boats are cancelled in rough seas.

What are Manx shearwaters?

Manx shearwaters are ocean-going seabirds that nest in burrows and only come ashore at night. Around 350,000 pairs breed on Skomer, the largest colony in the world. Each autumn they migrate to the seas off South America, returning in spring. They can live for several decades and often return to the same burrow.

Can you see seals on Skomer?

Yes, grey seals live around Skomer all year and are often seen hauled out in North Haven or swimming below the cliffs. Pups are born in the coves from late August to November, after the main visitor season. Keep quiet and stay back from cliff edges above pups, and never go down to beaches where seals are resting.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026

Photo credits

All photo credits. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, resized.

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