From an island in Maldives, to one in Wales: Skomer Island (Welsh: Ynys Sgomer)

First Day

The morning after our first night in Pembrokeshire, we woke up early and rushed to buy two tickets to Skomer Island. We were lucky enough to still find availability, unlike others who came only minutes after us [at the lodge where the tickets were sold] only to find out that they’ve been sold out. You might ask, “why didn’t you buy them before?” You actually can’t buy them before as they can only be bought on the day and they’re issued on a first come first served basis.

We then headed back to the farm, had breakfast, took our backpacks and off we went to check out the island. The boat trip lasted about 15 minutes.
We were so excited that we’d finally get to see the birds we wanted to see for more than a year now.

Once the skipper anchored the boat and we set foot on the island, we felt its aura. A wonderful feeling, magnified by the great weather and very good visibility.

Wildlife on the cliffs

Yes, we went to see the puffins, but it was more than what we expected.
Not connected to the mainland, the island offers a safe place, for the birds and all the other creatures living on the island, to feed, breed and live without any threats from outside predators or humans. It has been declared a national nature reserve around 50 years ago.

Puff..Puff.. Puffins ☺

They have to be ones of the cutest birds alive. We fell in love with them from the very first moment we saw them, on Skomer Island. So small and gentle and yet so brave. They did not seem to care about the humans being in their way that much. Spreading their wings and off the cliffs they’d go! In less than a minute they would be back with up to 6-7 small fish in their beak and quickly go into their nest (which oddly enough it’s a rabbit’s burrow) to feed their chicks.

Bones and stones

We will remember the island for its amazing wildlife, for sure, but another thing we can not forget is the abundance of bird skeletons scattered on the ground. It’s the manx shearwater’s remainings – unless they reach the safety of the water or their burrow in time, which means by dawn, they’ll become dinner for the Greater Blacked-back gulls.
On a happier note, however, we have the many stones spread around the island, some of which are part of settlements from the Iron Age. That’s something, right? Imagine being in that same place 5000 years ago or so!

Know before you go:

– Best time to go and see the Atlantic Puffins: Mid-April to the second or third week of July
– Access: only by boat, departing from Martin’s Heaven
– Open from the 25th March until 30th September
– No advance booking and it’s on a first come first served basis
– No landings on Mondays (except bank holidays)
– The tickets for Skomer can be purchased from Lockley Lodge, and they cost £10.00/per adult. Unless you are a member of the Wildlife Trust, in which case, the landing is free of charge.
– Bring cash to pay the boat fee: £11.00/per adult