Wildlife on the Pembrokeshire Coast
Pembrokeshire is a beautiful county with many things to do which of course makes for an excellent holiday destination. For those of you interested in wildlife it offers a fascinating natural environment where you can observe many different species of flora and fauna. The islands off the Pembrokeshire coast with their clean seas and small populations provide an excellent habitat for wildlife to flourish.
Skomer Island has a number of sheltered bays, exposed headlands and rocky outcrops. It is the second largest island in Wales, after Anglesey, and is one of the most important wildlife sites in the United Kingdom. It is a birdwatchers paradise especially during the spring when the bluebells and other flowers provide a stunning ‘carpet’ for the birds to land on. The sheer cliffs are home to guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills and fulmars. A colony of shags can be found on Midland Island which separates Skomer from the mainland and approximately sixteen pairs of cormorants nest on the Mew Stone in the south of the island. We should not forget to mention the most popular bird on Skomer which is probably the ‘Pembrokeshire Parrot’ or puffin. The island has about six thousand breeding pairs.
Skokholm Island lies just south of Skomer and is roughly a mile in length. It has deep bays and gullies and there are many species of birds that can be observed here including puffins, manx shearwaters, guillemots, razorbills and choughs.
Ramsey Island just of the St David’s Peninsular is an RSPB reserve. There is a short trail around the island and binoculars are available to hire if you wish to do so. The western cliffs reach heights of one hundred and twenty metres and are amongst the tallest in Wales. These are home to ravens, peregrines and buzzards. In spring razorbills, guillemots, shags and choughs come to nest too. The island is also home to seals with many pups being born in the autumn in the caves and on the beaches.
Grassholm Island is a tiny bit of land situated eleven miles off the coast. As you approach the island you come to realise why it is white. It is in fact home to the only gannet colony in Wales. The island is an RSPB sanctuary.
Caldey Island is situated off the coast of Tenby. It is one of the country’s holy islands and is best known for its monastery. You can see numerous nesting sea birds here and there is also a significant population of grey seals.
The deep waters off the Pembrokeshire coast are a great place to see whales, dolphins and porpoises. The area is home to many bottlenose dolphins and during the summer months many species of visiting dolphins can be seen. Fin and minke whales can be spotted in the region.
