A trip to Skomer Island to capture the Puffins during the height of chick feeding season

We are delighted to offer another exciting trip to Skomer Island in 2025! Join us with professional wildlife photographer Clive Greenland who will be leading this guided photography tour and wildlife training day on the island.  This promises to be a fantastic day out with some truly unique photography opportunities with the chance to capture puffins with beaks full of fish, flying to and from the burrows and sitting and walking amongst the summer flowers that coat the island during this time. This is the height of the puffin season when chicks are hatched and feeding so we expect a lots of activity on the island and you will be surrounded by thousands of Puffins.

The wildlife of Skomer is unique and incredibly special, well known for it's Puffins, the island is a bird paradise and includes many other animals such as Manx Shearwaters, Dolphins, Harbour Porpoises, Atlantic Grey Seal, Razorbills, Gannets, Fulmars and the unique Skomer Vole. The island is surrounded by some of the richest waters for wildlife off the British Isles and you can keep an eye out for seals and dolphins. In 2024 the island saw record numbers of over 40,000 puffins settled on the land and thanks to the hard work of the wildlife trust the numbers on Skomer have been doing well in the last few years. We are limiting the number of places to 12 to help protect the wildlife and ensure one on one time with the trainers and to make sure everyone gets ample photography opportunities.

Included in the ticket price is the fee for the boat trip to and from the island and the Skomer landing fee. The time on Skomer is usually 4 - 5 hours depending on weather conditions. 

Clive Greenland is an international award-winning wildlife photographer and his work has been acknowledged around the world in some of the industries leading photo competitions, his articles and images have been published in leading photographic magazines and national newspapers. He has a relaxed approach and a true passion for photography, Clive will be guiding you through the best settings and techniques to capture stunning wildlife images whilst on the island. Clive will be leading thisn day along with a photo assistant from LeadingLines.

Important Information

Skomer Island is an important home for wildlife, so there are limited facilities on site. There are toilets on the island but only in one location and there is no cafe so you will need to bring your own water and food. Food must be in sealed bags and avoid bringing seeds or anything that could fall and set root and cause a biodiversity hazard for the island. All bags must be sealed by zips or Velcro etc (no open bags like carrier bags are allowed). The island has 87 steep steps to climb from where the boat lands, so a certain level of fitness is required to access the island.

The boat will depart from Dale Princess at around 10:30-11am, but we are required to check in no later than an hour before as check in must be done an hour prior to departure at the visitors centre to ensure you dont miss the boat. Parking can be found by the visitors centre in the Martins Haven car park. This is a National Trust car park so members park for free, and for non members the day fee was £6 in 2024. There are toilets by the visitors centre before you get on the boat. There are steep stone steps up from the boat to the island so this trip does require a good level of fitness, but we will keep the pace comfortable for everyone.

Please note trips to Skomer are weather dependent, and in the event of very high winds/ stormy weather boats will not be able to sail. In the event of boats not being able to sail we would postpone or refund the trip.