Skomer Island
Just a stone's throw away from Beach View Cottages a day trip to Skomer is always fun. It’s so close that Garland Stones on the Northern tip of the island are visible from the cottages. Just a few miles along the Pembrokeshire Coast is Martin's Haven where, weather permitting, boats leave daily to Skomer Island from April through to September. Only a short hop over to the island, the boat trip is a great opportunity to watch gannets dive bombing down into the sea, dolphins and porpoise.
Once you have climbed the steps from the landing stage the walk around the island is pretty easy and flat although we do advise that you wear good walking sandals or shoes. Please remember that dogs are not allowed onto the island due to the huge numbers of ground-nesting birds.
There is plenty of time to walk right around the island. The Wick is one of our favourite bits of the island as it's a wonderful spot to get right up close to the puffins. In fact you have to be quite careful not to trip over them! They really are the most comical of birds that will provide endless entertainment.
As summer moves towards autumn the puffins take to the skies once again. But, fear not, there is still plenty to see. Both the Common Seal and the Grey Seal breed around the coast of the UK. In fact our waters are home to half the world’s population of Grey Seals. Last week we spotted at least a dozen seals in the waters around the island and it won't be long before later in August the first pups begin to appear on the beaches. An estimated 5,000 seals live in the waters of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and each summer these numbers are swelled by some 1,400 pups.
The pups ability to blend in with their surroundings is extraordinary. It can’t be just coincidence that the lighter coloured pups lie on the lighter coloured stones whilst the darker hued pups favour the wetter and darker coloured stones. You need good eyesight and preferably a pair of binoculars to spot them. Bay View has a pair of binoculars which you are welcome to take with you.