A Peak with Beaks: Skomer Island

An amazing experience. It is hard to describe the sense of awe and wonder we felt all day. Magical moments when puffins decide to land unexpectedly beside you with a mouthful of sand eels. Bullets. Fast. Comical. And, a surprise trig point in the centre of the island. 

A special 'hello' to the two families that we met on the day (if you do manage to find this blog). So much excitement and learning going on - shared by adults and children alike. In answer to the question (by one of the children) about Risso's Dolphins, the white markings are due to social interactions, not damage by netting. We looked it up when we returned home. 

After looking at our photo, we were assured by one of the wardens that we had been watching porpoises. Just as exciting as the porpoises was the aerodynamic beauty of the gannets as they dived for fish.
Top tip: If you watch where the gannets are circling and diving, the likelihood is there porpoises/dolphins nearby. We followed the advice and were not disappointed!

Learned and Affirmed:

• Baby puffins are called 'pufflings'
• By the first week of August, all of the puffins have left Skomer Island - migrating to Iceland, Greenland or the Mediterranean. They arrive back in May. 
• 20,000 puffins left Skomer Island yesterday (28th July) - they must have heard that we were about to visit!
• Trig points pop up in unexpected places - we were delighted to spot one in the middle of Skomer Island. A special 'thank you' to the people that allowed us to pass in a rush to get Gandalf to the trig point for a photo without missing our boat back to the mainland! It is one of the few places you can go which is 'off path'.
• Awe and wonder can be the result of allowing yourself to be 'in the moment' when surrounded by wildlife. 
• ​A shared experience brings a random group of people together and helps to form 'community spirit'. The short boat ride out was pleasant, but mostly people only spoke to their own family/friends. On the way back, people were chatting to anyone near them about the island and the experience.