Skomer Island: Photographing Puffin Paradise
In July 2026, my husband and I travelled to Skomer Island, a place hidden in South West Wales for a very special trip. It was an opportunity to see thousands of puffins (yes I mean THOUSANDS of these rare birds).
Thanks to the amazing conservation efforts, the puffin population saw an increase from 43,626 to 52,019 in the past year (2025-26) according to the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. For a small island, it's an incredible number.
Not only are there puffins on the island, we also saw seals, guillemots, swallows, stonechats, dragonflies and a common lizard. There had also been a sighting of a short eared owl!
During the visit, I had used my 150-500mm lens for reach and aimed to capture the puffins from afar without disturbing them. However if returning to the Island I would also bring my 100mm prime lens, as many of the puffins were super close and not nervous of visitors at all.
Using a longer lens helped increase background blurr and focus on the subject. In some shots, I aimed to photograph the subject against a darker background to make it pop.
Keeping some of their environment in the image also helps to give a wider image of the sheer exposure of their habitat. Some of the burrows are right on the edge of the cliff!
Puffins are very characterful, in the way they look, behave and sound. As they walk about, they make a unique "urrrr" or "uw-arrr" noise which sounds a bit like a squeaky door! They also are burrowing birds, so while photographing them, I was continuously looking out for them popping out of the ground! These birds are a joy to watch and it is easy to spend all day photographing them.
One of the most challenging shots to take was of the puffins in flight. As you enter the island, there is a one way system which the staff encourage visitors to follow which takes your around the island. The path from the boat gives a great view of puffins flying to and from the cliff face where people can stand and see puffins continuously fly over their heads.
Tips for going to Skomer Island
Book early (December the year before your trip) via the South West Wales Wildlife Trust website.
Puffins are seen from April to July.
The boat is small - take that into account if you suffer from sea-sickness!
When you arrive on the island, listen to the welcome talk given by the staff - they will update you with all the most recent sightings and where the best spots on the island are!
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