Visit Wexford's Saltee Islands - where puffins beat the pandemic for one, wild moment

Puffins 1. Pandemic 0. Wexford’s Saltee Islands offer Pól Ó Conghaile a wild moment of respite from the crazy world of Covid-19

Pól Ó Conghaile Twitter Email

July 18 2020 02:30 AM

Is there a purer pop of wildlife than a puffin?

Those psychedelic beaks. That disarming cuteness. Puffins would look equally at home in a cartoon or on the cover of National Geographic. But they are surprisingly tough, as I found out on a visit to the Saltee Islands.

Chicks spend their first three years at sea, before returning to burrows in the wild fringes of the North Atlantic.

Several of those fringes lie in Ireland, including Rathlin Island, the Skelligs, the Cliffs of Moher and these islands off the coast of Co Wexford, which I finally ticked off my Irish bucket list this week.

Puffins return to the Saltees from April to July, and crossings are available from Kilmore Quay (salteeferry.com; €30/15pp). The boatmen didn’t wear face coverings on our trip, but there was hand sanitiser as we came and went from the dock, numbers are reduced from around 20 to 12 per boat, and passengers were outdoors at all times.

After a 20-minute crossing, we transferred to dinghies for a ‘wet landing’ that can involve a scamper across seaweed and rocks (bring beach shoes to avoid wet feet and socks). There is no shelter or facilities... so take layers, snacks and use the loo before you board, too.

A puffin on the Saltee Islands, Co Wexford. Photo: Pól Ó Conghaile

The Saltees have stories to tell. Tales of smugglers, pirates and U-boats abound, and signs refer to ‘Michael the First’, who promised his mother in 1920 that he would one day become the islands’ owner and prince.

He did both. A ‘throne’ at the centre of the Great Saltee was where Michael Neale, and later his son, were ‘crowned’.

The Great Saltee is easily circuited on foot. Some 220 bird species have been recorded here and, following the grassy trail up from our landing, the first teeming colonies soon came into view; their squawking carried in the breeze. We saw oyster-catchers, fulmars and razorbills. Gannets floated by, their yellow heads like flowers on stems, their wings spanning over six feet. Sunburst lichen lit up dry-stone walls and the occasional ruin.

Puffins were our purpose, and we saw them straight away — little blobs flying over the dinghies. Along the cliffs, we sat to watch them patrol their burrows, interact and dive to fish in gin-clear water (with puffins listed as a vulnerable species, visitors are asked to stay six metres clear).

Sitting there with my kids, taking photos with a long lens, the world of Covid-19 seemed far away. In that moment, it was puffins 1, pandemic 0.

Pól on the Great Saltee, Co Wexford. Photo: Niamh Connolly

The boats left us on the island for about 3.5 hours — plenty of time to explore, picnic and push through a forest of ferns to the gannet colony at the far end. Come August, these merry little ambassadors, together with their pufflings (how perfect is that?), will return to the open sea.

It felt a bit like we were returning that way, too.

10 tips for visiting the Saltee Islands

1. Book ahead. In peak season, sailings can be busy, and they are always weather-permitting. Call 087 252 9736 or make a booking enquiry via the website, salteeferry.com

2. There are no facilities or shelter on the Great Saltee, so prepare accordingly - and use the public loos at Kilmore Quay before boarding.

3. What to pack: Bring snacks, water, hand sanitiser and a fully charged phone, along with a bag for taking rubbish home. Check the weather forecast - packing sunscreen, hats and sunnies, or layers and raingear as appropriate (this being Ireland, we took them all). Binoculars are handy for a closer view, and photographers should bring a long lens (no drones are allowed).

4. Beach shoes and a towel are also good for the ‘wet landing’ on the island. With no pier, visitors are transferred to smaller dinghies which bring you to sand if the tide is high, or a trail of slippery seaweed and rocks if the tide is low. Visitors with reduced mobility should call ahead for details here.

5. Remember, the islands are privately-owned, with visits permitted from 11.30am to 4.30pm only. The main path passes close to the house, and a flag flies when the Neale family is in residence.

6. What's the best time to visit? Puffins return to the Great Saltee island between April and July. We found them by taking the main path straight across the island, and veering southwest to a natural viewing area over the cliffs. An explosion of bluebells adds an extra splash of background in early summer.

7. Visitors are requested to stay at least six metres from all birds, as footfall can endanger their habitat and safety, and there are sheer drops with edges that may give way. It's very easy to get distracted taking photos, so stay well back - there are no safety barriers on this wilderness site.

8. Leave time to trek to the far end of the island (heading southwest), to see the spectacular gannet colony. Again, do not get too close to the birds, or their nests, eggs and chicks.

9. No camping, dogs or fires are permitted.

10. Don't forget the Saltee Chipper afterwards (you've earned it). The queue was over an hour long on our visit, but those looking for a feed not only of chipper chips, but fresh items like homemade tartar sauce and monkfish scampi, can phone an order ahead of landing at 053 912-9911 or 087 161-0212.

See salteeislands.info and visitwexford.ie for more info.

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