One of Scilly’s most popular seabirds, the puffins, are back on the islands, and there’s plenty of opportunity to get out and enjoy these wonderful sea creatures. The Isles of Scilly is one of only a handful of sites in the UK where you can go puffin spotting.
They arrive in mid-April, although early May marks the start of their breeding season. Pairs of puffins usually mate for life although if they are not reunited they can find another partner. They will raise just one chick each year, and the pairs take it in turns to keep the egg warm. They’ll remain on the islands, certainly until the end of June, often to late July.
The islands attract some 100 pairs of breeding puffins every year - although numbers are in decline. They return to their same breeding spots every year – and since they live for about 18 years, the birds you can see will know the islands very well!
Nicknamed “sea parrots” their distinctive look and quirky character makes them fascinating to watch… they can move their wings up to 400 times a minute and fly at speeds of around 50 miles an hour. They can also dive to depths of 60 metres and can hold several fish in their bills at any one time, often sand eels, thanks to their rough tongues.
They live in burrows between the rocks – in Scilly, their home is on the protected island of Annet and the other uninhabited islands not far from St. Agnes. But most of the time, you’ll spot them out at sea - quite often bobbing about, resting on the waves when they’re not swimming or flying close to the water.
By August our puffins will have left Scilly again for the open waters so don’t leave it too late if you want to experience them. St Agnes Boating, in partnership with the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, runs wildlife sea safaris every Wednesday afternoon, conditions permitting, leaving St. Agnes quay at 1pm. You can also enjoy regular boat trips to see puffins with St. Mary's Boatmen's Association, and Tresco Boats, as well as with specialist boating trips with Sea Quest and Calypso.
