Overview
From a few miles off, Little Skellig looks snow-capped. It isn’t snow – it’s gannets and their droppings: over 35,000 breeding pairs crowded onto a bare rock, the largest northern gannet colony in Ireland and one of the biggest in the world. The island (Irish: Sceilig Bheag) is the smaller, wilder companion to Skellig Michael, rising 134 metres straight out of the Atlantic 11 km off the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry. You cannot land on it – it is a strictly protected nature reserve – so it is seen from the deck of a boat, usually the same boats that run out to Skellig Michael.
The island and its protection
Little Skellig covers just 8 hectares and has never been inhabited: no fresh water, nowhere to shelter, nothing but rock and birds. That is exactly what has kept it valuable. It is a BirdWatch Ireland nature reserve and a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive, and in 2000 the two Skelligs were together named a 364-hectare Important Bird Area. Landing is prohibited to keep the nesting colonies undisturbed, so viewing is from a boat or, distantly, from the mainland around Portmagee and Valentia.
What you’ll see
The gannets are the reason to come. Watch them ride the updraughts, jostle for nest ledges and fold into high-speed plunge dives after fish – at the peak of the season the air around the rock is never still. Late July into early August is the time to catch juvenile birds taking their first clumsy flights.
Other seabirds share the cliffs: guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes on the ledges, with fulmar, Manx shearwater and storm petrel also breeding here. Grey seals haul out on the rocks at the base, and the surrounding water can turn up common dolphins and, in warm summers, basking sharks. One honest note: if puffins are what you’re after, Little Skellig isn’t the place – they are far easier to see on Skellig Michael.
How to see it
Because landing is forbidden, a boat is the only way to get close. Licensed operators run from Portmagee, with some sailings from Valentia and Ballinskelligs, roughly from late April to early October. The crossing takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on the swell, and boats circle the rock at a set distance so you can watch the colony without disturbing it.
Two kinds of trip pass Little Skellig. The eco or boat tour cruises around both islands without landing on either, from around €60 a head. The landing tour, closer to €145, puts you ashore on Skellig Michael and takes in Little Skellig on the way – for the gannets, the cheaper cruise does the job just as well. If the boats don’t sail, and in a west-Kerry summer they often don’t, the Skellig Experience centre on Valentia has exhibitions and a film, open daily 10am–6pm in July and August.
Practical information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Departure points | Portmagee (primary), Valentia, Ballinskelligs |
| Typical departure | 10.00–11.00am (seasonal) |
| Return | mid-afternoon |
| Boat tour cost | Eco/cruise from about €60; landing tour (Skellig Michael) around €145 |
| Landing | Not permitted – protected nature reserve |
| Season | Late April to early October (weather-dependent) |
| Island height | 134 m |
| Parking | Free at Portmagee |
Visiting tips
- Book ahead – summer sailings are limited and go early; secure a ticket well in advance.
- Timing – early departures usually mean calmer seas and softer light; late July to August for juvenile gannets.
- Dress for the deck – it is fully exposed to wind and spray. Bring a windproof layer, non-slip shoes, a hat and binoculars.
- Seasickness – the Atlantic swell is unpredictable; take medication beforehand if you’re prone to it and sit amidships.
- Respect the reserve – keep noise down and follow the crew. Donations to BirdWatch Ireland fund the monitoring that keeps the colony counted.
- Combine it – Portmagee sits on the Ring of Kerry, so the boat trip pairs easily with coastal walks or an evening in the village.
For the gannet chicks learning to dive, aim for late July or early August, when the young birds take to the air in their dark-and-white striped plumage.