Seabird island
Puffin Island
Puffin Island lies just off the coast to the south of Valentia, close to St Finan’s Bay. It is a protected nature reserve, and the sea and shore around it are protected too.
As the name suggests, it is a great place for puffins. Thousands of pairs nest here each summer. The island is also home to one of the biggest colonies of Manx shearwaters in Ireland, with more than 6,000 pairs, and to large numbers of storm petrels. The shearwaters spend the day out at sea and only come back to their burrows after dark.
The island is not open to visitors, but it is a fine sight from the water. We keep a respectful distance so the birds are not disturbed.
Across Dingle Bay
The Blasket Islands
The Blasket Islands lie to the north, off the tip of the Dingle Peninsula. On a clear day you can see them across Dingle Bay.
There are six main islands. People lived on the Great Blasket until 1953, when the last islanders moved to the mainland. At its busiest, the island had around 175 people.
The islanders are famous for their writing. Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Peig Sayers and Muiris Ó Súilleabháin all wrote books about island life in Irish. Their books are still widely read today.
The Blaskets are now home to grey seals and to large numbers of seabirds, with at least 13 different species breeding there.
On a trip
See the islands from the water
Fishing off the Kerry coast means fishing in the shadow of some famous islands. Bring a camera. You will want it.