Skellig Islands

The Skellig Islands ( _ga. Na Scealaga) are two small, steep and rocky islands lying about 16 km west of Bolus Head on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. They are famous for their thriving gannet and puffin populations, and for an early Christian monastery that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Little Skellig

The smaller island is Little Skellig ("Sceilig Bheag" in Irish). It is closed to the public, and holds Ireland's largest and the world's second-largest Northern Gannet colony, with almost 30,000 pairs. It is about 1.5 km east of Great Skellig.

Great Skellig

Also known as Skellig Michael ("Sceilig Mhichíl" in Irish), this is the larger of the two islands, rising to over 230 m above sea level. With a sixth-century Christian monastery perched on a ledge close to the top, Great Skellig is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wildlife

Both of the Skellig islands are well known for their seabird colonies, and together comprise one of the most important seabird sites in Ireland, both for the population size and for the species diversity.

Among the breeding birds are European Storm-Petrels, Northern Gannets, Fulmars, Manx Shearwaters, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common Guillemots, Razorbills and Atlantic Puffins (with 4000 or more puffins on Great Skellig alone). Smaller numbers of Choughs and Peregrine Falcons can also be seen.

The surrounding waters teem with life also. Grey Seals are common, and Basking Sharks, Minke Whales, dolphins and Leatherback Turtles have also been recorded. The islands have many interesting recreational diving sites due to the clear water, abundance of life and underwater cliffs down to 60 metres (200 feet).

External links

* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/757 UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Skellig Michael]
* [http://www.sceiligs.info A Project Web Site about The Skellig Islands]
* [http://www.skelligislands.com Skelligs Islands - A website detailing information about visiting the islands]
* [http://www.skelligsrock.com SkelligsRock - A website detailing the islands history and wildlife]