Wildlife Watching in the UK:
What to See & Where to See It
Visiting the UK or living in Great Britain? Wildlife watching in the UK isn’t as well-known as tourism sites like Buckingham Palace or Stonehenge, but that doesn’t mean the country is full of surprises! Discover amazing wildlife watching in the UK. Find out what you can see, and where exactly you can see it.
Puffins
Where? Skomer Island, Wales
When? April to August
Vibrant and charismatic birds, puffins have stolen the hearts and minds of bird watchers for generations, beloved for their charming stature and playful personalities. There are few better places in Europe to see puffins nesting than Skomer Island in Wales. You can stay on the island, or you can visit for the day. It’s worth noting that while puffins appear from April, they’ll often be out hunting and can go days without returning. The best time to visit is June and July, once the population of over 300,000 has settled in for nesting and rearing young.
Basking Sharks
Where? Cornwall Headlands
When? April to October
Basking sharks, the second largest fish in the sea, might have a deadly sounding name, but these gentle giants are nothing to fear. Filter feeders, basking sharks glide through the waters off the Cornish coast, collecting plankton in their massive mouths. Often seen close to the shoreline, basking sharks are easy to spot in calm waters. Their dorsal fin sticks out prominently while they float along the surface where plankton pockets are the richest.
Dolphins
Where? Cardigan Bay, Wales
When? May to September
Beautiful and charismatic animals, dolphins are a firm favourite amongst animal lovers across the globe. While they can be seen in waters all around the British Isles, sightings of this ocean wanders are rare and infrequent, except in Cardigan Bay. Resident pods frequent these rich feed grounds year-round, with transient pods also passing through during the summer months. This is one of the best places to see dolphins in Europe, let alone the UK.
Seals
Where? Blakeney Point, Norfolk.
When? June to August / November to January
The United Kingdom is home to two kinds of seal: the grey seals and harbour seals (also called common seals). Both species of seal visit Blakeney Point in Norfolk to breed and raise their young. Harbour seals visit during the summer while you’ll find grey seals in the winter months. The gathering of grey seals is by far the more impressive. Thousands of seals visit Blakeney Point, with record numbers seeing last year’s seal population count reach well over 7000.
Eagles
Where? West Scotland
When? Year-Round
The white-tailed eagle, also known as the sea eagle, is the largest bird of prey in the UK. These mighty raptors are so large they’ve been known to swoop down on unsuspecting lambs and carry them off to their nests. Hunted to extinction in the past, the sea eagle was reintroduced to Scotland in the 00s and now has a thriving population. The best place to see them is in West Scotland, with the Wester Ross Coastal Trail being particularly noteworthy for sightings.
Otters
Where? Winnall Moors
When? Year-Round
It’s uncommon to find wild mammals (outside of the typical badgers, hedgehogs, deers, etc) near any sort of human settlement. Typically, if you want to encounter more unusual creatures, you’ll need to venture to isolated locations beyond the reach of most people. But not so for the UK’s otter population. Winnall Moors, in the heart of Hampshire’s city of Winchester, has hundreds of otters living amongst the reeds and trees.
Whales
Where? Hebrides & Isle of Mull
When? June to September
The largest animals on the planet, it’s often expected that you’ll need to travel the rugged coasts of countries like Canada and New Zealand to find these creatures, but there are actually great opportunities to see whales in the UK. Minke whales, the smallest of the baleen whales, visit the western shores of Scotland (the Hebrides & Isle of Mull) in abundance, feeding on gathering fish stocks offshore. There are also chances to see humpback whales, dolphins and orca, too.
Beavers
Where? River Otter, Devon
When? Year-round
Beavers became extinct in the wild back in the 16th century, ceaselessly hunted for their pelts until none remained. A rigorous campaign to introduce beavers to the UK saw populations established in a number of locations, including Devon, Kent and Essex. All these locations have restricted access, and cannot be visited by the public. However, in Devon, some of the beavers flew the coup and set up a new home along the publicly-accessible River Otter. After careful consideration, it was agreed that the beavers could stay, which means anyone can visit the area and go wildlife watching the UK, searching for beavers.
