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The Independent
11-07-2025
- The Independent
The little-known island off the coast of Ireland that's filled with puffins and wildflowers
While Skomer Island in Wales often gets the headlines for its puffin colony, I've discovered an Irish outpost that is home to a large colony and is easier to visit. A friend of mine has long disputed my description of puffins as 'bonky', claiming it's both 'ridiculous' and 'not a word'. But I think it fits perfectly. These seabirds are both bonkers and wonky-looking, with their wobbly little walks and seeming inability to fly in a straight line. And when I saw them up close, waddling on the edge of the sea cliffs on the Irish island of Great Saltee, I became even more confident that I was right all along. Every year on this rugged island off Ireland 's Southeast coast, a colony of puffins migrate to breed and nest. And every year, between April and July, people like me flock to Great Saltee Island to see them up close. It doesn't take long to spot them. Mere minutes after landing on the island I was surrounded by a veritable swam of puffins as they pottered between our legs, waddling like tipsy toddlers between the thick patches of purple wildflowers and their burrows, the exact same ones they nest in year after year. I crouched down, silent, and leant against a boulder covered in yellow moss, in the hopes that they would get closer still. And they did. Puffins waddled right past my feet, popping in and out of their burrows and leaping off the cliffs, their bright orange feet splayed out and their bums wobbling as they flew against the sea breeze. More than one looked right into my eyes as they tried to work out who, or what, I was. At one point, I looked down at a burrow I was passing only to see a distinctive beak poking out, its sharp orange ridge the only part visible in the dark hole. As a lifelong puffin fan, it was everything I'd hoped for. Like similar puffin colonies in Wales, their population is on the up (as is their popularity among puffin spotters). By coincidence, I'd been on the Pembrokeshire coast the week before, in the hopes of seeing the birds on Skomer Island. But while Skomer is positively teeming with puffins (the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales just counted a record number of 43,626 puffins on the island), tickets for the landing sell out months in advance. A ticket to the Saltee Islands, however, is much easier to snag and costs just £34 return. Though some dates book out, I found tickets relatively last minute, the week before I set off. And the journey is an experience, too. I spent much of the 20-minute crossing in the cockpit, with the three local lads who drove the ferry barefoot and handed out soggy life jackets when it was time for us to switch to the dinghy that could navigate the shallower waters our ferry could not. I hadn't realised it was possible to be rocked in four different directions simultaneously, but as soon as our boat hit the Irish Sea we were bobbing like an apple at Halloween, each wave causing a squeal of joy or horror among passengers. But as soon as I leapt over the tangled seaweed on the shore, miraculously avoiding putting my whole foot in the water, I spotted my first puffin, hidden in a craggy nook on the side of the dark green hills that lined the beach. And that was just the first of them. When I finally tore myself away from the hundreds of puffins at their main breeding ground, I started hiking the trail that weaves around the south of the island. For an hour, I walked past rocky outcrops overflowing with guillemots and razorbills, and under nesting black-backed gulls prone to swooping down and divebombing any potential human threats. The trail weaves through tall swathes of fern, up and over the headland that looks back over the island, the rocky ridges and arches jutting into and over the sea, the dense lushness of the grass on top scattered with thousands of bright yellow buttercups and bluebells. As we walked further and the puffin-watchers dissipated, we saw seals on the rocks, then three tiny gull chicks, their fuzzy feathers making them look like leopard cubs on the sandy beach. However, the island, and County Wexford itself, isn't just for puffin-watchers. Wexford town is about 25 minutes up the coast, with seafood restaurants like La Côte, where you can tuck into dishes like sea trout tartare with caviar, or herb-crusted local hake with zingy lemon confit, all while enjoying views out over the sea. Kilmore Quay, where the ferries depart (and the aforementioned hake is caught), is a cute harbour village where you can pick up artisanal breads for an island picnic and delve into top notch fish and chips from the Saltee Chipper when you land back in – and after a day on the wind-battered island, nothing tastes as good as a pile of hot, salty chips, crispy battered haddock and mushy peas. To cap off our visit, we saw a few more puffins, much hardier characters than the main gang, who clung to the wind-battered cliffs on the northern edge of the island looking like hardened thugs. Their feathers flurried in the wind as they wobbled back onto the land after diving into the sea, their beaks filled to the brim with lines of silver sand eels. I watched them with my friend as they landed, one after another after another. And there wasn't another person around to be seen. Fly to Dublin from London with Aer Lingus from £49 one-way. Flight time is around 1 hour 25 minutes. Kilmore Quay is a 2 hour drive away, or you can get the train to Wexford and take a local bus to the ferry departure point. A ticket to the Saltee Islands costs £34 return and can be bought at
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Chance Of A Depression Forming Off Southeast Coast Increases
The latest update from the National Hurricane Center now shows a medium chance of development near Florida or along the Southeast coast this weekend or early next week. There is still potential for an area of low pressure to develop along a stalled front, which could eventually strengthen into a tropical or subtropical depression. Regardless of development, heavy rain looks likely across Florida Thursday and Friday into the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. Rain and storm chances increase along the Southeast coast later this weekend into next week.
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Will A 4th Of July Tropical System Soak Florida And The Coastal South?
The tropical outlook features potential development off the Southeast coast for the 4th of July ... More weekend. The 4th of July weekend is approaching, and the threat of something 'tropical' is increasing for Florida and portions of the U.S. southeastern coast. Many popular beach destinations from Panama City to Myrtle Beach could be facing a holiday soaker due to a stalled frontal boundary and the potential development of a tropical or subtropical low pressure system. Here is the latest on what people in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida should expect, the timelines, and whether the storm could be named. Forecast weather map for the 4th of July. The Meteorological Explanation Let's get straight to the reliable source. According to the National Hurricane Center discussion issued Thursday morning, "An area of low pressure is forecast to develop along a weakening frontal boundary near Florida or the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States by early this weekend." While conditions are not optimal for explosive development, NHC went on to say that say that some slow development is possible. That could lead to a tropical or subtropical depression forming over the 4th of July weekend. At the time of writing, the chance of formation through 7 days is about 60 percent. Risk of excessive rainfall from the morning of July 3, 2025 to July 4, 2025. Likely Weather Impacts For Florida And Southeast Coast Whether the storm gets a name or not, it will likely produce heavy rainfall across the northern half of Florida and southeastern coast. Through Friday, NOAA's Weather Prediction Center expects the greatest likelihood of excessive rainfall in the western peninsula and marginal chances through coastal Georgia and South Carolina. The National Weather Service in Charleston, South Carolina cautioned, 'The current forecast features isolated to scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms, mainly along the coast and firing off of the sea breeze. However, if the low is able to form, precipitation chances along the coastline would likely increase both Saturday and Sunday.' Where Named Storms Typically Form Around The 4th Of July I don't expect a named storm out of this system. However, this is a pretty typical location for formation at this time of year. Favorable origin points tend to be in the eastern Pacific basin, the Gulf and off the southeastern U.S. coast. As hurricane season progresses into the peak months of August and September, origin points increasingly shift to the Atlantic main development region. Typical formation points for tropical cyclones around July 4, 2025. The second named storm of the year is typically expected in the middle of July. We have already had Tropical Storms Andrea and Barry. We are trending slightly ahead of the average pace right now. The third named storm usually forms in August. If this low forms and overperforms to reach named status, it would be called Chantal. The first hurricane of the year usually forms in the Atlantic basin around the second week of August. Forecasters are also currently watching Tropical Storm Flossie in the eastern Pacific basin. The expected progression of named storms in an average Atlantic season.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
National Hurricane Center Watching An Area Around Florida
The National Hurricane Center has highlighted another area to watch for potential tropical development off the Southeast coast. The area includes the Gulf and Atlantic waters on either side of Florida. While this area will be slow to develop, we could see tropical development from a frontal boundary just in time for the holiday weekend. Regardless if the storm develops into anything tropical or not, there will be heavy rain and possible rip currents along the Southeast coast for holiday beachgoers. Watch to see what the National Hurricane Center is tracking.
