844 235 6240 By Duncan Warner
Published: Sep 22, 2015 More by Duncan
However, in all of the diversity of wildlife, you won’t find any snakes! We can guarantee that… St Patrick is credited with banishing the serpents from Ireland, though in reality there were probably never any snakes here due to the harsh Irish climate. Read on to discover our great wildlife spots in Ireland!
The Saltee Islands are one of the most diverse and off the beaten path birdwatching regions of Ireland. Photo credit: RTE
The Wexford Nature Reserve is a winter destination for thousands of Greenland’s white fronted geese. The first geese arrived in 1910 and now three-fourths of the world’s population have nesting sites in Ireland. Fun fact: the Guinness Book of Records was conceived in the area in 1951 when the Chairman of the Guinness Brewery was hunting game birds. Missing a shot at a golden plover, he wondered if it was the fastest game bird in Europe. He couldn’t find a reference book that answered the question – so in 1954 he created his own. Thus, the Guinness Book of Records was born.
The privately owned Saltee Islands off the southern shores of Wexford, are widely recognised as one of the best seabird sanctuaries in Europe – and even the world. Hike around these rugged and deserted islands for the chance to spot over 220 species of birds, including the adorably iconic puffin! While you’re there, make a pilgrimage to the throne of the late Prince Michael the First – the Saltee Island’s royalty!
Would you like to explore the the Saltee Islands & the Southeast? Check out our self drive, Ireland’s Ancient East.
Amazing shot of a humpback whale along the Wild Atlantic Way in summer! (©Nick Massett, RTE)
One of the best wildlife spots in Ireland, the 2,500 km Wild Atlantic Way is balcony for whale and dolphin watching. The Shannon Estuary shelters one of only four bottlenose dolphin populations in Europe. The killer whale, the dolphin’s cousin, is a frequent visitor.
Baleen whales prefer the vastness of the sea, but follow shoals of fish so close to our shoreline they can be viewed from boats, hiking, and biking paths and even roadways along the coast. Minke whales arrive in spring, humpbacks in late summer and the fin whale (the fastest and second-largest whale in the world) appears is here from June to January.
Bike the best of the Wild Atlantic Way on our epic west coast bike trip.
A seal enjoying the beach in Donegal!
If you like seals (and who doesn’t!?), there are ample opportunities to see them all along the Wild Atlantic Way. The best way to see Irish seals in their natural habitat is by kayaking or island hopping. The sunny shores and the dozens of small islands of West Cork are fantastic places to catch a glimpse of the seals playing in the water or lounging on the sand.
Further up the way, the rocky coasts of the Burren National Park or the quiet and rugged shores of Sligo and Donegal are equally ideal places to meet friendly Irish grey seals and common seals.
Try Island Hopping in Cork & Kerry to see West Cork’s seal community. Or meet Sligo’s friendly seals in their natural environment by joining our Intro to Kayaking in Sligo.
Enjoying a sunny day along the Wild Atlantic Way, perfect wildlife spots in Ireland!
Birdwatching for seabirds around Rathlin Island.
A bird-watcher’s paradise, the dramatic white cliffs of Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland’s only inhabited island, shelter bird nesting sites and first flights of gannets, guillemots, auks, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. For most people though, the star of Rathlin Island are the adorable puffins! Every year, thousands of puffins return in May for breeding season.
The seabird centre in Rathlin Island’s old lighthouse draws the birdwatchers from around the world searching for new sightings of unusual birds, like the rare red-legged chough.
From a historical context, Scotland’s famed King Robert the Bruce once hid in one of its caves. Here, he watched a spider climb and fall several times before eventually succeeding. Taking this as a ‘sign,’ he returned to Scotland and successfully defeated the English in battle in 1314. Though you won’t find any Scottish kings, Rathlin Island’s shores, caves, and hills are the perfect place to hike and explore while spotting wildlife!
Visit the puffins and other birds on Rathlin Island on our new Northern Ireland family adventure, Giants, Myths and Legends.
A deer at sunset sporting an impressive set of antlers. Photo credit: RTE
Glenveagh National Park became a vast and desolate wilderness after the famine in 1861 when 244 tenants were evicted to clear the land. Today, it is one of the best wildlife Spots in Ireland as this remote region is home to one of the largest herd of red deer in Ireland.
In 2000, the golden eagle was reintroduced to Ireland in Glenveagh National Park, an animal which had became extinct in the wild 100 years before. ‘Red listed’ because of their small breeding numbers, there are less than 10,000 pairs in Europe. As of 2014, Ireland’s reintroduced pairs have seen 13 chicks fly the nest in three of the four corners of Ireland.
Visit the expansive landscapes of Glenveagh National Park and Donegal on our beloved trip, Hiking the Causeway’s Coastal Route in Northern Ireland.
Red Deer exploring Killarney National Park.
Red deer are Ireland’s only native deer species to Ireland, though they were nearly hunted to extinction by the late 1800s. In fact, by the mid to late 1800s, the only significant population was in the woodlands of Killarney, as local earls kept hunting estates there. Unfortunately, the introduction of non-native sika deer further decreased their population due to competition for the same habitat. Through preservation efforts, the red deer have made a significant recovery in Killarney and beyond.
Visit Killarney in the spring to see the new calves, or in the fall (generally mid-October) during rutting season. However, you should be able to spot the red deer year-round in most cases!
Explore wildlife spots in Ireland’s Killarney National Park and more on our invigorating Hiking the Mountains of the Ring of Kerry trip.
Be the first to hear about new trips, locations and activities with our monthly newsletter