D Irl 16320 Eda; V’s view from Skelligs Michael

The Skellig Islands are two small, steep, and rocky islands lying about 13 km (8 mi) west of Bolus Head on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The larger of the two is Skellig Michael (also known as Great Skellig) which, together with Little Skellig, is at the centre of a 364-hectare (899-acre) Important Bird Area established by BirdWatch Ireland in 2000. Skellig Michael is also famous for an early Christian monastery.

The smaller of the two islands is Little Skellig. It is Ireland's largest northern gannet (Morus bassanus) colony with almost 30,000 pairs, and is closed to the public. The island is 134 m (440 ft) tall and is approximately 1.5 km (1 mi) east-northeast of Skellig Michael.

Skelligs Michael, with two peaks rises to over 230 m (750 ft) above sea level. With a sixth-century Christian monastery perched at 160 m (520 ft) above sea level on a ledge close to the top of the lower peak, Great Skellig is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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

The surrounding waters have abundant wildlife with many Grey seal s. Basking shark, minke whale, dolphin, beaked whale, and leatherback sea turtle have also been recorded. The islands have many interesting recreational diving sites due to the clear water, an abundance of life, and underwater cliffs down to 60 meters (200 feet). (Source; Wikipedia)

These islands are among the most interesting and spectacular islands to be found anywhere on the Atlantic coast. The ancient development that took place on Skelligs Michael is really impressive and memorable. Luckily, the site is being lovingly cared for and preserved.