Educational Trips To Skomer Island

school girl with clipboard

Peter Cairns/2020VISION

Educational Trips To Skomer Island

An Adventure Awaits...

Packed full of seabirds, endemic species, rare plants, unique geological features and archaeological remains, there's something for every school and university group to get out of a trip to Skomer Island.

Check out the wildlife and history of Skomer Island

Education visits to the island last for five hours. When you first moor on the island, one of the island team will give your party an introduction to the island which will be tailored towards your visit. After that, you're free to explore the island - there may be an opportunity to run additional activities with island staff, but please contact the Visitor Officer to discuss this ahead of your visit. At the end of your trip, a member of staff will meet you back at the boat to look at photos and answer those burning questions!

Planning Your Trip

The information below will guide you through booking your trip to Skomer. 

Please note, due to staff availability, no bookings can be taken between 21st December and Tuesday 9th January so please do not call during this time.

For any booking questions, please contact the bookings team on islands@welshwildlife.org.

For any questions about your time on the island, please contact the Skomer Visitor Officer on skomer.vo@welshwildlife.org.

When Do Skomer Education Boats Run?

Educational groups are reserved spaces on the 10.30am sailing (returning at 3.30pm). These are available on Thursdays and Fridays in 2024.

The boat, the Dale Queen, carries visitors to Skomer Island from Martins Haven (two miles from Marloes on the B4327 from Haverfordwest) under contract to The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales. The boat is licensed by the Department of Trade and Industry and is owned and run by Dale Sailing.

What Is Skomer's Education Rate?

School-age child tickets (up to 16s) are £12 for a combined boat fare and landing ticket with adults with them paying £20.

College and university student tickets are £20 per head.

How Do I Book?

Please contact the booking office on 01656 724100 to make a provisional booking. You will then need to download a booking form and email it to islands@welshwildlife.org. Once the bookings team have confirmed the booking, you will be prompted to contact Dale Sailing (our boat operator) on 01646603123 to pay for your visit.

Please note, we are unable to take any bookings for school parties between 20th May and 9th June. Educational parties may book for trips of up to 50 people on Thursdays and Fridays only.

Booking Form For Education Trips To Skomer In 2024

How Do Amendments And Cancellations Work?

Group amendments/cancellations - any amendments to the number of visitors must be made at least 30 days before your sailing date. Any amendments made after this date will remain subject to the booking fee, however please still update us on numbers on the day of travel to ensure the boat log is accurate. 

Island amendments/cancellations - If the sailing is cancelled due to prevailing weather conditions we will refund all payments made. We reserve the right to cancel up to the morning of sailing as weather conditions can change last minute. Please keep in contact if you are concerned about weather conditions.

Information For The Day

Upon arrival at Martins Haven, landing tickets must be collected from Lockley Lodge (our mainland visitor centre) by the group leader.

Appropriate clothing should be taken for all weathers as it can change very rapidly on the island - sun cream, sunhats and waterproofs are a must. Please wear appropriate shoes for rough island paths. There is a covered picnic area at the Farm.

We sell water for £1 and guide books for £3 on island. Lockley Lodge has a gift shop with lots of souvenirs available when you get back to the mainland.