Discover some of the best locations for watching wildlife in Cornwall from the beautiful grey seals to playful dolphins and, recently returning to the coast around Cornwall, the huge bluefin tuna!
Puffin Island
Cornwall is home to two puffin breeding colonies, one is found close to our home in Padstow and where puffins are commonly found between April and July during their breeding season. Puffins will make ‘Puffin Island’ their home throughout the spring and early summer while they breed and rear their chicks (also known as ‘pufflings’!).
Puffins prefer a more secluded location, safe from land predators to incubate their eggs and feed their chicks. They also feed around Puffin Island on small fish and usually can carry around 8-12 small baitfish in their bills, but the record held for most fish in a puffin’s bill is an incredible 83 fish at once!
Wildlife you could spot near Puffin Island
- Grey Seals
- Harbour Porpoises
- Common Dolphins
- Risso’s Dolphins
- Bottlenose Dolphins
- Minke Whales
- Guillemots
- Razorbills
- Northern Gannet
- Cormorants
- European Shags
Best Place to see Puffins in Cornwall
You are able to sometimes spot puffins from the headland close to Puffin Island but this isn’t the easiest way to spot them and you may require a set of good binoculars. The best way to see puffins in Cornwall is on our Puffin Boat Trips where you can get a great view of them popping in and out of their burrows and diving for sandeels!
Cape Cornwall
Cape Cornwall is located on the Penwith Heritage Coast and is a known hotspot for some incredible wildlife. With a breath taking view across the Atlantic you can see why the marine wildlife love it here so much, offering crystal clear waters and beautiful rugged landscape.
Bring your binoculars as, on the right day, you can spot an abundance of wildlife like seals, dolphins, harbour porpoises, the illusive basking shark, and even bluefin tuna, which after disappearing from our waters, are now returning again to delight Cornwall’s wildlife watchers during the summer!
Wildlife you could spot at Cape Cornwall
- Balearic shearwater
- Bluefin Tuna
- Common Dolphins
- Risso’s Dolphins
- Bottlenose Dolphins
- Harbour Porpoises
- Basking Sharks
- Minke Whales
- Humpback Whales
- Grey Seals
- Cormorants
- Northern Gannet
- European Shags
- Guillemots
- Razorbills
Helford River
The beautiful Helford river is not only a incredible location to visit, but is also an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and all the Helford River system falls locally into a Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is identified by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust as a Cornwall Nature Conservation Site.
Along the Helford River you’ll notice an abundance of wildlife from water birds like the egret, to dolphins at the mouth of the river. The shallow bays and sandy banks make a perfect environment for oysters, crabs of all kinds and even some lobsters!
This is an especially great area for bird-watchers, so bring a coffee and binoculars to watch the stunning displays of seabirds and water birds!
Wildlife you could spot at the Helford River
- Common Dolphins
- Harbour Porpoises
- Grey Seals
- Cormorants
- Northern Gannet
- European Shags
- Guillemots
- Razorbills
- Oystercatchers
Pendennis Point
One of the most accessible places in Cornwall to spot wildlife from, with a car park on site, is Pendennis point. With Pendennis Castle backing on to the point, this is an incredible location to watch wildlife and you can even grab a coffee and ice cream in the car park!
You can easily spot a great number of seabirds from Cormorants, Shags, Razorbills and Guillemots along with dolphins, the occasional seal and rare sightings of basking sharks being spotted from shore.
Pendennis offers a 280° panoramic view of Falmouth bay, so pack your binoculars and camera to sit and watch Cornwall’s beautiful wildlife, close to the centre of Falmouth.
Wildlife you could spot at the Pendennis Point
- Common Dolphins
- Harbour Porpoises
- Basking Sharks
- Grey Seals
- Northern Gannet
- Cormorants
- European Shags
- Guillemots
- Razorbills
- Oystercatchers
The Lizard Peninsula
The Lizard in Cornwall is one of the most southerly points and most remote parts of Cornwall, along with Penwith. Being out on the Lizard peninsula has the benefits of a 280° panoramic view, which is amazing for spotting wildlife.
Either staying on the Lizard peninsula, or moving up the coast towards Housel Bay, you can spot some of the most amazing wildlife in Cornwall such as dolphins, harbour porpoises, a large number of seabirds and even the possibility of basking sharks.
Surrounding the Lizard there are many cafes to enjoy a drink or a bite to eat whilst scoping out wildlife!
Wildlife you could spot at the Lizard Peninsula
- Bluefin Tuna
- Common Dolphins
- Risso Dolphins
- Bottlenose Dolphins
- Harbour Porpoises
- Basking Sharks
- Grey Seals
- Cormorants
- Northern Gannet
- European Shags
- Guillemots
- Razorbills
Rame Head
Rame Head is another one of Cornwall’s most beautiful spots and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. When visiting you can really see why, with the beautiful landscape of Whitsand Bay to the south. This vast seascape holds opportunities for spotting wildlife, making it one of the best places to spot marine wildlife in Cornwall.
Bring your Binoculars and camera as you’ll have the chances of spotting dolphins, harbour porpoises, seals, seabirds and even the unusual ocean sunfish in the summer!
Wildlife you could spot at the Lizard Peninsula
- Common Dolphins
- Risso’s Dolphins
- Bottlenose Dolphins
- Harbour Porpoises
- Basking Sharks
- Grey Seals
- Cormorants
- Northern Gannet
- European Shags
- Guillemots
- Razorbills
Cornish Seal Sanctuary
For seal lovers, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary is an ideal destination. It serves as a haven for injured seals and other resident marine animals, including sea lions, penguins, and otters. The sanctuary’s primary objective is to rescue and rehabilitate seals, preparing them for their eventual return to their natural habitat.
The seals here all have amazing features about them and the standout guy is Ray. Everybody loves Ray and we can guarantee you will too – his lovely charismatic charm welcomes you.
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is an amazing facility which needs support and to be protected at all costs for the future of seals and marine wildlife in Cornwall.
Great Charities Helping Marine Wildlife
The Seal Research Trust
The Seal Research Trust (aka Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust) is a multi-award winning, evidence-based marine conservation charity.
Seals face many ocean challenges, yet we all depend on them to balance our marine ecosystem. This is essential to make the oxygen we breathe. Seals are our globally rare wildlife tourist attraction, helping diversify coastal economic prosperity.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Cornwall Wildlife Trust believes in a wilder future for Cornwall, where our wildlife and wild places are cherished for all to enjoy. With the support of our members, we implement projects on land and at sea, conducting campaigns and managing wild spaces to ensure nature in Cornwall thrives for future generations.
Creating a Cornwall where Nature Thrives.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
British Divers Marine Life Rescue’s mission is to provide assistance to marine mammals and other species in need of help.
We do this through the training of specialist volunteer Marine Mammal Medics, which provides them with the basic knowledge, skills and expertise to enable our team to respond to a callout and act on behalf of that animal’s best welfare interests.
If you see a marine animal in trouble or stranded please call: 01825 765546
