Lundy Island is one of the most biodiverse locations in Britain. Bethany Sewell explores the rich history and diverse range of wildlife inhabiting this island, to find out why it is such a significant conservation hot spot.

Just three miles long and half a mile in width, Lundy Island sits in the Bristol Channel. Home to some of Britain’s rarest species, this small landmass with nothing between it and America, reaps a vibrant story of how it became Britain’s very own Galapagos.

This time last year, I find myself on MS Oldenburg, setting sail from the mainland at Ilfracombe, and embarking on the short, but famously rough journey to Lundy Island. Having watched the sun rise and set over this small isle on the horizon for many years from North Devon’s vast beaches, getting the chance to finally explore the island was exciting.

Thought to be inhabited for at least 3,000 years, Lundy and its surrounding waters have a turbulent past from plundering Vikings who named the island ‘Lund-ey,’ meaning ‘Puffin Island,’ to pirates, smugglers and even links to Jamaican plantations in the 1800s. An island that gained a reputation as a place for outcasts and disgraced nobility, has now become a wild oasis. The roots of this ‘ecological paradise’ beginning to grow from 1925, when a wealthy English businessman bought the island and created his own private kingdom. Here, he introduced many animals and began what is now the oldest private postal system in the world, using puffin coinage. Following this, Lundy was gifted to the National Trust and agreed to be managed by the Landmark Trust, transforming all forms of life on this small island.

Leaning on the rails of MS Oldenburg, looking out over the never-ending blue mass of ocean, the push and pull of the currents gently rocked the boat. Racing white dots danced in the sky above me and gathered just atop the water a short distance away. They were gannets. Dive-bombing and circling in a group, while movements could be made out from beneath the waves. Although I didn’t see the creature lurking below, talk of a dolphin, porpoise or even a whale circled the boat. Either way, an inspiring teaser to the spectacular marine life that surrounds Lundy.

This thriving underwater world is supported by converging currents, where nutrient rich tides from estuaries along the Bristol Channel found east of the island, meet cooler waters from the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Each part of this granite landmass is exposed to different types of winds and swells, meaning it supports a diverse range of wildlife and overtime has formed many different habitats. From cliffs to canyons, rock pinnacles to mud plains, even kelp forests to shipwrecks, getting to explore a few of these seemingly untouched environments would fill anyone with complete wonder. For me at least, exploring an ecosystem bursting with so much life was like stepping into an Attenborough documentary.

From the moment MS Oldenburg docked on the small jetty at Lundy to the moment I left the island, Grey Seals could be spotted almost everywhere. With a resident population thought to be around 180 Grey Atlantic seals, these mammals could be spotted bathing on rocks enjoying the sun or swimming about in the water just offshore. Whilst playing in the sea they will dive down for up to 20 minutes in one go, searching for fish and swimming in and around the kelp forests just offshore. Hiding within this kelp, which grows from the rocky seabed are most commonly wrasse, blennies and gobies, who use the kelp as shelter. Occasionally the warmer summer months bring basking sharks (the world’s second largest fish) to the island’s waters to feed on plankton. Furthermore, Lundy’s unique location between the Bristol Channel and Atlantic Ocean explain rare sightings of Leatherback Turtles, making any diver or wildlife watcher feel as if they are in paradise. The clear waters and our sheer luck of visiting on the hottest day of the year, made me forget I was in Britain and rather begin to believe we were discovering an island in the Pacific.

Nevertheless, while walking along the islands beaches and wandering the coast path, looking down at the ocean, jellyfish shimmered in the shallow waters below. The most common sightings being moon, compass and purple jellyfish. Which, even though are species that can be regularly spotted throughout many beaches on the mainland; seeing the abundance of life bursting from the water in such a conservational area, flooded every eyewitness with a sense of hope and wonder. The tranquil pure waters and abundance of life moving within them, brought a sense of magic that made me stop for a moment and appreciate the incredible landscape I was in.

For over 40 years Lundy has been at the heart of marine conservation in the UK. In the 1970’s Lundy’s waters became the first Voluntary Marine Nature Reserve and the first Statutory Marine Nature Reserve in 1986. Following this it became a Special Area of Conservation in 2000 and the east coast was labelled a ‘No Take Zone,’ protecting all species inhabiting this section of the island’s waters. Moreover, in 2010 Lundy’s Marine Nature Reserve became the first Marine Conservation Zone in the UK.

Above the waves however, seabirds returning to the island for the summer soar between the land and the sea. As I venture north and peer down over cliffs and rock pinnacles, thousands of seabirds line the walls of Lundy. Although arguably more feral than the colony on nearby Skomer Island, Lundy’s puffins have not only given the outcrop its name but have also recovered from threats posed by rat populations at the turn of the century. Now thriving, puffins can be spotted alongside other auk species such as guillemots and razorbills. A little closer, gulls fly overhead, following me as I venture back to the boat. Flying and fleeting throughout the landscape, the dominant presence of birds big and small captured everyone’s attention, constantly leading my gaze in every direction.

Walking back down the coast path, feral goats and Lundy Ponies, (introduced to the outcrop in 1928), graze the grassland. Helping to maintain the conservation interest of this SSSI, they reduce the height of many plant species and allow other vegetation to grow, increasing the biodiversity of flora and fauna in these areas. Amongst the fauna tiny insectivorous Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) can be found, with its brightly coloured and sugar-coated leaves, which attract insects in order to get the right amount of nitrogen. While there are nearly 200 species of Sundew worldwide, only one has been found on Lundy so far. Never did I expect to find a carnivorous plant on an island so close to home. An exciting find, that makes me curious about the other interesting and seemingly exotic species that could be lurking in amongst the lush greenery that forms the backdrop of this island.

Waiting to board MS Oldenburg and journey back to the mainland, my brief but insightful time on this beautiful island provided me with a small taste of the richness of our natural world, when left pretty much untouched and respected by all who witness it. Ultimately, my experience was an eye opener to how life on the mainland would be if it was as connected to nature as life is on Lundy. Showing that when we really put our minds to protecting and conserving wildlife close to us, can we being to understand not only it’s true importance but also it’s pure beauty and rich diversity.

Life on Lundy: Britain’s Galapagos

Lundy Island is one of the most biodiverse locations in Britain. Bethany Sewell explores the rich history and diverse range of wildlife inhabiting this island, to find out why it is such a significant conservation hot spot.