Looe Island Nature Reserve

Looe Island - also known as St George’s Island - sits a mile off the coast from Looe and is Cornwall’s only marine nature reserve. Bequeathed to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust in 2004, the 22-acre island supports a mix of habitats: woodland, maritime grassland, sand, shingle, and rocky reef, all within a protected marine zone.

Grey seals are the main draw for most visitors. Over 200 individual seals have been identified in the waters around Looe, and most trips offer sightings of adults hauled out on the rocks at the back of the island or swimming close to shore. Adult grey seals can reach 2.5 metres long and weigh over 250 kilograms. The island also hosts Cornwall’s largest breeding colony of great black-backed gulls, along with nesting cormorants, shags, and oystercatchers, and around 15 species of butterfly are regularly recorded.

Guided walks run by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust operate from spring to early autumn. Boats depart from the floating pontoon near the RNLI lifeboat station slipway in East Looe - look for the island trips information board on Buller Quay. Each guided visit lasts around three and a half hours. Check the Cornwall Wildlife Trust website for the current schedule and booking details.