Pembrokeshire Coast the best place to see marine wildlife

In addition to providing breathtaking coastal scenery, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park was named the best national park for spotting animals out at sea, according to family footwear brand Charles Clinkard.

Just this year, a superpod of dolphins was spotted at sea off Strumble in February, and a month earlier a humpback whale made a rare appearance off the coast at Fishguard.

“You may not associate the UK with marine wildlife, but there are some spots of the country where you’re likely to get a glimpse of a sea animal or two,” a spokesperson for Charles Clinkard said.

“The best national park for spotting marine wildlife is Arfordir Penfro (also known as Pembrokeshire Coast National Park) in the south-west of Wales.

The superpod consisted of hundreds common dolphins. (Image: Sea Trust's Megan, placement student, and Nadia - projects manager)

“From this park, there’s a chance to spot a variety of sea creatures, from Atlantic grey seals to minke whales. There are a variety of species of dolphin that visit this corner of Wales too, including porpoises and common and bottlenose dolphins.”

For those looking to spot some marine wildlife on their visit to the national park, Visit Wales published a list of the best locations to see dolphins, porpoises and the slightly rarer whales and orcas.

The humpback whale was spotted in Fishguard Harbour. (Image: Sea Trust/ lloyd Nelmes)

A Visit Wales spokesperson said: "You can see our bottlenose dolphins all year round, but depending on where and when you go, you can raise your chances of spotting them to a near-certainty.

"Summer months are best, with New Quay being the hottest spot. 

"Boat trips can take you to Aberporth, Mwnt, Cardigan Island and Cemaes Head and you've a good chance of seeing dolphins."

The superpod of common dolphins was spotted off Strumble Head on February 1. (Image: Sea Trust's Megan, placement student, and Nadia - projects manager)

The popularity of hiking and rambling boomed during the pandemic. As of 2020, a quarter of Brits describing themselves as ‘hikers’, whilst in April 2024, #hiking had around 85.4 million posts on Instagram.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Charles Clinkard ranked all 15 of the national parks in the UK on a number of factors to find the best options for walkers depending on what they are looking for.