 Skellig Michael, with Little Skellig behind | |
  Skellig Islands | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 51°46′N10°32′W / 51.767°N 10.533°W /51.767; -10.533 |
| Total islands | 2 |
| Major islands | |
| Administration | |
| County | Kerry |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
TheSkellig Islands (Irish:Na Scealaga), historically "the Skellocks",[1] are two small, steep, and rocky islands lying about 13 km (8 mi) west of Bolus Head off theIveragh Peninsula inCounty Kerry,Ireland. The larger of the two isSkellig Michael (also known as Great Skellig), famous for an early Christian monastery that is aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site. Together withLittle Skellig, they make up a 364-hectare (899-acre)Important Bird Area.[2]
The larger of the two islands, Skellig Michael (Irish:Sceilig Mhichíl[3]) is also known as Great Skellig in English. It has two peaks rising to over 230 m (750 ft) above sea level. With a sixth-century Christian monastery perched at 160 m (520 ft) on a ledge near the top of the lower peak, Skellig Michael is designated as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
Birdwatch Ireland were concerned that the Irish government allowed filming on a seabird sanctuary without third party consent. During the 2014 nesting season,black-legged kittiwake chicks in nests were swept into the sea by the downdraught from a helicopter and devoured by gulls.[4][5]
The smaller of the two islands isLittle Skellig (Sceilig Bheag inIrish).[6] (grid referenceV268618) It is Ireland's largestnorthern gannet (Morus bassanus) colony with almost 30,000 pairs, and is closed to the public. It is also one of the world's largest northern gannet colonies, and is of international importance.[7] The island's highest point is 134 m (440 ft) above sea level and is located approximately 1.5 km (1 mi) east-northeast of the island of Skellig Michael.
Both of the Skellig islands are known for theirseabird colonies, and together compose one of the most important seabird sites in Ireland, both for the population size and for the species diversity. The islands have been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because they support breeding populations of several species ofseabirds.[8] Among the breeding birds areEuropean storm petrel,northern gannet,northern fulmar,Manx shearwater,black-legged kittiwake,common guillemot,razorbill andAtlantic puffin (with 4,000 or more puffins on Great Skellig alone).Red-billed choughs andperegrine falcons can also be seen.[9]
The surrounding waters have abundant wildlife with manyGrey seals.Basking sharks,minke whales,dolphins (Delphinidae),beaked whales andleatherback sea turtles have also been recorded. The islands have many interestingrecreational diving sites due to the clear water, an abundance of life, and underwater cliffs down to 60 m (200 feet).
The Skellig Islands served as a location in the 1976 filmHeart of Glass, directed and produced byWerner Herzog, where the islands feature in one of the prophecies by the seer Hias.[10][better source needed]
Certain scenes from the 2012 filmByzantium were also filmed here.[11][better source needed]
The final scene ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens was shot on Skellig in July 2015, with additional filming taking place there in September 2015 forThe Last Jedi, the following film in the series. The remains of the Skellig Michael monastery appear in the film, representing an ancientJedi temple.[12][13]
In theWitcher fantasy literature series and its related video games, 'Skellige' is an archipelago visited by protagonistGeralt of Rivia.[14][better source needed] In the video gameThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the inhabitants of the islands can be heard speaking with an Irish accent.[15]
.jpg)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
