Little Skellig facts for kids
![]() Little Skellig
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Little Skellig (Ireland)
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Geography | |
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Location | Atlantic Ocean |
Coordinates | 51°45′58″N 10°31′59″W / 51.766°N 10.533°W |
Area | 8 ha (20 acres) |
Highest elevation | 134 m (440 ft) |
Administration | |
County | Kerry |
Demographics | |
Population | 0 |
Little Skellig (which is Sceilig Bheag in Irish) is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean. It's about 11 kilometers (7 miles) southwest of Valentia Island. You can find it off the coast of County Kerry in Ireland. This island is famous for its amazing birdlife.
Exploring Little Skellig
Little Skellig is one of two special islands called the Skellig Islands. Its bigger neighbor is Skellig Michael, just 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away. Little Skellig might be smaller, but it's home to a huge number of birds!
The island is especially famous for its massive colony of northern gannets. These are large, beautiful seabirds. This gannet colony is the biggest in all of Ireland. It's also one of the largest gannet colonies anywhere in the world! Imagine seeing so many birds in one place.
Because of its importance for birds, Little Skellig and Skellig Michael are part of an Important Bird Area. This special area was set up by BirdWatch Ireland in 2000. It helps protect the birds and their homes.
Visiting Little Skellig
You can't actually land on Little Skellig island. This is because it's a very important nature preserve. BirdWatch Ireland made it a protected area.
The main reason for this protection is the huge number of gannets. There are over 35,000 gannet nests on the island. Protecting their home helps these amazing birds survive and thrive.