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Wildlife at Strangford Lough

A grey seal bobbing in the sea at Godrevy
Spot Grey and Harbour seals on the Lough | © National Trust Images/Nick Upton

Strangford Lough is one of only three designated Marine Nature Reserves in the United Kingdom and home to a variety of wildlife unrivalled in Europe. Spot marine animals including porpoises, seals, and otters. Look up to watch flocks of sea birds arriving to nest, or head inland to glimpse red squirrels, find rare flora and fauna.

Strangford Lough is a unique place to visit at any time of the year, and in summer there's a wide variety of wildlife to be found by the shore or in the wider countryside.

What you can see: June - August

  • Nesting terns (internationally important numbers of Sandwich and common terns), gulls, cormorants and waders on islands throughout Strangford Lough
  • Nesting terns and small gulls on Cockle Island
  • Common seals pupping
  • Harbour porpoises
  • Nesting little egret
  • Common spotted orchid at Gibbs Island
  • Nesting Manx shearwater (almost 1% of the global population) and Arctic terns on Lighthouse Island where puffins are also present in small numbers
  • Common blue butterfly at Kearney
  • Yellow-horned poppy flowering at Kearney
  • Peak time for otter sightings

Summer wildlife at Strangford Lough

Summer is the best time of year to catch a glimpse of the otters at Strangford Lough - you can also spot seal pups and harbour porpoises. Puffins are present in small numbers on Old Lighthouse Island off the coast of Donaghadee. Nesting terns including internationally important numbers of Sandwich and common terns as well as gulls, cormorants, egrets and waders can be seen across the islands.

Other wildlife highlights include the Common Spotted orchid at Gibbs Island, and the Common Blue butterfly and Yellow-horned poppy at Kearney.

Marine life to look out for

There are over 2,000 different types of marine creatures living in Strangford Lough. If you venture down to the shore at low tide, you will be amazed at the diversity of life you can discover lurking in the rock pools. Some of the best shorelines to explore include Ballyhenry Island and Kearney Village.

Marine mammals at Strangford Lough

Both common and grey seals can be seen here all year round. The best places to spot them are at Cloughy Rocks and Granagh Bay; on either side of the entrance to the lough. Other marine mammals to keep an eye out for are porpoises and otters. Previously, a humpback whale has even been spotted swimming through the Narrows at Portaferry.

Large mature trees with overhanging branches creating a tunnel on a woodland pathway through Nugent's Wood, County Down.
Woodland tunnel at Nugent's Wood | © National Trust Images/David Armstrong

Exploring the woodland

We care for a number of interesting woodlands around the shores of the lough. Killynether, below Scrabo Tower, has a terrific display of woodland flowers every spring. Nugent’s Wood at Portaferry is a mixed woodland on the shores of Strangford Lough and one of the last refuges for the native red squirrel.

There’s a 1.5-mile path through the 13-hectare woodland with views across Strangford Lough to the Castle Ward Estate. New seating and sculptures have been installed – pull on your wellies, get exploring and see how many of the carvings of woodland and magical creatures you can find.

A view looking from Portaferry Road, across the rippled sandy shore of Strangford Lough, County Down. Scrabo Tower is just visible atop a hill in the far distance beyond the lough.

Discover more at Strangford Lough

Find out how to get to Strangford Lough, where to park, the things to see and do and more.

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