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Cliffs of Moher

Nature

Up Close and Personal

There’s no better way to experience nature up close and personal than by a trip to the Cliffs of Moher. Eight kilometres of sheer rock-face shaped by time that is home to a wealth of birds, flowers, marine life and sea and land mammals – making the Cliffs an experience of diversity in action along Ireland’s stunning Wild Atlantic Way.

It’s not surprising that the Cliffs of Moher boasts one of the major colonies of cliff-nesting seabirds in Ireland – offering you a viewing of over 20 different species. The area was designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) for Birds under the EU Birds Directive – with internationally important numbers of guillemot and razorbill and also significant numbers of puffin, kittiwake and fulmar.

From late February, a variety of seabirds like guillemot, razorbill, great black-backed gulls and shag begin to return to the Cliffs from their wintering grounds – while the Atlantic puffin arrives around the end of March. You may also be lucky enough to see endangered bird species like choughs and peregrine falcons.

Clare Nature
Sea Arch
Cliffs of Moher Flowers
Sea Pink

Flora

You’ll see that the plants growing on and around the Cliffs of Moher are tough and hardy to survive the prevailing winds and thin soils. On the rocks and shore, you’ll see seaweed and lichens, while mosses and liverworts cling to the cliff face along with wildflowers and grasses such as scurvy grass, sheep’s bit, sea pink, and sea campion.

We’ve put together a list of flowers found at the Cliffs of Moher & their association with herbal folklore.

The Magnificent 7

Puffins in Ireland
Puffins
Guillemot at Sea
Guillemot
Razorbill at the Cliffs of Moher
Razorbill
Fulmar at the Cliffs
Fulmar
Kittiwake
Kittiwake
Chough Bird
Chough
Peregrine Bird of Prey
Peregrine
The sea and the cliffs
The Atlantic Ocean

Ocean

On your visit you’ll come up close with the formidable force that is the Atlantic Ocean which produces the storms and swells experienced on Ireland’s beautiful west coast. The energy created by large storms born in the tropical parts of the mid Atlantic gives rise to swells, which batter the cliffs with massive waves and winds in excess of 100km/h and helped the formation of the cliffs over time.

Look out for marine life in the waters directly off the Cliffs, from plankton in April and May to the second-largest fish on the planet; the Basking Shark. Sea mammals below the Cliffs include whales, basking sharks and seals and you may even be treated to the sight of a dolphin pod on a calm day. Land mammals include badgers, stoats, rabbits and hares.

Bring a pair of binoculars with you when you visit, to help with your viewing. Enjoy!

If you don’t have binoculars ask one of our team members as we will loan one for free!