Calf of Man

A 2.5 square kilometre island off the Isle of Man's southern tip, separated from the mainland by the tidal Calf Sound. It's been run as a bird observatory since 1959 and is one of the best places in the British Isles to see Manx shearwaters, the seabird that takes its scientific name from this stretch of coast, alongside a large breeding colony of grey seals on the rocks below. The island is cared for jointly by Manx National Heritage and the Manx Wildlife Trust, and crossings run by small boat from Port Erin or Port St Mary, weather and tide allowing.